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Osprey Helicopter Crash Left 3 U.S. Marines Dead, 20 Hurt; "Racially Motivated" Shooting Killed Three People; FIFA Suspends Football Chief Luis Rubiales; Heat Advisories in Effect for 90 Million People in the U.S.; Ukraine Loses Star Military Pilot; Russia's War on Ukraine; Putin's Opponents in Peril; Russia Dealing with the Consequences of Prigozhin Plane Crash; Biden Reacts to Trump's Mug Shot; Investigating Trump; Mark Meadows Argues His Trial be Transferred from State to Federal Court; March on Washington's 60th Anniversary Commemorated by Thousands; New COVID Vaccine Almost Ready; K-pop group has no Korean members; Maui Fires; Maui County Sues Hawaiian Electric in Connection with Lahaina Fire; Availability of COVID-19 Vaccines Will be Available in Mid-September; Coronavirus Pandemic; Interview with UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Professor Anne Rimoin; Bob Barker, "The Price Is Right" Host, Dies at 99; No Korean Members in Blackswan Girl Group. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired August 27, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

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[04:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

We begin this hour with breaking news out of Australia where three U.S. Marines have been killed in a crash of an Osprey Helicopter. CNN's Angus Watson joins us from Sydney. Angus, a tragic story. What more can you tell us?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: Kim, we are only just starting to learn the full details of this tragedy that occurred some eight hours ago off Australia's far-north coast, Melville Island, where an Osprey tilt rotor aircraft crashed into the sea with 23 marines onboard. Three of those U.S. Marines have been confirmed dead. All 23 suffered some form of injuries and five were taken to hospital, one of whom required surgery.

Now, this is something that's just happened. The Australian public has been waiting for information as this has leaked out through the day. Concerns for these brave marines participating in training exercises up there in the northern territory, where the marine rotational force based in Darwin is there on a semi-permanent basis.

Now, as I said, information is just coming out. We just, moments ago, got this statement from the U.S. Defense Department, saying that these three marines had sadly died. Australians, as I mentioned, very concerned about this. This happened just weeks after an Australian helicopter went down in joint training with the U.S. in Queensland, killing Australians onboard there, too, Kim. So, a tragic time in Australia right now. Thoughts with the families of the three marines who have died.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll stay on the story and bring more updates as we get them. CNN's Angus Watson in Sydney, Australia, thank you so much.

Well, three people are dead after a mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida. The authorities say, was racially motivated. The suspect, who was white, was armed with two guns, each of which he decorated with painted swastikas. He took his own life after he opened fire. Jacksonville's sheriff also said manifestos were found indicating that the suspect, "Hated black people." Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF T.K. WATERS, JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF'S OFFICE: The shooter had offered several manifestos, one to his parents, one to the media, and one to federal agents. Portions of these manifestos detailed the shooter's disgusting ideology of hate. Finally put, this shooting was racially motivated and he hated black people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All the victims, two men and a woman, were black. The city's mayor condemned the shooting and the hate that motivated it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONNA DEEGAN, JACKSONVILLE MAYOR: I'm heartbroken that we lost those precious lives today. I'm heartbroken that the same communities seem to get targeted over and over again. I'm heartbroken that someone would be so sick as to want to target black people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The FBI says, it's opened a civil rights investigation and will pursue the shooting as a hate crime. CNN Correspondent Isabel Rosales has more on the horrific story.

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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let me bring you up to speed to what Sheriff T.K. Waters is saying happened here. The shooter has not been identified. The medical examiner's office will have to be the one to do that.

But he is a white male in his early 20s, according to the sheriff. The sheriff saying, that he entered the Dollar General wearing a tactical vest and a mask. And he had on him an AR-15 style rifle and a Glock handgun. On that handgun, the sheriff shared pictures, you can see swastikas on that gun. The sheriff says he killed three people, all three of those people were black. Then he turned the gun on himself and shot himself dead. The shooter, the sheriff says, resided in Clay County with his parents. Back in 2016, there was a domestic call to that house, but no arrest was made there. And then in 2017, the shooter, again, who has not been identified, was Baker Acted. Now, the guns here did not belong to the shooter's parents, the sheriff is saying.

