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CNN This Morning

Ukraine Ramping Up Its Counteroffensive; Race To Save Dying Coral Reefs In Overheating Waters Off Florida Coast; Brittney Griner Takes Leave For Mental Health; Aaron Judge Blasts First HR Since Return From Injury; Katie Ledecky Claims Record 16th Individual Gold Medal; Small Plane Nose Dives, Flips Near New Hampshire Beach; Former Teacher Uses Nonprofit Barbershop Books To Encourage Reading Among Young Black Boys. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired July 30, 2023 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:36]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It is Sunday, July 30th. I'm Amara Walker.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Erica Hill in this morning for Victor Blackwell. Good to have all of you with us. And, Amara, so nice to be with you this morning.

WALKER: I'm so glad you can join us. What a treat, Erica.

HILL: A lot to get to on this Sunday, including as we are watching very closely the severe storms which ripped through parts of the northeast on Saturday, uprooting trees, as you can see here, knocking out power, grounding flights. We will take a closer look at the damage left behind and what you can expect today.

WALKER: We're following a developing story out of Haiti where an American woman and her child have been kidnapped. What we know about the case and the efforts to rescue them.

HILL: Former President Trump rallying supporters in Pennsylvania last night once again attacking the special counsel, you know, as he faces the threat of another indictment. Plus, what former Vice President Mike Pence is now saying about his chances of making that very first GOP primary debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we saw exactly what we feared which is that this is the moving front of severe leaching.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: The urgent rescue underway to save Florida's coral species from extinction just ahead on CNN THIS MORNING.

HILL: So, violent storms swept through D.C. on Saturday ripping trees from the roots, knocking out power across the metro area. Just take a look here at the time lapse video as it shows the storm roll through the region. So, this video itself was taken over a 30-minute period. Look at those clouds. At the height of the storm more than 200,000 people were without power. I guess, the good news this morning, that number is now down to about 84,000.

D.C. fire crews responded to over 315 storm-related calls in a three- hour period last night. Most of those calls due to downed trees and wires.

WALKER: That's a lot of calls. And because of that rescue workers were forced to prioritize which incidents they responded to first. At least two people were injured when a tree landed on a car, that is according to EMS. And today the national zoo in D.C. will be closed for cleanup from the storm.

Swift water rescue boats were out patrolling the Potomac River when they came across a boat taking on water. According to our affiliate WTOP, at least 13 boaters had to be rescued from the Maryland sign of the Potomac after getting caught in the squall.

This severe weather was all fueled by the extreme heat sitting over the northeast. Yesterday it was in the upper 90s when the storms hit. We're going to have an update on when that heat will move out in just a moment.

Let's turn now to a developing story out of Haiti where an American nurse and her child have been kidnapped.

HILL: Yes, it's according to the Christian Aid agency she was working for. Alix Dorsainvil is the wife of the charity's country director. The group says she and her child were kidnapped near Port-au-Prince on Thursday. The State Department has urged Americans to leave Haiti because of the growing violence and unrest there. CNN correspondent Paula Newton joining us now with the very latest. So, Paula, what more do we know about this abduction and how they may be faring at this moment?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, definitely disturbing details here. So, we know that in fact the charity itself posted the information on their Web site and said that in fact she and her child were taken from what they call the charity's campus. And having been to Haiti, they are usually walled off. There is usually some kind of security with the charity, the schools, the hospitals inside. It says that they were taken from there.

I want to read you more from that statement there from the charity. It says that, "Alix is deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti here home and the Haitian people her friends and family. Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus."

And I want to say as well that the State Department immediately said that they -- said to CNN that they knew of this abduction and also state that, "The U.S. State Department and our embassies and consulates abroad have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas."

[06:05:01]

Of course, you guys were just mentioning that on the same day that she was abducted the United States, the State Department, actually told all Americans -- they already told them to leave Haiti because it was not safe but also began to evacuate non-emergency personnel from the embassy there. Any Americans they were telling to leave and why, and that's because in an already terrible cycle of violence things were getting worse and worse by the week in Haiti. And when it comes to these kidnappings, some people are released in a matter of days for ransom. Others are held and unfortunately do not meet a good end.

