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Donald and Melania Trump Back in the United Kingdom for a State Visit; Suspect in Charlie Kirk's Assassination Appears in Court, Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty; Veteran Hollywood Actor Robert Redford Dies. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 17, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead.

Donald Trump heads to Windsor Castle in the coming hours for a day of pomp and pageantry, but not everyone's welcoming the U.S. President's visit.

Israel launches its ground assault in Gaza City, forcing thousands of Palestinians to flee south, a defiant move in the face of a global outcry.

Plus, the suspect in the Charlie Kirk shooting appears for the first time in court as prosecutors vow to seek the death penalty.

And later, Hollywood icon Robert Redford dies at 89. We'll look at the life of the award-winning filmmaker, philanthropist and environmentalist.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: It's 8:00 a.m. in London where the U.S. President has embarked on an unprecedented second state visit. He and the First Lady will be meeting with the Royals later today, as well as the British Prime Minister. Those talks are expected to coincide with anti-Trump demonstrations like those we saw on Tuesday.

Shortly after Donald Trump landed, activists projected a reel onto the walls of Windsor Castle that showed him with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Police quickly arrested four people and stopped the projections, which featured images of the two men smiling and the now- infamous letter given to Epstein for his 50th birthday.

Ahead of President Trump's visit, London's mayor wrote in "The Guardian" newspaper that the Trump administration has, quote, "perhaps done the most to fan the flames of divisive far-right politics around the world in recent years." CNN's Nic Robertson is live at Winfield House, the official residence

of the U.S. ambassador to the U.K., and that's where the Trumps have been spending the night. He joins us now. Good to see you, Nic.

So, the U.S. President and First Lady arrived in London to both cheers and protests, but Donald Trump won't have to worry, it seems, because he's not going to have any contact with the public, is he? So, what all can we expect to see in the hours ahead?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, perhaps a stroke of luck for the King hosting him or perhaps just the way that the visit worked out. But Buckingham Palace, the sort of usual place that the King would have been expected to host Donald Trump and where he was hosted during his last visit, is undergoing repairs.

So, he's staying at Windsor Castle. So, at one fell swoop there, the President really doesn't have anything to do in the center of London because when he meets with the Prime Minister tomorrow, that's at Chequers, the Prime Minister's countryside residence. And even when he's at Windsor, he'll be flying from here to Windsor later in the day, and when he lands there, he will be within the castle grounds.

Typically, again, the normal thing that the royals would want to do would be a carriage procession, horse and carriage, through the streets of Windsor. That won't be happening.

The President, the First Lady, will be in a carriage. They will get all that pomp and circumstance, but it will be inside the castle grounds.

So, he is being kept away from the public. There will be a huge demonstration, or expected to be a huge demonstration, against President Trump here in the center of London later in the day, but he won't be making contact with it, won't be anywhere close to it.

However, he's obviously quite capable of waking up and reading some of the things that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has written about him, and the two have exchanged sharp words in the past, maybe more of that today.

CHURCH: And Nic, President Trump and Prime Minister Starmer do get down to business on Thursday, with a focus on security and trade. What can we expect to come out of that day, and what do each of the leaders want from that meeting?

ROBERTSON: Yes, they both want certain things. They both want the optics of it to look good. They both want a distraction from the Epstein scandal, which is plaguing President Trump back at home, and dogging Keir Starmer here, his ambassador to the United States. Peter Mandelson was essentially fired last Friday for his entanglement and comments, positive comments, about the convicted Epstein at that stage.

[03:05:05]

So, that's something both will want not to address, but where they intersect is the projection of doing business together that's good for both countries.

We're already hearing talk about massive A.I. tech investment coming from Microsoft, coming from Google's parent company, Alphabet. There's talk as well of billions of dollars' worth of civil nuclear power research and plant building.

And all of these will be a benefit for the U.K. potentially, bringing thousands of jobs. And a White House official speaking about this possible A.I. and high tech trade deals, talked about deals worth towards the tens of billions of dollars. So, that would be a positive thing.

Of course, the British Prime Minister would love to get a deal that would bring down tariffs on aluminum, on steel, on whiskey, on Scottish salmon. But that seems to be unlikely, at least in the short term, on aluminum and steel.