At 1:18 p.m., the shooter texted his father, told him to look into his computer and his father discovered about three documents there.

[04:05:00]

About 35 minutes later, the parents called the Clay County Sheriff's Office, but we're told by the sheriff by that time, the shooter had already begun. The sheriff says, that the shooter authored several, "Several" manifestos intended to go to his parents, the media, and federal agencies. And those manifestos included the N word multiple times. The Sheriff is saying that this was racially motivated, that the shooter, "Hated black people." Here's what else the sheriff had to say.

WATERS: We know that he acted completely alone. If you take a look at the images on the screen, you'll be able to see what he utilized. The weapons that the shooter used today are a Glock and an AR-15 style rifle. This is a dark day in Jacksonville's history. Any loss of life is tragic, but the hate that motivated the shooter's killing spree adds an additional layer of heartbreak. There's no place for hate in our community and this is not Jacksonville. As a member of this Jacksonville community, I am sickened by this cowardly shooter's personal ideology of hate.

ROSALES: So, it's no surprise here that the FBI has -- is investigating this as a hate crime and has opened up a federal civil rights investigation into this shooting. I do also want to note that the shooting happened August 26th, five years -- the anniversary, five years to the day of a different mass shooting that happened in Jacksonville at a venue that has since been demolished where a shooter entered a video game competition and gunned down two people, injuring 10 others.

So, a traumatic situation for the Jacksonville community that's only now beginning to get answers as to how in the world this could happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is currently campaigning in Iowa for the Republican presidential nomination. But he released a statement through his office that said in part, the shooting, based on the manifesto that they discovered from the scumbag that did this was racially motivated. He was targeting people based on their race. That is totally unacceptable.

Now, the deadly shooting in Jacksonville was part of a string of gun violence over the past couple of days in the U.S. At least two people were injured by gunfire in a city known for plenty of shootings on weekends. In Boston, seven people were hurt by gunfire, which halted a Caribbean Parade. In Choctaw, Oklahoma, a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed Friday at a football game. And in Joppatowne, Maryland, four people died in a shooting.

Now, to the ongoing crisis in Spanish soccer. FIFA has provisionally suspended Spain's football chief Louis Rubiales for 90 days. It comes after he was filmed kissing a player on Spain's team moments after they won the Women's World Cup last weekend. Rubiales says, the kiss was consensual, but the player, Jennifer Hermoso, denied that. The controversial kiss sparked outrage and many demanded Rubiales' resignation. And just hours after his suspension on Saturday, nearly a dozen members of the Spanish women's national soccer program also resigned.

In the last hour, CNN spoke with Catalonia's Minister for Equality and Feminism and they asked if Luis Rubiales' case could be a turning moment for other women in sports. Here's what she had to say.

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TANIA VERGE MESTRE, MINISTER FOR EQUALITY AND FEMINISM, CATALONIA: What happens here in this particular case sends a strong message to a sports federation and to all women, girls, and teenagers who are practicing sports, either professionally or non-professionally. So, while Rubiales needs to be dismissed, as well as all of it -- all of his work, who has been and capable of render him compatible or has condoned this behavior for a long time, not just here in the World Cup.

Then this sports federations which are private organizations, need to be forced to train on gender issues, all members of their boards. Because they have to be able to identify these instances of not just sexual violence, but also power abuse, which is quite pervasive in professional sports.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Let's go to Journalist Al Goodman who's in Madrid. So, Al, the controversy shows no signs of going away. What's the latest?

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kim. Well, let's start with the resignation -- a mass resignation of the assistant coaches for the women's team. Of those 11 people who resigned en masse on Saturday, criticizing Louis Rubiales' unacceptable behavior, as they called it, that was the entire assistant coaching staff of the Spanish women's team that just won the World Cup in Sydney, Australia, a week ago. All of the assistant coaches are out now.

Later on Saturday, the coach of the men's team, that's also part of the federation, Luis de la Fuente also issued a statement, condemning Rubiales' behavior. And a bit later, the coach of FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez, had this to say at a press conference before a game. Let's listen.