This is a very serious situation. The U.S. State Department will continue to work with any resources it has on the ground. But again, when you have 80 percent of Port-au-Prince and the area around it being controlled by those gangs, this is going to be far from easy. Again, the charity asking for privacy and also asking for prayers.

HILL: Paula Newton, appreciate it. Thank you. Former President Donald Trump says it's likely he will be indicted two more times. The imminent threat though of more criminal charges doesn't really seem to be bothering the Republican frontrunner.

WALKER: Appearing in Erie, Pennsylvania, yesterday the former president was defiant about the legal peril hanging over him and claimed it was because he is a threat to President Biden's re- election. CNN's Alayna Treene has more.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, Erica and Amara. Like with all of Donald Trump's rallies, there was a big crowd and a lot of energy here in Erie, Pennsylvania. But one thing that I did find interesting was that the venue was not entirely full. That's not typical for Donald Trump's rallies.

There were many people there last night, of course, but there were also many empty seats. But Donald Trump took the stage at around 6:00 p.m. and he gave a pretty typical 2024 stump speech. He went through his 2024 agenda items. He also went through his highlight reel of his time in office. And he also spent a lot of time criticizing President Joe Biden.

And one thing that I want to point to is he called on Republicans and made an appeal to them to do more to investigate Democrats and the Biden family specifically. He also argued that they need to do more with the information that they have already gathered through the committee's investigations and said any Republican who doesn't go forward with that should be primaried.

But he also spent a good chunk of his rally speech talking about his own legal troubles. He railed against special counsel Jack Smith. He criticized the Department of Justice. And he argued that the charges that he is facing amount to election interference and that is a well- worn playbook that we've seen him use time and time again.

And he was very defiant during his speech. But I also know from talking with his allies and many of his advisors that privately he is very frustrated by the mounting indictments that he faces. But the rhetoric that he used on stage on Saturday is working really well with his supporters.

My colleague Kate Sullivan and I spoke to some of the rally attendees as they were piling into the venue on Saturday. And they kind of used the same rhetoric that Donald Trump did, which is that they think he is a target of political persecution and that more attention should be paid to President Biden and his family. And so, I think you're going to continue to see Donald Trump moving forward with his very aggressive campaign schedule and using the same rhetoric that he used on Saturday night.

Alayna Treene, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.

WALKER: All right. And on the campaign trail Trump's former number two is having a harder time winning over Republican voters.

HILL: Yes. Several candidates appear to have met that polling and fundraising criteria which they need to meet to be a part of the first Republican primary debate. So far, though, not former Vice President Pence. CNN's Kyung Lah reports on his efforts to court voters.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Erica and Amara. Former Vice President Mike Pence continues to campaign through the state of Iowa going county to county on an effort to win voters over one at a time. It is slow and steady, says Pence. And he says in that slow and steady pace he still is a little short of qualifying for the August debate. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think -- you know, I think we're -- we're maybe a couple of weeks away yet based on the pace of things coming in because our focus is on the campaign. To be honest with you, you know, the criteria of 40,000 donors being added to the requirement of being at a certain place in the polls is somewhat new. We accept that criteria. We're confident that we will get there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: Pence campaigned in Nevada, Iowa, talking to first responders about public safety at the community level. He did not directly go after Donald Trump, his former running mate, when asked about the attack delivered by Will Hurd on an Iowa stage.