So, not a positive for the British Prime Minister there. So, the focus would be on those big tech deals.

And the other area that they'll likely talk about, where they don't see eye to eye, have some commonality, Ukraine, the war with Russia, and of course, what's happening in Gaza. And that will be perhaps close to the topic list that the President will want to discuss with the Prime Minister, because the Prime Minister has indicated as early as next week, he may begin to announce Britain's recognition or steps towards a Palestinian state.

And that's something President Trump is very much opposed to do. That happens, expected around the UNGA next week. So, I think, you know, there are plenty of areas for them to disagree but both of them are going to want the optics of positive meetings.

CHURCH: And Nic, you did mention London's Mayor Sadiq Khan criticizing Donald Trump in an opinion piece published as the U.S. President arrived in the U.K. saying Trump had quote, "done the most to fan the flames of divisive far-right politics around the world." So, how has that criticism been received by the public? And of course, we don't know yet what President Trump thinks about it.

ROBERTSON: There's certainly a wide belief in the U.K. that President Trump is a disrupter, leans to the right heavily, and doesn't cherish all the values that all the British public do. But I have to say, already this morning, the only person we saw rock up at the gates here with any kind of messaging on their t-shirt was somebody who had emblazoned on his t-shirt, everything Donald Trump says is right.

So he does have his supporters here. But it will of course be the noise and the protest from the anti-Trump protesters that we'll see and hear more of today, rather than the positive messages.

However, Sadiq Khan's timing clearly aimed spite and spike. The President, while he's here, they have had a tempestuous exchanges on social media before. But also Sadiq Khan, member of the Labor Party, a sort of shot across Prime Minister, Labor Party, of course, Keir Starmer, across his bowels about getting too close to President Trump. And this is, of course, at a time when Keir Starmer is experiencing

difficulties within his party. He's had to fire his ambassador to the United States, he had to let go the Deputy Prime Minister or she resigned just less than two weeks ago.

Now, it's really raising questions within the Labour Party about the leadership of Prime Minister Starmer. And that definitely will be read into those messages and the timing of the messages by Sadiq Khan.

CHURCH: Nic Robertson, many thanks for that live report, I appreciate it from London.

Turning now to Gaza, where Israel's ground assault to occupy Gaza City is underway. The city is home to nearly half of the enclave's population. And Israel's military says it expects the offensive to take several months to complete the first timeline the IDF has given for its plan.

The Israeli Prime Minister is facing mounting criticism abroad and at home. But Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting the U.S. President at the White House later this month, his fourth visit since the beginning of Donald Trump's second term.

Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, protesters are calling for an end to the war and the release of all the hostages. The families fear the new incursion will put their loved ones in danger and prevent a deal to bring them home.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond has details, a warning though some of the images you're about to see are graphic.

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JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The invasion of Gaza City has begun, at least according to the Israeli military. Israel says its ground forces are moving toward the heart of the city, with some 20,000 troops committed to conquering and occupying it.

But as smoke rises over its skyline, CNN has yet to independently confirm that ground forces have pushed into the city center. From above, the Israeli military did deliver a terrifying night of bombardment, sending rescue crews into bombed out buildings.

Outside Al Shifa Hospital, one child after the next is hurried into the emergency room. All are bloodied and covered in soot. Through tears and obvious signs of shock, doctors and nurses work to treat and comfort these young victims.

There is no comforting those in the hospital's courtyard, where relatives arrive to discover their loved ones are among the 82 killed overnight.

My daughter, check her, my daughter, she's killed. This mother cries out in disbelief. Someone check her.

As the military escalates its assault, it says some 350,000 people have fled Gaza City. Israel wants to displace all of the city's population of about one million people, drawing accusations of ethnic cleansing.

Israel says it is trying to move civilians out of harm's way, as it takes on a Hamas force of just 2000 to 3000 fighters, according to an Israeli military official.

But not everyone has the means or the ability to leave, including this pregnant woman.

I don't want anything. All I want is to go south to escape death, she says. We're all injured and ill, it's difficult for us to move.

For the first time, an independent United Nations commission concluding in a 72-page report that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a conclusion Israel categorically rejects.