[04:10:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) XAVI HERNANDEZ, BARCELONA COACH (through translator): First, I would like to give my unconditional support to Jenni and the players of the women's team because of what they are going through now. Secondly to condemn the behavior of the Spanish federation president, which seems to me absolutely unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOODMAN: And Kim, the -- after all of this, on Saturday night, the coach of the women's team, Jorge Vilda, finally issued a statement to the Spanish news state agency, EFE Reuters reports, also saying that this is unacceptable behavior by Rubiales. And saying, that it was -- he is sorry that this has harmed the victory of the women's last Sunday and the whole celebration around them.

Now, the issues, the larger issues, you just talked about, one of them with the official from Catalonia, the effect on all of the strides against -- to get more equality across the society and especially in sports, there's still a lot of work to do.

Also, on Spanish officials' mind, a senior government official said on Saturday that they want to make clear to FIFA and the world that this incident with Rubiales, the kissing and all of it -- comes with it, should not have any effect the officials said, on Spain's bid to host right here the 2030 Men's World Cup along with some neighboring countries. We'll see how that goes. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. All right. Thanks so much. Journalist Al Goodman in Madrid.

In the central Atlantic, tropical storm Franklin has strengthened into a category 1 hurricane. Now, Franklin has maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour. It's currently located about a thousand kilometers south of Bermuda. Swells generated by Franklin are expected to start affecting Bermuda by Sunday night and Franklin could create dangerous surf and rip currents along the east coast late this weekend and early next week.

Now, the National Weather Service says, more than 90 million people in the U.S. are still under heat alerts, with those alerts stretching across more than 15 states. Here's CNN's Meteorologist Allison Chinchar with the details.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's another one for the record books across the southern tier of the U.S. Over 140 possible record locations this weekend, stretching from California all the way over to Florida. Now, we're noticing a lot of that heat beginning to increase across the southwestern tier of the U.S. Take for example, Palm Springs, topping out at 114 on Sunday then jumping to 117 by Monday. Phoenix, not much better, 113 for the high on Sunday, 115 for the both Monday and Tuesday. So, you're looking at 10 degrees above average for both of those cities.

Now, we will get a brief reprieve for some locations. Take Tucson, for example. Well into triple digits the next few days, but then we do start to see a little bit of a dip in temperatures once we get some rain chances back into forecast by the end of the upcoming week. Along the Gulf Coast region, also still dealing with heat.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel for many of these locations. Houston, for example, 107, still triple digits on Sunday, but then finally starting to see them below the triple digits by the early portion of next week. Very similar scenario for New Orleans, looking at 102 on Sunday, dropping back into the 80s, possibly, on Tuesday.

And it's been a very hot week for a lot of those locations. Shreveport, Louisiana topping out at 110 on Friday, that ties the all- time record high in that location. Houston doing the same thing the day before on Thursday, hitting 109 degrees, also tying their all-time record high.

But some cooler temperatures are in store for a lot of these areas, especially across the southeast and the midwestern portion of the United States. Take Atlanta, for example, going from about 10 degrees above average to wrap up the rest of the weekend down to 10 degrees below average by the time we get to Wednesday. And that's because we've got some rain chances that will be filtering back into a lot of these locations, bringing those temperatures down, adding some cloud cover. So, again, at least there is relief for some of these cities once we get to next week.

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BRUNHUBER: All right, much more to come here on "CNN Newsroom," including a look at two hearings coming up on Monday that could provide clues about the timing of some of Donald Trump's court cases.

Plus, a midair collision claims the lives of three Ukrainian pilots. Among them, a flyer known for his skills in the cockpit and his love for the F-16 fighter jets.

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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine is mourning the loss of a star military pilot who went by the call sign Juice. Officials say, Major Andriy Pilshchikov was one of three pilots killed after two training planes collided in midair on Saturday. Juice was flying the Russian MiG-29 planes but he wanted to switch to the U.S. F-16s, and he died just days after three NATO countries promised to give those planes to Ukraine. He was hailed as an extraordinary pilot whose contributions were praised by president Zelenskyy. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Yesterday, a disaster occurred in the sky over Zhytomyr region. Three pilots died, among them was Andriy Pilshchikov, call sign Juice. He was a Ukrainian officer, one of those who helped our country a lot. A lot. My condolences to the family and friends, to everyone who knew the guys. Of course, Ukraine will never forget anyone who defended Ukraine's free sky. May they always be remembered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And CNN's Jim Acosta spoke with Juice just last year when he came to the U.S. to push for fighter jets and advanced air defense systems. And here's part of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDRIY PILSHCHIKOV, UKRAINIAN PILOT: Our need is to defend our cities against this threat. Unfortunately, Russians are taking not only the military bases, the military objects, but also civilian infrastructure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pointing a finger at the Russian president over the plane crash involving the leader of Wagner mercenaries.