[06:10:05]

The former vice president said he always believed that Trump was going to run for re-election, he had intended to right from the start, so he didn't buy that line of attack, saying that Trump was running to stay out of prison. And herein lies the difficulty of being a candidate like Mike Pence. When you speak to caucus goers here in Iowa, they will widely tell you that they dismiss any new federal charges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People see through this as a political trial. It's just political by nature so people see through that and that they are supporting him in the polling is reinforcing the fact that they see this as a politically-driven trial.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think Trump is undermining. I think the acts that he is being accused of will play out in court. I think they are doing a level fishing expedition looking at all sorts of avenues of his life and they are digging for things that will stick and things that are going to come up with. I think the Republicans are starting to catch up and looking at the Biden family corruption.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: The former vice president plans on spending his Sunday in Iowa campaigning more for those one-on-one voters. Erica, Amara.

HILL: All right. Kyung, thank you. Joining me now Catherine Lucey, White House reporter for "The Wall Street" -- "Wall Street Journal" rather. Catherine, good to see you this morning. You know, picking up where Kyung left off there and talking about -- good morning, and talking about the impact of these indictments on the former president, of course, he posted he expects to be indicted again, they tend to actually serve him pretty well both in terms of fundraising and support. Any reason to think that that would change if there is, in fact, another indictment?

CATHERINE LUCEY, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, WALL STREET JOURNAL: We certainly haven't seen any reason so far, have we? I mean, the president has really seized on these indictments and potential indictments to come as a rallying cry and a central message of this campaign. Really framing it as you guys are saying, you know, as a persecution, as it being politically motivated, as it being an effort to keep him from office and his support -- a lot of his supporters are very sympathetic to this message.

So, I expect -- I know we are all looking to see what happens this week, if we see another indictment. I expect that he will continue this rhetoric and that this is going to be something that will be effective with his supporters on the trail.

HILL: And it is that message is as Kyung Lah was pointing out that we know and Alayna was pointing out as well, it was interesting to me, too, this suggestion from the former president that Congress should withhold aid to Ukraine until, in his words, the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence on -- in the former president's words the Biden crime family's corrupt business dealing, which is interesting because, of course, there was an impeachment over a phone call that the former president made in 2019 essentially trying to do just that. The irony not lost on a lot of folks. But fascinating to me that those comments were actually made.

LUCEY: Yes. Obviously, this really is an echo, isn't it, of what was said and what led to that first impeachment inquiry. I mean, I will also say that President Biden was recently in Europe meeting with world leaders and these kinds of comments from the former president are very worrying to a lot of our foreign allies, especially, you know, as -- a united front with a lot of European leaders in trying -- supporting the war in Ukraine, there is a lot of worry among other leaders that what if former President Trump wins this election, if there is a change in the White House, will that support continue, will that, you know, this -- this joint effort, you know, really led by the U.S. keep going. And so that is something that has -- these comments really do have an impact and are heard on the world stage.

HILL: Which is interesting as we look at, of course, the time that is left in this Biden administration, how that could continue to impact those discussions on a global stage. The fact that Mike Pence at this point has not met the criteria, it is -- we know Donald Trump is the loudest person in the field. He does a great job of sucking up all the oxygen in the room and of dominating the conversation. As Mike Pence is looking at this, what is the conversation in Washington about how this is playing out between these other candidates?

LUCEY: Mike Pence is in a tricky position, right? Mike Pence is both trying to run on some of the accomplishments of the Trump presidency. He will talk about the Trump/Pence achievements, things like tax cuts, but also is trying to distance himself from, you know, January 6th and obviously make clear that he did not look to try and block the certification of President Biden's victory as President Trump wanted.

[06:15:00]

Another issue, though, separate from the messaging that Mike Pence is trying to straddle, he is just dealing with a very crowded Republican field and some of the other candidates are appealing to the very voters that he is trying to reach out to. In particular, I think, evangelical voters is a space that Mike Pence is very comfortable with, has spent a lot of time with, and that he has had a lot of support with.

But Senator Tim Scott also, I think, is making a real appeal there and there is a lot of interest there. So, he is just -- separate even from President Trump's domination of this field among the other candidates there is just other people who are also making some of these plays.

