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Source: Biden Demanded Policy Changes In Pointed Call With Netanyahu; U.S., Israeli, And Hamas Officials Meet For Ceasefire Talks; IDF Withdraws From Khan Younis, Effectively Ending Ground Operation In Current Form; Millions Travel To Path Of Totality To See Full Solar Eclipse; Oklahoma Faces Critical Fire Threat Today As Wildfires Spread; Key Democratic Group Pours $186 Million In Battle For House, Prepares For "Trench Warfare" With GOP; 2024 U.S. Total Solar Eclipse; Cross-Country Eclipse Project Participated By High School Students In Texas; NASA-Funded Initiative Examining Eclipses Involves Students from Kemp High School; Shooting At Florida Bar Left One Person Dead And Seven Others Injured; "Burglary Tourists" Targeting High-End Homes; Waiver Of Chilean Tourist Visa Used By Thieves For Stealing In U.S. Homes; Viewers Of Eclipses May Be At Risk From Strong Storms; 2024 March Madness. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired April 07, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

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[07:00:58]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Good morning and thank you for staying with us. It's now about 7:00 a.m. Eastern here in our Atlanta studios. Welcome back to CNN This Morning.

I did not really appreciate until I sat down next to Allison, that this blouse is an eclipse blouse.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

AMARA WALKER, CNN HOST: Her earrings as well.

BLACKWELL: I saw the sun. I saw the sun --

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Fully committed.

BLACKWELL: Yes, these --

CHINCHAR: Yes. I wear this every so many years.

BLACKWELL: It's a little eclipses.

WALKER: But it's so kind of you because I was concerned about not having eclipse glasses, and she was so kind enough --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WALKER: -- to bring us a pair, and these are the ones that you need, right? The ISO approved ones. It has a little logo there.

WIRE: Can't see through them in here, though.

BLACKWELL: These are the good ones.

WALKER: Once you look up, you can see some bright lights.

BLACKWELL: I just see, like, three little lights there.

WALKER: I'm not putting mine on. I'll do it tomorrow so my eyes don't get injured.

All right, here's what we're watching for you this morning. We have new details on that Thursday phone call between President Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu after that strike that killed aid workers with the World Central Kitchen. The list of demands Biden laid out and how Netanyahu responded.

BLACKWELL: And we are just hours away from that solar eclipse and cities and towns across the country are preparing for the big moment. Coming up, how a high school in Texas is working with NASA to capture it.

CHINCHAR: And again, the big question is, will people be able to see it? We have severe thunderstorms. We've got a lot of clouds in the forecast. We'll break down what cities may end up having the best shot at seeing the eclipse tomorrow.

WALKER: I love those earrings, Allison.

Also, Congress returns from its two-week recess this weekend. It's shaping up to be a pivotal week for both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with both men facing challenges to their jobs.

WIRE: And tomorrow's NCAA men's national title game is set. We've got ourselves an old school big man matchup. Seven-foot-four Zach Edey for Purdue, 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan for UConn. It's going to be Goliath versus Goliath in the championship game.

We begin with new details about that call between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Sources are telling CNN reopening the Erez crossing in northern Gaza and ramping up aid were the sticking points during a contentious call between Biden and Netanyahu. We will have more on that in just a moment.

Today marks six months since the Hamas attack that led to the Israel- Hamas war in Gaza. Hamas killed more than 1,000 people. More than 250 people were taken hostage and moved into Gaza.

In Tel Aviv yesterday, protesters condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for new elections and for Hamas to release all of the hostages it's holding. The six months of fighting has left more than 33,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza's health ministry, including 12,000 children. It's also left the enclave facing a humanitarian crisis.

WALKER: We have team coverage this morning. Nic Robertson and Ben Wedeman are standing by. We begin, though, with Camila DeChalus, who's traveling with the president in Wilmington. Camila, we're hearing more about that phone call between Biden and Netanyahu. What are you learning?

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. These new details that we have reported on demonstrate how Biden was very forceful on his call with the Israeli prime minister, urging him to open up more crossings that would allow more humanitarian aid to go into the region.