[04:20:00]

Johnson wrote a newspaper op-ed on Saturday, four days after that plane believed to carry Yevgeny Prigozhin went down, Russia has not officially confirmed his death. But Johnson wrote, "As the detonation sucked the air out of the aircraft's cabin, I would wager that the last thought in the doomed dome of Prigozhin's skull was Putin." Now, the article added, "How could it be otherwise? It was mad in retrospect for Prigozhin to have been believed that Putin would let him live."

Earlier this week, both British and U.S. military officials said, it's likely that Yevgeny Prigozhin was, indeed, killed in Wednesday's plane crash. And if this is confirmed, Prigozhin would join a growing list of high-profile Russians who fell from Putin's good graces and died in mysterious circumstances. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): With Wagner boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, now presumed dead in a plane crash, the Kremlin says, Vladimir Putin had nothing to do with it but western leaders aren't so sure.

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: There was not much that happened -- Russia and Putin not behind.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): There is no evidence that Russia's leadership may have brought down the jet, but Prigozhin is the latest of many figures harmed after crossing the Russian president. In 2006, former Russian intelligence agent turned Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko fell ill in the U.K. and soon died. Doctors found he'd been poisoned by a radioactive substance. While the Kremlin denied involvement, an inquiry came to a different conclusion, saying Russia's intelligence service, the FSB, was behind it.

ROBERT OWEN, HEAD OF LITVINENKO INQUIRY: The FSB operation to kill Mr. Litvinenko was probably approved by Mr. Patrushev, then head of the FSB, and also by President Putin.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): In 2018, same country, different poison. This time, a Former Russian Double Agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok. While the Kremlin once again denied involved, Putin not shy to show his contempt for Skripal.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): He is simply a spy, a traitor to his homeland. You get it? There's such a thing, a traitor to one's homeland. He's one of them.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): In 2020, same poison, but this time inside Russia. Opposition figure Alexie Navalny falling gravely ill on a domestic flight. He was medically evacuated to Germany. Putin ridiculing allegations the Kremlin might be behind the poisoning.

PUTIN (through translator): It doesn't mean at all that he needs to be poisoned. Who needs him, anyway? If they wanted to, they probably would have followed it through.

PLEITGEN (voiceover): And just a few days ago, a general, whom a Washington-based think tank says may have known details about a palace allegedly under construction for Vladimir Putin, which the Kremlin denies, died in jail after unexpectedly being diagnosed with leukemia. The Kremlin hasn't commented on that case.

YEVGENY PRIGHOZIN, HEAD OF WAGNER PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANY: (Speaking in a foreign language).

PLEITGEN (voiceover): Vladimir Putin called Yevgeny Prigozhin's death a tragedy. And said, he fully trusts Russia's investigation to the abrupt crash will bring the truth to light.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And for more, Nathan Hodge joins us from London. So, Nathan, I'm curious, what do you make of all the makeshift memorials we've seen in nearly two dozen cities across Russia and occupied Ukraine devoted to Prigozhin?

NATHAN HODGE, CNN FORMER MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Kim, first of all, you know, Yevgeny Prigozhin was a person who didn't even really have a public profile before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. You know, his usefulness was basically that he wasn't a public figure and that his -- through businesses, he was able to provide undeniable services to the Russian government. Whether it be, you know, providing mercenaries to fight in Syria, activities in Ukraine's Donbas region, and as well as the interference in U.S. elections in 2016 through the notorious network of troll farms that he operated.

It was only after the full-scale invasion and Wagner's ability to deliver some kinds of battlefield successes, particularly in the fighting around Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine that Prigozhin actually became something of public figure. And then he exploded, sort of, into full public view with his very open feud with Russia's military leadership.