HILL: And as we look more broadly, as President Biden works on his re- election efforts, it is impossible to ignore even on a day to day with the job of him being president just how large Hunter Biden and his struggles and the plea deal that did not happen, could happen, obviously, is looming over all of this. How much is that dominating those conversations?

LUCEY: Well, you know, certainly Hunter Biden is in the headlines. You know, we saw that this week. You know, the plea deal that was not resolved. We're going to see what happens with that.

The White House and the president are making very clear that, you know, these are Hunter's issues that the president is continuing to do his job as president, but he is, you know, not going to comment on his son's, you know, legal issues and are trying to put some separation there. I think that's kind of the message that you are getting from this White House and I think that's going to continue.

HILL: Catherine Lucey, great to have you with us this morning. Thank you.

LUCEY: Thank you so much.

HILL: Tonight, the whole story breaks down the criminal investigation of Donald Trump in Georgia. Just one of the investigations, of course, that the former president is facing. Be sure to catch this whole new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER" tonight 8:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

WALKER: All right. Dangerously high temperatures will continue to stifle large parts of the country today, but a bit of a cooldown is on the way. More than 70 million people are under some kind of heat alert right now from California to the deep south.

Phoenix has now had 30 days in row of deadly heat over 110 degrees but that heat streak could break for the first time in a month. High temperatures are expected to be under 110 degrees as we start a new week. And that heat has claimed another life. Deputies believe a 25- year-old farmworker in Yuma, Arizona, died due to these extreme conditions. He collapsed while working in the field. It was 116 degrees.

We are joined by CNN a meteorologist Britley Ritz. Britley, so temperatures, they are cooling, but by how much? That's the question, right? Because if it's still 110 or 108 degrees, that's still very hot.

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It absolutely is. And, Amara, it's a very dry heat. So, the dew points are low. It's like opening up an oven and it just smacks you in the face.

Now today will likely add to the streak here in Phoenix. So, 31 days with a forecast high of 111. But once we get some monsoon rain in there here in the upcoming days, Monday, Tuesday, we drop down just slightly below normal by Tuesday. Typical high around

106 degrees. So, 105 on Tuesday.

Then we quickly rebound right back up as we get that sunshine to just beat back down Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Back up closer to 115 degrees. So, all of the southwest still above normal today. We'll notice that cooldown with the rains moving in.

Palm Springs dropping to 102 by Monday. The deep south that's that dome of high pressure begins to push further off to the east, we now deal with the temperatures climbing above normal. Little Rock by Wednesday 100 degrees. Monroe, Louisiana, 104. Birmingham, Alabama, 94 degrees. About 5 to 10 degrees above normal.

Thankfully much of the Midwest back into the northeast had that cold front run through. Yes, it brought severe weather but it did a dent in the temperature. Look at this, Chicago 79 degrees for a high today. And once we move into Boston, look at this, 76 for today. All of us across the southeast, again, above normal as the dome sits over top of us. Little Rock your heat index when we factor in the dew points of 70 plus, it will feel like 112 degrees. New Orleans 107, Jacksonville 108. Many of us still under alerts, over 70 plus million.

Heat advisories the dominant alert, excessive heat warnings now in effect for parts of the Florida panhandle. Just take frequent breaks. I mean, that is your best advice, and stay hydrated, and stay away from the timeframes of 1:00 to about 4:00. That's peak heating. Amara, Erica.

WALKER: Yes. I mean, I was in the pool yesterday with my family and even being in the pool in the sun was tough for me. But you know how much I dislike the heat. But, yes, try to stay indoors if you can. Britley Ritz, appreciate it. Thank you very much.

All right. Coming up, Ukraine launches another drone strike in Moscow. We're going to have the latest as the country is ramping up its counteroffensive against Russia. Plus, a crisis underwater.