CHRIS SIDOTI, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MEMBER: This is no minor matter. The extremity of what is happening is such that we could come to no other reasonable inference than genocidal purpose.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The global outcry blunted by diplomatic cover from the United States, which is now backing Israel's invasion of Gaza City and casting doubt on prospects of a negotiated ceasefire.

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, as you saw, the Israelis have begun to take operations there. So we think we have a very short window of time in which a deal could happen.

DIAMOND (voice-over): That rapidly closing window driving hostage families into the streets, fearingtheir loved ones will be caught in this latest Israeli assault. Their government doesn't seem to be listening.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

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CHURCH: With me now is CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Thank you, sir, for joining us.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's my pleasure, Rosemary. Thank you.

CHURCH: So Israel's new ground incursion got underway about 24 hours ago, just as an independent U.N. commission accused Israel of committing genocide, an accusation Israel rejects. But this incursion did not wait for all the civilian population to evacuate, and many have died as a result.

What is your assessment of what this incursion can achieve versus civilian lives lost in the process and the risk to the lives of the hostages as well?

LEIGHTON: Yes, there are some significant risks involved in this, Rosemary. One of the aspects is going to be how the Israelis deconflict between Hamas fighters and other fighters, such as from Palestinian Islamic Jihad, for example, and the real civilian population of Gaza. And that's a very difficult thing for them to do in this very dense urban environment that has seen, obviously, a lot of destruction.

So the primary challenge is going to be to allow as many civilians, bona fide civilians as possible to leave the combat zone. And that is a very difficult thing because there are a lot of obstacles for the civilians. They are many of them are being caught in the crossfire quite literally.

And that is causing a lot of the casualties that we're seeing right now. And those casualties are going to really be a burden for the Israelis because not only will it overtax the very tenuous military and medical supply systems in Gaza, but it will also serve as a real problem for the Israelis from a public relations standpoint.

And wars are not just one at the point of a barrel, but they're also one in the field of public relations. And failure to control that in an adequate way and to do the right thing in terms of the battle is going to be a real problem for the Israelis.

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CHURCH: And Colonel, about 60,000 Israeli reservists were called up for this particular offensive with the objective to enhance the strikes on Hamas until its decisive defeat and occupy Gaza City, that's according to the head of the IDF. How achievable is that goal, given the war has already lasted nearly two years?

LEIGHTON: Considering the length of time that it's taken the Israelis to conduct these operations and to inflict great harm on Hamas, there's really very little else that the Israelis can do to destroy Hamas, short of killing every single member of Hamas, which is actually an impossibility, let alone that would probably be a war crime as well. It really boils down to the fact that this is, in essence, overkill.

What the Israelis are doing is they have achieved most of their military objectives already. They have killed leaders like Yahya Sinwar, you know, over the past few months. And that, you know, these efforts really should be geared toward achieving a type of basically a ceasefire, at least, if not a peace settlement eventually.

And that is not what's happening here. Instead, what we're seeing is the Israelis trying to, in essence, break the will of Hamas and the Gaza population. And that is going to really create a lot of difficulties for not only the Israelis and the Gaza population, but really for the entire peace process in the Middle East.

And that is, I think, going to be a significant shortfall in this. So it's not really achievable in an operational or in a political sense. CHURCH: And Colonel, I did want to ask you more on that issue, because

Israelis worry that this operation could jeopardize the lives of the remaining hostages. And the war has already attracted massive international criticism over the lives lost and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Why do you think Benjamin Netanyahu persists with a military solution rather than a diplomatic one?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think he believes that a military solution is the only way in which he can achieve goals that he has set. I don't think that is a correct assessment, but what Netanyahu believes is that these goals, in terms of the destruction of Hamas and, in essence, the relocation of the entire population, or at least a large portion of the population of Gaza, that is something that will give Israel greater security.

So in his view, he's trying to avoid a repeat of what happened in October of last year, and that is, or last two years ago. So that's going to create a real problem when he looks at this, because he's trying to, in essence, eliminate a threat that is, at the moment, at least, thwarted.

And the idea that he has right now of, in essence, totally eliminating everything is going to create a diplomatic issue for him, and it's also going to create a humanitarian crisis that I don't think Israel is prepared to handle. And that's going to be a significant effort.