So, you know, I think -- certainly, he had, I guess, you know, you could say among his -- some of his troops, some of the families of Wagner fighters, he would have had somewhat of a following. But I would hesitate to say that, you know, he was a beloved figure in a lot of ways.

[04:25:00]

He presented, I think, for Russia's elites, and for -- you know, ordinary Russians, quite a frightening figure because he represented, sort of, the extreme end. Whether it was him popping up with videos of his slain fighters, his profanity laced tirades, you know. He was, in a lot of ways, this -- he presented an even more frightening version of what Russia could be, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: So, it sounds as though it's unlikely then that Prigozhin would become sort of a martyr figure, inspiring a protest movement?

HODGE: Look, I mean -- first of all, you know, Kim, I think, would he be a martyr? That's hard to say. I mean, I think maybe among, sort of, some of elements of the Russian ultra-nationalist or far-right, yes, he would have had some of his admirers. But this was not a man who was leading a protest movement. He was a man who basically led a mutiny of armed men who marched on Moscow. Now, they stopped short there, but this was not somebody who was, kind of, let's say, a democratic opposition figure.

Now, you know, many of Putin's, you know, legitimate opponents, people who have tried to find a way on to the political stage, where there's really little room for anyone else accept Putin, you know, for instance, people like Alexei Navalny, who helped organize street protests, you know, he's in jail. And it's a very, very difficult kind of picture for anyone who would want to confront Putin, even before this air accident, whatever we want to call, this catastrophe, that apparently caused the death of Prigozhin. Challengers, as Fred Pleitgen had pointed out, to Putin very often end up -- they end up dead.

BRUNHUBER: So, I guess this death makes it much less likely that there will be another Prigozhin coming along anytime soon.

HODGE: Well, Kim, I think -- first of all, I think it's important to watch and see what happens to the mercenary activities of the Wagner group. Where his fighters go. Whether they're fully folded into the Russian military. They were supposed to be signing contracts with the regular Russian military. And then, you know, around the world, you know, Prigozhin was overseeing a lot of, sort of, murky commercial activities, particularly in Africa, where they were providing services to the Russian government.

Now, who takes over this business? Is there kind of a hostile takeover of other Wagner activities, wherever they may be around the globe? And, you know, what business group or what business interests, and would it be a loyal business, that is loyal to Russian President Putin, that actually takes over here? Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate your insights. Nathan Hodge, thank you so much.

All right, still to come. As Former President Donald Trump's mug shot becomes one of the most iconic images of the year, what does President Biden think of it? We'll tell you just ahead. Stay with us.

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[04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: And welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

Former President Trump is now facing criminal trials in Florida, Georgia, Washington, and New York. On Monday, there will be two hearings that may provide indications about when some of those trials might begin. In Atlanta, Former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows will argue that his trial should be transferred from state to federal court. Other defendants have similar requests before the court.

Meanwhile, the judge overseeing the federal election subversion case in Washington, D.C. will hear arguments when to schedule that trial. Now, that could be as soon as January. And the U.S. president is chiming on Trump's mug shot. CNN's Kevin Liptak has more on Joe Biden's reaction.

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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden is back in Washington after a week vacation here in Lake Tahoe. While he was here, he did make a notable comment about his predecessor's legal saga. We caught up with the president after he went to a Pilates class in town here and he was asked what he thought of President Trump's mug shot. Listen to what he said.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you seen Donald Trump's mug shot yet? Mr. President, are you worried at all about the --

BIDEN: I did see it on television.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did you think?

BIDEN: Handsome guy, wonderful guy.

LIPTAK: So, the president really adopting something of a sarcastic tone there. And you saw that sarcastic tone continue. The president's campaign sending out a fundraising appeal just as President Trump was arriving to the Fulton County Jail. Saying, apropos of nothing, today would be a good day to donate to my campaign. Now, this is notable, because the president, his campaigned, the White House, they have taken pains not to weigh in on President Trump's legal predicament. President Biden really hoping to stay out of that. The strategy there is two-fold. One is to avoid weighing in on the judicial process. The president, a believer in judicial independence, but also a political strategy to avoid giving President Trump a pretext for claiming political persecution.