[06:20:01]

Experts warn soaring temperatures are having a devastating impact on coral reefs. Our CNN team goes diving alongside a group of scientists for a firsthand look. And basketball star Brittney Griner takes a break to focus on her mental health. What it means for how long she could be away from the game.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Russia says Ukraine targeted Moscow with more drone attacks today. The Russian defense ministry says three drones were interpreted. A business and shopping center, though, they say were hit. This is just the latest in a series of attacks by Ukraine. Take a look.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

WALKER: Wow. That is some remarkable footage, this happening inside Russia in Russia's capital.

[06:25:04]

Let's bring in CNN chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh live from Zaporizhzhia for us. Nick, let's talk more about these drone strikes launched by Ukraine in Russia. I mean, clearly this is going to impact -- it is impacting the people there. It must be very unsettling for the Russians. What do we know about it and what do we expect the impact to be in terms of the morale and support for the war?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, increasingly now Moscow's most prized districts, Moscow City, a kind of a bit of a financial hub where the wealthy would live in glass high-rise buildings, the most prized areas of Moscow increasingly under assault. This is during the second year of a war that many in Russia's government said might just last a matter of days.

And these particular attacks Russia's defense officials are suggesting were the result of two of the drones being jammed and falling down into the buildings you see there and another one indeed being intercepted. And so, this a sign, I think, of Ukraine who haven't openly declared responsibility for this, suggesting that they now have the capability to reach deep far inside Russia and that perhaps, too, they are trying to show ordinary Russians that this war is coming home.

It's important to point out that ordinary Russians probably know a lot of this because of the sheer volume of Russians who have died so far. But Ukraine's air force saying that indeed this is a sign that the quiet tranquil back waters of Russia are indeed not so tranquil anymore, part of the sort of a bleak statement we hear from them whether or not exactly claiming responsibility but making it fairly clear who is behind it.

On the top of that too the toll on ordinary Ukrainian civilians as it has been nearly every night since this war began continues to mount. In Sumy near the Russian border in the north, 20 people injured, two dead in a series of Russian strikes on what was said to be an educational establishment, a high-rise, dormitories as well. So, civilian targets inside Ukraine as so frequently hit by Russia, unclear if it's deliberate or just poor targeting.

Indeed, here in Zaporizhzhia City in the last 24 hours too people have lost their lives in a rare strike that appeared to hit civilian areas here as well. So, all of this showing a mounting of tension in civilian areas and targeting there and, too, we have seen a key railway supply bridge for Russia up from Crimea towards Zaporizhzhia where I am being here a sign of intensifying parts of Ukraine's counteroffensive. They are trying to pressure Russian forces.

WALKER: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much.

Let's get some perspective now on the developments in Ukraine. CNN military analyst Colonel Cedric Leighton joining us now. Good morning to you, Colonel. Let's talk about what we're hearing regarding these apparent drone attacks.

Russia says it was launched by Ukraine. If that is indeed true, I mean, this is happening inside Russia's capital, in Moscow. How significant would that be if Ukraine now does have the ability to reach deep inside Russia, impacting ordinary Russians?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, that's pretty significant, Amara. Good morning to you. There are so many different aspects to this. Now, the key thing I think is first of all the morale impact that this can have on the Russians. You know, when we saw this tape coming in from Moscow and you heard the people screaming, that, you know, is an indicator that, I think, they weren't expecting this to happen and it also shows how significantly this can affect people psychologically and especially a civilian population. I think the Ukrainians are trying not to hit civilian targets, but if their rockets and their drones are moved off course because of Russian jamming that, of course, could result in civilian targets being hit even inadvertently, and that will have its own terror aspect to it. There is no question about it, for the civilian population.

WALKER: So, I take it that this part of Ukraine's, if indeed they launched these drone attacks, it is part of Ukraine's counteroffensive. How is that going? I mean, what do they need to do to gain momentum? As I understand it, they have made some gains in targeted areas.

LEIGHTON: Yes, they have made some gains. They have had some interesting targets, Amara, that, you know, you look at -- they can affect the logistics, and that's their primary focus. So, they are trying to affect the logistics of the Russian forces in the south, but they also know that everything is centrally controlled in Moscow.