The other part of this, Rosemary, is that he's going to also inflict a significant strain on the Israeli economy. There's a lot of the people that are fighting for Israel in the IDF, as you mentioned, are reservists.

Those reservists are going to be taken away from their jobs. It's going to have an impact on the Israeli economy, on the ability of Israel to produce the goods and services that it needs to sustain itself. And that strain could very well cripple this war effort in the long run.

CHURCH: Colonel Cedric Leighton, we thank you so much for your military analysis, I appreciate it.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Rosemary. Thank you so much.

CHURCH: Charlie Kirk's alleged killer makes his first court appearance. Ahead, a closer look at the charges Tyler Robinson now faces and the key evidence against him.

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CHURCH: The 22-year-old accused of killing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk appeared for the first time in court via video link to hear the charges against him. Tyler Robinson showed no emotion Tuesday as the judge read the seven charges, which include aggravated murder and obstruction of justice. Earlier, the Utah county attorney held a news conference to announce the formal charges and reveal that he'll seek the death penalty.

CNN's Danny Freeman is following all the developments from Utah.

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JUDGE TONY GRAF, UTAH 4TH DISTRICT COURT: You have the right to have the charges read that you stand charged of.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The man accused of murdering conservative activist Charlie Kirk facing a judge in his first court appearance since the horrific killing. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, seen in custody wearing a suicide prevention vest, saying only his name as the judge announced seven charges, including aggravated murder with an enhancement for targeting Kirk for his political expression.

JEFF GRAY, UTAH COUNTY ATTORNEY: I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty. I do not take this decision lightly.

FREEMAN (voice-over): The appearance following a staggering amount of new and tragic details revealed by Utah county prosecutors. Court documents laid out a series of text messages after the shooting between Robinson and his roommate, Robinson's romantic partner, who was transitioning from male to female.

GRAY: On September 10th, 2025, the roommate received a text message from Robinson, which said, drop what you're doing. Look under my keyboard.

[03:25:08]

The roommate looked under the keyboard and found a note that stated, quote, I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it.

FREEMAN (voice-over): The roommate texted Robinson shocked. "What? You're joking, right?"

The roommate added later, "you weren't the one who did it, right?"

"I am," replied Robinson. "I'm sorry."

Robinson said he was planning to retrieve the hunting rifle he used from a drop point and explained he was trying to get away from the crime scene before the roommate asked this question.

"Why?" The roommate asked.

"Why did I do it?" Replied Robinson.

"Yes." The roommate wrote back.

"I had enough of his hatred," wrote Robinson. "Some hate can't be negotiated out." GRAY: DNA consistent with Robinson was found on the rifle's trigger.

After shooting Mr. Kirk, Robinson hid the gun, discarded the clothing he wore when he fired the rifle and told his roommate to delete incriminating text messages and not talk to police.

Roommate, "how long have you been planning this?"

Robinson, "a bit over a week, I believe."

FREEMAN (voice-over): Eventually, after acknowledging what he called memes written on bullet casings recovered from the scene, Robinson told his roommate to delete the messages and not speak to the media.

"I'm going to turn myself in willingly," Robinson wrote to his roommate. "One of my neighbors here is a deputy for the sheriff. You are all I worry about love," he said.

"I'm much more worried about you," his roommate replied.

Robinson told his roommate he'd hoped to keep the shooting a secret till he died of old age.

FREEMAN: Now, on Tuesday, the judge said that Robinson must have an attorney appointed to him in time for the next scheduled hearing. That hearing has been scheduled for September 29th.

Danny Freeman, CNN, Provo, Utah.

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CHURCH: A New York judge has dismissed two terror related murder charges against the man accused of killing former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Luigi Mangione still could go to prison for up to 25 years if he's convicted of second degree murder. He also still faces federal charges in Thompson's death.

The judge on Tuesday found the terrorism charges, quote, "legally insufficient" and said it didn't hold up to New York's definition of terrorism under law. Mangione is expected back in court at the beginning of December.

A Chilean mother and her twin daughters separated for more than four decades hope their long awaited reunion will result in many more like it. Their story, just ahead.