President Biden's strategy has really been to go about the business of the presidency, selling his domestic agenda, conducting foreign policy. And you did see that at play this week as well, as President Trump was arriving in Atlanta for his surrender. The White House said that President Biden had spoken to the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But certainly, President Biden will have a balance to strike here.

As of now, he is not weighing in on the sheer gravity of these charges that President Trump faces. And when it comes down to it, these issues that are at play here, the issues of democracy, of President Trump's amendment to cling to power will be the animating feature of the upcoming campaign. And so, while this is not a wholesale strategy shift for the president, it is a sign that he won't remain silent on these issues completely going forward.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, traveling with the president in South Lake Tahoe, California.

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BRUNHUBER: Thousands of people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Saturday, to mark 60 years since Martin Luther King Jr. expressed his dream of an America without racism. The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for jobs and freedom brought out veteran civil right activists and young ones, too.

CNN's Jason Carroll reports, many of the same issues raised 60 years ago were still on the agenda.

[04:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we spoke to people all over the country who came out here today to hear from speakers across the spectrum of the civil rights movement. One of the ongoing themes that was addressed here over and over again, voting rights. It was an issue 60 years ago back in 1963. Civil rights leaders say, it continues to be an issue today.

One of those driving home that point, Andrew Young, Former Mayor of Atlanta, noted civil rights activist. He was here today, 91 years old. He was here 60 years ago. Back in 1963, he worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr., and he gave his assessment of the condition of the country today.

ANDREW YOUNG, FORMER ATLANTA MAYOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: The vote is the passport to freedom and opportunity. That is hard work, but it's good work. Don't get mad, get smart. Don't look at all of the things that are wrong, look back on where we were 66 years ago, when we had the first March on Washington. And Martin Luther King said then, give us the ballot. And then he moved up and said, but I have a dream. But he gave his life for that dream.

LIPTAK: Some of the other issues also being brought up today, educational equality, economic equality as well. Some of the same issues that were addressed 60 years ago back in 1963. Organizers say, they are issues that still need to be addressed today.

Jason Carroll, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And Jason will be back again next hour to take us back to the 1963 March on Washington with two veteran activists who were there.

Well, COVID cases in the U.S. are on the rise even as we await an updated vaccine. Coming up, I'll speak with a prominent voice on the pandemic about why now isn't the time to let your guard down and when you can expect that new vaccine.

Still ahead --

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BRUNHUBER: Meet the stars of a new multi-national girl group breaking the mold of Korean pop.

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BRUNHUBER: The death toll in those terrible wildfires on Maui remains at 115, and crews are trying to identify hundreds of the missing. CNN's Mike Valerio reports the focus is on the role the utility, Hawaiian Electric, may have played in causing the outbreak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Maui County is saying the, "Negligence, carelessness, and recklessness" of Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries is directly responsible for the fires. The company though denies that. And looming large is the issue of preserving evidence to ultimately find out how the Lahaina fire started.

Now, as Hawaiian Electric faces litigation in the wake of this disaster, we have learned the company acknowledges that some vital evidence in the fire investigation may have been compromised. But the utility says, it is not to blame.

In a letter included in court documents dated August the 11th, the company writes, "Hawaiian electric is taking reasonable steps to preserve its own property that was damaged or destroyed because of these devastating fires. However, state, local, and federal government actors and others are moving forward to fight the fires and clear out debris that may impede that effort. It's therefore possible, even likely that the actions of these third parties whose actions Hawaiian Electric does not control may result in the loss of property or other items that relate to the cause of the fire."

So, this story about evidence possibly being compromised in the Lahaina fire investigation was first reported by "The Washington Post." But in an e-mail to CNN, Hawaiian Electric said, the paper's allegations are inaccurate and they did not elaborate further. The company is telling us, its personnel have been in regular communication with ATF and local authorities and are cooperating to provide them, as well as attorneys who represent the people affected by wildfires -- these wildfires on Maui with inventories in access to the removed equipment which they have carefully photographed, documented and stored.