And this really just demonstrates how Biden is expressing both publicly and privately his frustration towards the Israeli government and how they need to do more to provide more humanitarian aid into that region and really address the humanitarian crisis that is occurring and unfolding in Gaza. Amara, Victor?

WALKER: All right, Camila DeChalus, thank you very much.

Now, Hamas says it is sending a delegation to Cairo on Sunday for a ceasefire and hostage talks. Sources tell CNN that the directors of the CIA and Israel's intelligence services will also be there.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Ben Wedeman joins us now. Ben, tell us what we know about this round of talks.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, Amara, this is the latest in a series of talks that bore no fruit. But this time, it's somewhat different because we know that President Biden in that Thursday phone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed him to make progress in negotiations with Hamas for some sort of ceasefire, as well as the release of the hostages.

[07:05:22]

At the same time, he is telling Egypt and Qatar, which have direct talks, have direct connections with Hamas, to pressure Hamas, to make some sort of progress as well. Now, the basic outlines of some sort of agreement or deal are already there. We're talking about a ceasefire.

Now, Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire, Israel wants a temporary ceasefire along the lines of what we saw in late November. Now, they also are talking about the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails.

Now, the Israelis want the release of all the hostages. Now, Hamas, the question is how many Palestinian prisoners and detainees for every hostage that Hamas releases that needs to be worked out. And also, the question of the return of perhaps well over 1 million Palestinians who have fled to southern Gaza in the Rafah area to allow them to return to their homes if they still have homes given that much of the destruction has been most severe in the northern part of Gaza.

And keep in mind that basically after six months of intense fighting, the Israeli tactic has been to pressure Hamas militarily to release the hostages. But clearly, it's only negotiations that really have borne fruit in that regard. Victor, Amara? BLACKWELL: Ben Wedeman for us there. Ben, thanks so much.

Let's go now to CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson. Nic, we're following some breaking news this morning. The Israeli military says that it has now withdrawn forces from a part of southern Gaza. Tell us more about that and the significance of that withdrawal.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, this could be perhaps the most significant statement from the IDF. And I say statement because we have to see it borne out on the ground, but the most significant statement from the IDF in several months. And it's significant not just because it represents, they say, a significant change in the way that the war is going to be fought in Gaza but also because it comes on the eve of these talks.

So it's -- what we're hearing from the IDF perhaps sets a new scene or a new dynamic around those talks tables. We're right now outside of the base -- witness the military trucks -- outside of the 98th Division base. And over my shoulder here, Matthias (ph) might be able to zoom in a little there and see the tanks.

And what the IDF is saying at the moment is they withdrawn their ground force from Khan Younis, effectively marking an end of the ground operations in Gaza in their current form. That's significant. That's significant language.

Now, we've been along the border today. We've literally been at the fence where the wire opens, where troops come and go from Gaza. We haven't seen big numbers of troops leaving. We haven't seen tanks where you're looking at them right now. And we have seen the sound of Israeli fighter jets and we've witnessed the huge explosions of impacts inside of Gaza in the Khan Younis area.

And what the IDF is saying, they leave behind. Even though the 98th is pulling out, they say they leave behind significant forces in the north of Gaza, the Nahal Brigade, the 162nd Division, significant IDF forces in the northern part of Gaza. This, of course, raises many questions. What about the anticipated offensive that the IDF says that they want on Rafah in the south? None of that is clear.

So we're here. We're going to be looking around for the movement of those troops, but a significant statement so far from the IDF.

WALKER: Yes, and of course, you'll keep us posted on what you hear about that. We do want to talk about the fact that it -- today marks six months since Hamas -- those Hamas attacks. And you were at the site of the Nova Music Festival, where so many people were killed and taken hostage.

Tell us more about, you know, how people are marking today and what you've heard from the people there at the Nova Music Festival, the sight of it.