So, you can definitely see these drone attacks as being part of their effort to affect the Russian war effort because they are going after that central control point and they are letting the people in Moscow know that they are targets as well. In other words, no one is safe there.

WALKER: You know, in the meantime, as we talk, we have Russia's naval day parade that's underway in Saint Petersburg.

[06:30:00]

And, of course, as you know through history, the Navy Day has been a parade to showcase the country's naval might. On that, I mean, how mighty or not has Russia's Navy been, particularly in this war?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think in this war, Amara, you can see that the Russia's Navy has had some significant challenges. We remember, at the very beginning of this campaign, you saw the battleship -- the flagship of the Black Sea, The Moskva, being impacted by Ukrainian strikes on it, and it was sunk. So, that was the opening salvo, if you will, of Ukraine's naval effort against the Russians. And that very fact made a big difference psychologically.

What we're seeing is a complete change in naval warfare because of what the Ukrainians have been able to do with unmanned surface vehicles (AUDIO GAP) naval drones. And that is going to have a significant impact. What you're seeing with the Russian Navy -- on display here on Russian Navy is an outmoded Navy that is going to have difficulty facing these 21st-century challenges.

WALKER: Yes, I'm glad you talked about that because our Alex Marquardt had an exclusive report on these sea drones, Ukrainian-made sea drones that were packed with explosives being used to attack Russia in the Black Sea. So, strategically, is this a -- I guess, a pivotal front?

LEIGHTON: Yes, I think it is. I think one of the key things to keep in mind, Amara, about this is that the key element for Ukraine is to keep the Black Sea waters open for export, especially the grain exports. And we've had a lot of talk about the grain deal falling through -- the grain deal between Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey to allow Ukrainian grain exports.

What the Ukrainians are doing is they're putting the Russians on notice that the Black Sea is not their lake. Even though they have a vast naval flotilla there, basically an armada, that naval flotilla is not immune from these drone attacks, and they can at the very least do harassing work against the Russian Navy. And that can have a significant impact on the Black Sea fleet and really on naval tactics beyond that.

WALKER: And let's look to Belarus now, because as we know, that is where the Wagner mercenaries are currently. Poland's prime minister is saying that more than 100 Wagner Group mercenaries in Belarus have moved closer to the border with Poland. What do you make of this reported movement? And do you share the Polish prime minister's concerns of a spillover into Poland?

LEIGHTON: I do share the concerns of Prime Minister Morawiecki because I think that he is looking at this as, you know, what are the threats against his country. And in this particular case, the Wagner Group is potentially threatening this area known as the Suwalki Gap. This area is a strategically important area for NATO because it connects Poland to the Baltic states. It also connects the rest of Europe and the rest of the European Union to the Baltic states and Finland. All of those are NATO members.

So, any move by the Wagner Group or any other Russian proxies, the Belarusian forces, any move there to connect Belarus to the Kaliningrad Oblast, which is a Russian exclave in that area, would really be a major development and could potentially bring NATO forces into conflict with the Wagner Group and possibly with Russian forces. So, this is critically important and yes, it is of great concern.

WALKER: Always appreciate you getting up early with us on this Sunday morning. Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you very much.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Just ahead here, as temperature sores, scientists are racing to save the coral reefs off the coast of Florida. CNN goes underwater for a firsthand look at the damage and what's being done to save them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:35:00]

WALKER: The global heat wave that is sending water temperature soaring off Florida's coast has some major impacts for marine life, threatening unprecedented bleaching to its valuable coral reef system.

HILL: The ocean in some areas are so hot it's actually top 100 degrees. This is like a hot tub at this point. CNN's Derek Van Dam recently joined scientists there for a dive to see firsthand how this human-caused heat is damaging those critical reefs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We're leaving the marina on a scientific expedition with some of the world's top coral scientists. We've come here to determine how the coral reefs off the Florida peninsula are coping with unprecedented ocean heat. If anyone can tackle this problem, it's these people. They're inspired and they're motivated and they're on the front lines of this climate emergency every single day.