This is all about preserving the integrity of evidence to find out if the power company was responsible for the spark which grew into the Lahaina inferno.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Some new COVID-19 vaccines will soon be heading to pharmacies. The shots are being tweaked to keep up with COVID variants that are now circulating. The FDA is expected to give the go ahead on the new shots in a few weeks. President Biden has asked Congress to provide more funding to help with that new vaccine. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: It works. And tentatively, not decided or final yet, tentatively, it is recommended to -- it will directly be recommended that everybody get, no matter what they got before now.

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BRUNHUBER: The CDC is tracking a new variant that was found during a preliminary test of wastewater. The highly mutated variant was collected in the U.S., but the CDC isn't saying where and it's also been detected at low levels in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, it could be time to break out your masks again. A growing number of hospitalizations due to COVID have triggered the concern. And some experts are urging people, especially those with a higher risk of contacting COVID to mask up.

Joining me now is Anne Rimoin, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Thanks so much for joining us here. So, I know there have been small surges of cases here in the U.S., a rise of hospitalizations over the summer. But COVID, you know, I have to say, is pretty low on most people's list of concerns these days. So, how concerned are you about what you're seeing right now?

ANNE RIMOIN, PROFESSOR, UCLA FIELDING SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: I think what we're seeing is something that we expect to see in the fall. You know, we see changing patterns of people going back to school, people getting -- being indoors in close proximity to each other. And that is usually what kicks off respiratory virus season, and that's where we are right now. We have COVID, we have RSV, and we also will have influenza coming. So, I think it's not surprising that we're starting to see uptick in respiratory pathogens, COVID included.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, it makes sense. Then this new variant of concern, I understand it's more likely to infect people who've already been vaccinated or have previous infections, more so than previous strains. I mean, we've seen plenty of variants come and go. What are experts, you know, sounding the alarm about here about this particular variant?

RIMOIN: Well, this particular variant has several mutations that could result in a variant that's more infectious.

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So, it can infect people more easily, or could break through the wall of immunity that we have from vaccines and previous infection. So, what we're looking for is, is it more infectious and does it cause more severe disease? At this point, we don't know. But there are several mutations which make it a candidate to watch for these things.

BRUNHUBER: All right. In the meantime, as I said earlier, there is a new vaccine coming out in the fall. So, who should get it, and crucially, when? Because as you mentioned, you know, people will want to also get the flu vaccine and the new vaccine against RSV.

RIMOIN: The way that this works is that the FDA is going to issue an approval for this vaccine. And then it's going to come to the CDC. The CDC is going to determine who should get it and when. So, we should be hearing that. I think the date for the CDC meeting is September 12th. So, we'll hear soon after that.

What we anticipate is that the people that will be on the list to encourage to get will be people who are older, people who are immunocompromised. Those will be the people that should be first in line to get it. And then we'll learn from CDC who's next on the list.

BRUNHUBER: All right. In the meantime, I mean, a lot of people, you know, over the summer, fall now, they'll be having cold and flu-like symptoms. So, those at-home tests, should we still be using them? How effective are they in actually detecting the new variants that are circulating right now?

RIMOIN: At-home testing is a still a great way to determine if you have -- if you are sick, if you have COVID-19, and if you could potentially give it to others. So, I think that employing testing is always a great idea if you have access to tests. But in general, if you're not feeling well, if you're sick, the best thing to do is to avoid contact with other people, if you can, and in particular, people who are vulnerable. People who are older. People who are sick. If you have -- people who have young children around, in particular, you know, infants, newborns. You might want to think twice before spending time around them if you can avoid it.

It's going to be good etiquette, good common sense, and what we know how to do already. If you're -- if you want to avoid getting this virus, you could wear a mask in crowded places. You can take your activities outdoor where you can. Wash your hands so that will also help with many of these viruses. And use good common sense when you don't feel well.

BRUNHUBER: Excellent advice as always. Really appreciate it, Anne Rimoin, thank you so much for joining us.

RIMOIN: My pleasure.

BRUNHUBER: Television host Bob Barker and "The Price is Right" became a fixture in the living rooms of Americans for 35 years with his humor and advocacy for animal welfare issues. Now, he's being remembered as a television game show pioneer. Barker's longtime publicist announced his death Saturday at the age of 99.