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

Israel's military says it expects the ground offensive in Gaza City to take several months to complete, Tuesday's announcement marks the first timeline the IDF has given for its plan. About one million people, nearly half of the enclave's population, live in and around Gaza City. The IDF claims about 40 percent of them have fled so far, CNN cannot independently confirm that number.

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for the suspect in the Charlie Kirk shooting. 22-year old Tyler Robinson showed no emotion Tuesday as he appeared in court via video link, hearing the seven charges against him, including aggravated murder. His next hearing is set for September 29.

And the Trumps have arrived in London. The U.S. President and First Lady are scheduled to head to Windsor Castle later today, where they will be welcomed by the royal family. Donald Trump will also meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, anti-Trump protests are also expected.

President Trump says the U.S. military has now taken out three boats from Venezuela accused of transporting drugs in the Caribbean. The strikes are the latest escalation in Washington's growing feud with President Nicolas Maduro. Stefano Pozzebon has the details.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called on his fellow countrymen to unite in front of what he says is an immoral aggression from the United States.

Maduro was speaking at an event late on Tuesday night in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. The event was meant to celebrate the peace and sovereignty of the nation at a moment where the United States have deployed a flotilla of several warships, at least 10 fighter jets and even a nuclear-powered submarine in the southern Caribbean waters in an intent to put pressure on Nicolas Maduro and dislodge him from power.

[03:35:05]

The White House accuses Maduro of being personally the leader of a drug cartel, but he says that this attack against him is an attack against the entire nation.

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The government of the United States of America, violating all international laws, all international treaties, agreements and the Charter of the United Nations, has subjected our country to a multi- form war and particularly in the last five weeks to an absolutely reprehensible criminal and immoral threat.

POZZEBON: Maduro claimed victory in a controversial presidential election last year whose results were not recognized by several countries including the United States, the European Union and other countries in the region. Other international bodies have also said that those elections were not fair.

This is just the latest episode in a confrontation that has seen the White House announcing that they have taken out at least three speedboats of alleged Venezuelan traffickers. The last one was announced earlier on Tuesday by President Donald Trump on his way to London for a state visit.

The White House has so far provided no evidence about the allegations that these people were drug traffickers and we have at least 14 Venezuelan citizens killed in international waters according to this latest action from Washington.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

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CHURCH: Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro is being treated in hospital after feeling unwell on Tuesday according to his family. They say the 70-year-old was vomiting, had low blood pressure and a severe bout of hiccups. It comes less than a week after the far-right leader was convicted of plotting a coup to overturn the results of Brazil's 2022 election.

Bolsonaro was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison; he has denied any wrongdoing.

A family in Chile is celebrating a joyful reunion after being caught up in a decades-long national nightmare. Chilean officials are seeking justice for families like theirs who were ripped apart in the 1970s and 80s when thousands of babies were stolen from their mothers and sold into adoption in other countries.

CNN's Rafael Romo reports.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There were no words needed for this hug that had to wait over 45 years. It is the cry of a mother who for decades feared her twin daughters were lost forever.

Their story begins in 1979 when Chile was under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet and a young single 18-year-old mother gave birth to twin girls.

Maria Veronica Soto says after a routine doctor's visit, a government clinic took her then eight-month-old babies from her, accusing her of not feeding them properly. Soto says the birth certificate was altered to say that no parent had shown up to register the babies.

According to Chilean officials, from 1973 to 1990, during the dictatorship, thousands of babies were stolen from their biological mothers and sold into adoption, mainly to foreign couples from the United States and Europe. In Chile, they're known as the children of silence.

Maria Veronica Soto says she never lost hope of reuniting with her daughters. That's why, praying for a match in 2020, she sent a genetic sample to a DNA bank in the United States designed to help connect children with their lost biological parents. MARIA VERONICA SOTO, BIOLOGICAL MOTHER (through translator): And I

said, in this little envelope goes all my hopes of finding my girls. And so it was.

ROMO (voice-over): It took five years, but finally, across the Atlantic, one of the twins' children decided to take a DNA test in Italy, the country where they were raised. The son of one of the twins sent her mother's DNA sample to the bank, and it was confirmed as a match that led to a long-distance phone call in this emotional reunion.