ROBERTSON: Yes. You know, just standing there amidst all the remembrances at the Nova Music Festival, it is very moving to see the families there, to speak to the families about their loss. I spoke to one lady whose brother was killed and she said, you know, she feels the pain more deeply now. He's not there. His smiles not there.

[07:10:03]

So this is felt very deeply. I think more broadly across Israel, there is a sense still of that trauma, but a sense of the six months for them doesn't mark anything other than they still don't know how the war's going to end, how they're going to get a real piece with Hamas still existing.

All these are questions on people's minds. But, today, when you stand in a place like the Nova Music Festival, and I was there literally days after it happened and saw the horrors of what Hamas had perpetrated then, and you see the families now going back, it's an open wound. There's no closure.

WALKER: Understandable. Nic Robertson, I appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much.

Well, we are one day away from the total eclipse that will make its way across the United States tomorrow. 32 million people are in the path of totality, with many more expected to travel to the sea to see the rare celestial event.

BLACKWELL: We still have not figured out the echo on path of totality. I feel like we're missing an opportunity every time --

WALKER: You want the drama.

BLACKWELL: -- path of totality.

WALKER: Totality.

BLACKWELL: Astronomers say the United States will not see a total solar eclipse again for another two decades. CNN's Harry Enten is at Niagara Falls, where a lot of eclipse chasers are heading to catch a glimpse of the total eclipse.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: The eclipse is getting closer and closer to hitting western New York. But the big question ahead of Monday's solar eclipse is whether or not when visitors use these glasses, or those like them, to look up at the sun, whether they'll be seeing a mostly sunny, partly sunny, or mostly cloudy sky.

Now, I put on my weatherman cap and the truth is I don't have an answer for you. You're just going to have to wait and stay tuned. But there's one thing we're sure about and that is many people are visiting the area. We know that from speaking with a bunch of folks including this family from New Jersey.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're here to check out the falls today and the solar eclipse on Monday.

ENTEN: What drew you to the falls for the eclipse? Why the falls for the eclipse? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's a science teacher, 8th grade, so --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The falls is right in the path of totality. So we had to come and check out the falls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you also didn't mention that we're going to go see all the national parks. So like, we're really like outdoor enthusiasts. We brought up our RV. So, like we couldn't miss this. We already put the sticker already on the RV. So, like, we're not going to miss this event, so.

ENTEN: And as a science teacher, what do you teach in science? Is it anywhere related to the fact that we're in the path of totality?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. I teach earth and space science.

ENTEN: Oh my God. This is right down your alley.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. We just started the unit of astronomy last week.

ENTEN: Oh, come on. That's almost like a gift from God. And now you have to get these kids so interested.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, and they are, they were so interested to hear that they're going to actually be seeing this in real life on Monday because in New Jersey we still get 90 percent.

ENTEN: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So they're really excited.

ENTEN: What about the eclipse is most exciting to you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just that it's such a rare event. It's almost a once in a lifetime event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENTEN: That's what we're hearing a lot of, Amara and Victor. This is a once in a lifetime event that folks simply put, don't want to miss. When I visit you down in Atlanta, I'll be sure to bring you some of these glasses so the next time there's perhaps an eclipse, you can watch them safely.

WALKER: We don't need it. We got it from Allison Chinchar.

BLACKWELL: Allison, help me hook this up.

WALKER: But thanks, Harry.

BLACKWELL: Harry Enten, thanks so much.

All right, fire crews in Oklahoma, they are fighting wildfires in the western part of the state. WALKER: A large fire was reported in Woods County, prompting evacuations in the town of Sharon, Oklahoma. Officials reported eight fires across counties, and fire crews remain on high alert this morning. CNN's Allison Chinchar is joining us now. How serious are these fire threats?

CHINCHAR: Right. Those winds are incredibly strong. We've already had wind reports over 90 miles per hour in some states. Those wind warnings and high wind advisories continue throughout the day today. And that's going to be one of the things that fuels the fire threat, not only for today, but also tomorrow.