For more than three decades, Bob Barker hosted the classic CBS game show, which asks players to guess the price of items in the hopes their bids would make them a winner. He credited "The Price is Right's" success with the unvarnished personalities of the contestants who were not prescreened as with some other shows. Barker's career spanned radio, television, and the film. Earning 19 Emmy's and a Lifetime Achievement Award.

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BRUNHUBER: There's a new K-pop band performing in South Korea, but this group has a twist. None of the members are actually Korean. Paula Hancocks has the story from Seoul.

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Waterbomb 2023, a K-pop concert in the heart of Seoul where staying dry is not an option. And a key gig for Blackswan, a K-pop band with no Korean members. They're not the first to try it with, but Blackswan are hoping they will be the act to break through.

HANCOCKS: So, I mean, the obvious question, you're a K-pop group. There's no K. There's no Korean. Does it matter?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a K --

FATOU, MEMBER, BLACKSWAN: Actually, there is K, because we sing in Korean. And K-pop is Korean pop. So, as long as the language is there, it is still K-pop.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): Singing in Korean, Blackswan members say they also draw on influences from each of their cultures. Their recent song, "Karma", was filmed in India where band member Sriya is from. The music video, MV, has been viewed over 5 million times on YouTube.

SRIYA, MEMBER, BLACKSWAN: It had been really, really great, because it's a first-ever MV to be shooted in India. And also, it shows like proper Indian culture, Indian dresses, outfits, and then the dance.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): Blackswan members are also from Brazil, Senegal, and the United States. A global band for a global movement, the band says.

FATOU: And if they see us, like, we're all different color, different backgrounds, cultures. And if they see us achieve it, it's going to put more fire on any -- behind them.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): One difference, the members did not start as young teenagers, undergoing brutal K-pop training as other young hopefuls do. Two members only signed up two years ago.

YOON DEUNG-RYONG, CEO OF DR MANAGEMENT (through translator): There are usually four to five years of training period as they need to learn the language, dance moves, singing. Even though they're being trained within the K-pop system, we need to respect the culture of these members and we can't just tell them what to do.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): The group says, training was still tough. But what about the Korean public reaction to this different brand of K- pop?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There are other famous bands such as Twice and Iz*One who are considered K-pop bands even though they have foreign members from Japan and elsewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's more like a mind-set for me, like, K-pop is not just because you're Korean and making music in South Korea.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): As there are no Koreans in the group, I have always looked at the group with doubts about them being K-pop, although they technically are.

HANCOCKS (voiceover): A remember of non-Korean K-pop groups have emerged over recent years.

LEE GYU-TAG, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, CULTURAL STUDIES, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, KOREA: I believe there, maybe, a possibility to have, let's say American K-pop, British K-pop, or Japanese K-pop, why not?

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But it may also make K-pop them lose their specific identity as K-pop.

BLACKSWAN BAND (through translator): Be unique. Hello, this is Blackswan. HANCOCKS (voiceover): Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

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BRUNHUBER: Soccer superstar, Lionel Messi, led inter-Miami to victory over the New York Red Bulls to mark his MLS regular season debut on Saturday. Messi wasn't in the starting lineup but came off the bench well into the match to work his magic. Fans erupted when the Argentine finally came on with his team already up one-nil. A little later, he doubled that lead and sealed the win.

In northern Scotland, a massive search for the legendary Loch Ness monster is underway. Monster hunters from as far away as Japan and New Zealand turned up in the Scottish Highlands at the Loch Ness Center, Saturday, braving the rain for what's considered to be the biggest search for the creature in 50 years. Fans and researchers are trying, yet again, to catch a glimpse or scientifically record the famed monster since the modern myth of Nessi began 90 years ago.

Now, for this year's search, more than 300 people also signed up to monitor a live stream of the water this weekend. They're hoping to help record any sightings of anything that pops its head above the water.

Now, to Hungary, where more than a dozen couples participated in the annual wife-carrying race. Now, it's a unique test where husbands haul their spouses through a 284-yard course in the scorching heat, through muddy water and over hay bales. A couple from Lithuania won this year's competition. The contest is set to date back to the Viking age.

That wraps this hour of "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Please do stay with us.

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