ROMO: In June, for the first time in the country's history, a Chilean judge announced he was prosecuting individuals alleged to have stolen babies in the South American nation. The judge charged and issued arrest warrants for five people who he said should remain in pretrial detention for criminal association, child abduction, and willful misconduct.

ROMO (voice-over): No investigation can ever do justice to the decades this mother spent apart from her twin daughters.

SOTO (through translator): God heard me so many times I asked the moon and the stars about my daughters, and they too asked, where's mom?

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ROMO (voice-over): Soto and her twins say both families were deceived, their family in Chile and their adoptive parents in Italy, who didn't know the girls had been taken away from their biological mother.

MARIA BEATRICE MEREU CHESSA, BIOLOGICAL DAUGHTER (through translator): So many emotions and very happy because we finally found our mother. And now we will enjoy these moments, which are few, but it is really worth it because we found her again. And we want to be with her, with the family, all the brothers, all the uncles, all the cousins, everybody.

ROMO (voice-over): Even though she spent nearly half a century apart from her twin daughters, Soto considers herself blessed. There are many mothers, she said, who have yet to find their long-lost children, and others who died waiting for a reunion like hers that never materialized.

Rafael Romo, CNN.

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CHURCH: Extreme heat in Europe has caused tens of thousands of deaths in recent months, according to a new study. Still to come, we will show you how climate change is driving the deadly rise in temperatures. Back with that in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Extreme heat across Europe caused more than 24,000 deaths in recent months, according to a new study. Experts cite climate change as a major factor, causing nearly 70 percent of those deaths. CNN meteorologist Chris Warren walks us through the details.

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CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The study conducted by Imperial College London and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine focused on heat deaths across more than 800 European cities, representing about 30 percent of Europe's population. It estimated about 24,000 heat deaths, and they found that climate change was responsible for an overwhelming majority of those deaths.

Looking at a map of Europe showing climate change's impact, the temperature impact, seeing an increase, a larger increase in temperatures, more than 2 degrees Celsius, with some of the darker red, showing where already hot areas getting even hotter because of climate change. And it was a very hot summer.

Europe's deadly summer heat - June, July, August, was the fourth warmest on record. Western Europe had its hottest June on record, and Southeast Europe recorded July heatwaves and extreme fires. The Mediterranean region, absolutely baked through much of August, Spain recorded its most intense heatwave on record.

So it was a very hot summer, and a big reason for that was the weather pattern, what we call a heat dome. So it's a big area of high pressure, and with some rising air, it gets capped essentially.

There's like a lid on the atmosphere, and that air is forced back down, and high pressure is sinking air and that sinking air warms up even more by compression. So just the heat builds on top of itself. You also have clear skies, which allows more sun in and produces more warming.

So it was an extreme summer with warmer than average temperatures. The darker red shows us where it was much warmer than average. And again, these are areas that are hot anyways.

So going forward, if things don't change, if things stay the way they are, we can expect to see even more heat-related deaths. And cities are highly vulnerable to heatwaves, because the cities themselves can absorb more heat, retain more heat. They essentially trap the heat.

And in Europe, 70 percent of people live in cities, and that number is expected to go up to 80 percent by 2050.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: For years, scientists have estimated around 1.3 million wildebeest take part in East Africa's annual Great Migration. But a new study out of Oxford University using artificial intelligence to track and estimate the number of wildebeest shows the actual number is only about 600,000. And experts are now questioning if their numbers have always been wrong, or if the animal population has gone down drastically.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISLA DUPORGE, ZOOLOGIST: I don't think that there's been a population collapse necessarily, because we would find carcasses scattered across the landscape, which is not the case. But perhaps the number has dropped naturally, as well as there being some discrepancy in the previous counts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Using high-resolution satellite imagery, the A.I. models identified wildebeest migration numbers that are greatly different from previous aircraft surveys. The models have accurately counted human and elephant populations. Researchers say they need to recount the population using both techniques to narrow down discrepancies.

Accurate counts are crucial for managing predators as well as tourism in Kenya and Tanzania.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUPORGE: If we're able to do this for other species, it means that we can look at whether there's any scaling laws that exist in animal movement behavior, and kind of similarities in collective behavior patterns. And so that's something that satellite data provides the aerial perspective for us to be able to do, which hasn't been available before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:50:03]

CHURCH: The Great Migration is an annual journey of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles across Tanzania and Kenya.