DR. ANDREW BAKER, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: I think one of the big questions that we have as scientist is what explains why some corals bleach really severely and other ones don't.

VAN DAM (voiceover): Scientists aren't just worried about the high- water temperatures. They're concerned this is only July and the hottest months are still ahead of us.

DR. LIV WILLIAMSON, ASSISTANT SCIENTIST, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: You know corals are really sensitive to heat. I'm a little bit worried that we might see quite a few bleached and stressed-out corals.

VAN DAM (voiceover): You see, more than 90% of excess heat from greenhouse warming is stored in our oceans. And that doesn't just disappear. It can supercharge storms, melt our glaciers, and bleach our coral reefs. Bleached corals are still alive but they're extremely stressed, highly vulnerable, and if the heat continues, they may die. So, this is part of why scientists worry.

The first location we dove to was south of Key Biscayne.

BAKER: I think we saw exactly what we feared which is that this is the moving front of severe bleaching up through the Keys and now up into Miami-Dade.

VAN DAM: It was just a remarkable moment to stand next to these century-old giants, right? I mean how else do you describe it? But it was very eye-opening to see this array of mixture of completely dead coral, bleached coral, and healthy coral. So, I saw hope but I also saw a tough situation. And I can see what heat stress really does to these animals. They're sensitive and I witnessed it. It was humbling.

Is there still hope?

[06:40:36]

BAKER: Absolutely. There's still hope. You know, the water conditions are actually cooling down somewhat. And on a day like this, we have some overcast conditions. That all helps because it decreases the amount of heat stress building up on the reef. And I think as far as this bleaching front going, we hope that it doesn't continue to increase and move northwards. But the next few weeks are going to really tell that story.

VAN DAM (voiceover): Next, we headed north to Miami to see the impact on the reef there. You may be thinking, why does the coral reef matter so much to us? Well, they are part of an interconnected ecosystem. It acts as a habitat for marine wildlife, so any impact on the coral will have an impact on the entire water ecosystem. And something a lot of people may not realize, it's not just ocean life that relies on our coral reefs being healthy. They are mother nature's natural barriers against hurricanes and storm surge.

WILLIAMSON: Coral reefs provide this really amazing structure that's actually key for breaking wave energy as it comes toward our shores, so they help to protect our beaches and our coastal properties.

VAN DAM (voiceover): And on this second dive, there was obvious relief felt by these scientists.

VAN DAM: That was completely different.

WILLIAMSON: Better. A lot better.

VAN DAM: If you were happy, I was happy. I could see it in your eyes. I mean, we gestured a heart to each other because we saw how much more alive these corals are.

WILLIAMSON: I can't tell you how relieved I am to see those nice big dark happy colonies.

VAN DAM: That was a big difference. It really was. You could just see how healthy some of the corals were. It gives me a lot of hope that you know, if we can keep the temperatures down, these corals are going to survive. That was good.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAN DAM (on camera): That's a coral cliffhanger. It's not the end game. Research scientists on the boat tell me that because we still have the warmest months ahead of us, we need to watch for the advancement of this severe coral bleaching and coral mortality moving from south to north through the Florida Peninsula. Could the waters cool? Definitely. We need rain, perhaps a tropical system to bring some upwelling from the deep ocean below. But that's just something we'll continue to monitor. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam, Miami Beach.

WALKER: Very important to see firsthand. Derek, thank you.

Brittney Griner made her triumphant return to the basketball court earlier this summer after spending 10 months behind bars in Russia. Well, now, she's stepping away. Her goal and when we might see her next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:00]

HILL: WNBA star Brittney Griner is stepping away from her team in order to focus on her mental health.

WALKER: Carolyn Manno joining us now. And Carolyn, I mean good on her for being open about this and talking about what's been such a taboo subject. But what do we know about how long she could be gone for? CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you

both. Right now, we know that she won't be with the Phoenix Mercury for at least the next two road games, the first of which is later today. And then the Mercury will play at home on Thursday, but the team is not putting a timeline on when she might return.