Well biologists have discovered a new species of snailfish off the coast of California. The deep sea dweller, known as the bumpy snailfish, was caught on camera by an underwater drone. It's pink with large eyes and a distinctive bumpy texture.

Two other new types of snailfish were also discovered, one dark, the other sleek. But of the three, scientists say the bumpy one is the most adorable.

Well fans, friends and co-stars are mourning Hollywood legend Robert Redford. A look at the illustrious career of a leading man, award- winning director and environmentalist, when we come back.

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CHURCH: Friends and former colleagues are paying tribute to actor Robert Redford. He died on Tuesday at the age of 89. In a statement shared with CNN, Redford's co-star in several films, Jane Fonda, said, quote, "I can't stop crying." Leonardo DiCaprio, Barbara Streisand, Meryl Streep and many others are

also mourning the loss of the Academy Award-winning director and environmentalist. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From romance and sports to journalism and politics, Robert Redford influenced culture throughout his remarkable life.

JACK WARDEN, AS HARRY M. ROSENFELD IN "ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN": How much can you tell me about Deep Throat?

ROBERT REDFORD, ACTOR: How much do you need to know?

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): In "All the President's Men," he played Bob Woodward, half of the now-iconic reporting duo that uncovered Watergate.

REDFORD: Supposedly, he's got a lawyer with $25,000 in a brown paper bag.

UNKNOWN: Follow the money.

REDFORD: I just felt that I was very fortunate to be there at a glory point for journalism that saved our First Amendment.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Born in Santa Monica, California in 1936, Redford later moved to New York to study acting. His breakout came on Broadway in 1963's "Barefoot in the Park," a role he reprised on the big screen with Jane Fonda.

JANE FONDA, AS CORIE BRATTER IN "BAREFOOT IN THE PARK": If you don't give me a real kiss, I'm going to give you back your pajamas right now.

REDFORD: What's the matter with you? I can't swim!

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Redford's first blockbuster came with 1969's Butch Cassidy in "The Sundance Kid."

[03:55:04]

Even in the 60s and 70s, his leading man looks made him a heartthrob.

REDFORD: I was kind of feeling trapped because I couldn't go outside the box of leading man or good looking leading man.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): He starred with Barbra Streisand in 1973's "The Way We Were," the following year earning his first Oscar nomination for "The Sting."

His first Oscar win came in 1981 as a director for "Ordinary People." He forged a prolific career behind the camera while creating unforgettable characters on screen in "The Natural," "Out of Africa" with Meryl Streep, and later with Demi Moore in "Indecent Proposal." UNKNOWN: He was always very authentic in his passions, which was Native Americans and their art, the environment, and the Sundance Institute.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): That institute led to the Sundance Film Festival, which Redford established in Utah, where he lived since 1961, to nurture independent filmmakers. Now, it's one of Hollywood's most important film festivals.

In 1989, Redford started the Sundance catalog to showcase jewelry and clothing from artists inspired by the American West. Though passionate for the environment, Redford said he never considered a life in politics.

REDFORD: I don't think that I would be a good politician because I don't find compromise that easy.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): During Me Too, Redford stood up for women, telling me on the red carpet for his final film, 2018's "The Old Man and the Gun," that he welcomed the movement.

REDFORD: The fact that women now have a voice that's going to be heard, and they're going to raise it louder and louder, I hope, because they've been pushed aside for so long.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Though he left the limelight, Redford's legacy stands at the top of Hollywood. An artist, advocate, an innovator for multiple generations.

REDFORD: When you're being raised, you want to make the most of your life. I mean, I guess that's what I decided. I want to make the most of what I've been given.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And this story just in, the main suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, is due to be released today from a German prison. Christian Bruckner was and has been serving a seven-year prison sentence for an unrelated sex crime.

German prosecutors named him as a suspect in the McCann case in 2020, when he was already serving the sentence for assaulting a woman in part of Portugal, where McCann went missing years ago, his lawyer denies any connection with the McCann case.

I want to thank you so much for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Enjoy the rest of your day. "Early Start" with Brian Abel is next.

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