And this is not really a shocking turn of events when you consider just what she's been through. It's likely that the 32-year-old is still reacclimating after spending nearly 300 days in a Russian prison before being released last December. There was a recent incident where she was harassed in an airport and still she has played incredible. She leads the Mercury and scoring rebounds and blocks and was named her ninth all-star game last week.

But Phoenix is currently in 10th place in the WNBA. They're two and a half games behind Chicago for the final spot in the playoffs. They say that they fully support Brittney Griner, the Phoenix Mercury, whatever her timetable is, she's going to be fine. So, we'll see.

In baseball now, boy, are the Yankees glad to have Aaron Judge back. The reigning American League MVP unloading his 20th home run of the season last night against the Orioles, his first since returning to the lineup on Friday. Judge has missed the last six weeks due to injury. The Yankee slugger had three hits in an 8-3-win. New York now three-and-a-half games behind Houston for the final wild-card spot. We'll see if they make a move with the trade deadline looming on Tuesday.

Elsewhere in sports, another day, another record for Katie Ledecky. The 26-year-old winning an unprecedented sixth straight gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the World Championships yesterday. It is her 16th individual gold overalls surpassing the great Michael Phelps for most all time. Just how dominant Ledecky has been over the past decade? Well, she won her first Olympic title in the 800 free at the 2012 Olympics when she was 15 years old. She is undefeated in the event ever since. Incredible.

And after LeBron James' son, Bronny, went into cardiac rest on Monday, some relief for the James family towards the end of the week. This is a video posted by LeBron over the weekend and it shows the family enjoying something of an uplifting note from the 18-year-old. He's out of the hospital and he is on the mend.

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MANNO: So, just a couple of notes there, but man, good to see. Still not clear what exactly caused his health scare, but LeBron writing that the family is together. They're safe. They're healthy, playing a little bit of music, which I'm sure is healing them as well.

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WALKER: Yes. So many fans were relieved and happy to see that. Carolyn Manno, thank you so much. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: A single-engine plane towing a banner crashed into the ocean near a crowded New Hampshire beach. Look at this.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.

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WALKER: Oh, wow. Yes, the plane -- that's stunning -- hit the waters at Hampton Beach, nose first, then flipped as it crashed on Saturday, jolting beachgoers off their blankets.

HILL: Yes. You think, right?

WALKER: Exactly.

HILL: Remarkably, the pilot was not hurt. Fire officials say he was evaluated on scene, didn't need to go to the hospital. As for the plane, the Piper PA-18 was towed away. The cause of the crash still being investigated. I can't get over that video every time I see it.

WALKER: No. And the fact that he wasn't even hurt.

HILL: I know.

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WALKER: He had a few angels with him. Very, very lucky.

Well, from love and hip hop to a man's next top model, See It Loud looks back on the rise of black unscripted television. A new episode of the CNN original series, See It Loud: The History Of Black Television premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

HILL: Well, this week we're highlighting one of our CNN heroes from a first-grade teacher, Alvin Irby, who's now using his nonprofit to bring books off the shelves and into barbershops to help young black boys.

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ALVIN IRBY, CNN HERO: What's up, man? How are you doing?

We install a child-friendly reading space in the barbershop. We literally ask little black boys, what do you like to read? And then those are the books that we distribute to our national network of barbers. Use the opportunity when they're sitting in the chair to just even talk to them about books.

Many black boys are raised by single mothers. So, there's this opportunity to support barbers in becoming --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How's the book going so far? IRBY: -- Black male reading role models.

I'm just excited that we get to create a safe space for boys to do something that is really life-changing. That's what I really believe reading is. It unlocks potential.

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HILL: It's such a great program. To learn more, you can log in to cnnheroes.com. And while you're there, don't forget to nominate someone you think should be a hero, but do it quickly. Nomination is close July 31st. We'll be right back.

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