And, yes, it is for tomorrow for Oklahoma, but you can see a lot of the surrounding states are also going to be dealing with that elevated and critical fire threat again, not just today, but also on Monday as well. The rest of the country, Monday is really going to be focused across the area from Texas all the way up to main and whether or not we may have clouds or even rain that could block that viewing of the solar eclipse.

Again, we've got severe storm potential on the southern side. This does include the potential for very large hail, possibly up to about tennis ball size, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. So that could impact some of the areas. The storms themselves are expected to be after the eclipse. But a lot of times you get those clouds that build in ahead of time, but also to as people are leaving, they could encounter some of those strong storms.

We've also got some areas of clouds that are going to be especially across Ohio for tomorrow. So a few other areas that maybe not be able to see the perfect conditions for the eclipse.

WALKER: All right, Allison Chinchar, thanks so much.

Congress returns to Capitol Hill this week after a two-week recess, and it'll be a pivotal week for both House Speaker Mike Johnson and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. We'll explain.

[07:15:09]

BLACKWELL: Plus, high-end heists. The parts of the country seeing a concerning surge of so-called burglary tourism.

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BLACKWELL: Check your tickets. After a little delay, the winning numbers were drawn overnight for the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot.

[07:20:08]

And the website says that just one ticket was sold in is always what I'm waiting for. Where was it sold? Oregon. Jackpot is the cash value of $621 million, fourth largest grand prize in the lotteries history.

Donald Trump's campaign says it brought in $50.5 million in his Florida fundraiser last night. Former First Lady Melania Trump made a really rare appearance at this Palm Beach event. It was hosted by billionaire John Paulson. Meantime, President Biden's campaign says it now has $192 million in cash on hand. Of course, it comes after that star-studded New York fundraiser last week that raised $26 million.

WALKER: One of the most turbulent Congresses we have ever seen is back from break tomorrow. They're getting articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. And they need to tackle Ukraine and Israel funding. But of course, all that could come to a halt if they have to scramble to find a new House Speaker.

CNN's Manu Raju is here now. Hi there, Manu. Let's first focus on Speaker Johnson and his future. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been warned by other Republicans that ousting Johnson could end with Democrat Hakeem Jeffries taking over that position. What's the chances of Johnson keeping his job, Manu?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, it is an open question, just because of the razor thin majority, the rules in the House, and the question about how Mike Johnson will deal with Ukraine aid, all coming to a head this week. This is, you said turbulent, that puts it mildly.

This Congress has been at war with each other, Republicans, in particular, in the House, over the direction, over their leadership. Of course, there was an unprecedented ouster of Kevin McCarthy last fall. And this could -- we could see another unprecedented event, an ouster of a second House speaker because of his -- Mike Johnson's handling over keeping the government open last month that caused uprising in the ranks, particularly among Marjorie Taylor Greene.

She has the power as any one individual member does to call for a vote seeking his ouster. Now, she has not said when she would do that. She indicated to me last week that she still plans to press ahead. The two have talked. It's uncertain what her plans are. But she has warned Mike Johnson not to move forward on any aid package for Ukraine.

But Johnson behind the scenes is trying to cobble together a plan that could win over Republicans and try to get something through, probably not as far as what many Democrats would like, but trying to see if there's a coalition to get this together. And here's the big question, what will Democrats do if Marjorie Taylor Greene does go ahead and tries to push out Mike Johnson from the speakership?

Do they come and try to do his defense? They tried to kill the measure to try to oust him and they might decide to side with Johnson depending on how he handles the issue of Ukraine. So such a tricky balancing act for Mike Johnson, who has faced enormous pressure to act on aid for Ukraine along with Israel and Taiwan.

Of course, the bipartisan Senate bill that passed earlier this year has been stalled in the house. Johnson's trying to figure out this new approach. But as you can see, the political dynamics are very tricky to say the least.

Yes, tricky and tenuous, of course. And on the other side, you have new reporting, Manu, first on CNN, that the Super PAC linked to Hakeem Jeffries is reserving, what, $150 million or so for TV ads across the country for what they're calling trench warfare. This is to win back the House majority in the fall. But the GOP Super PAC is saying that they're not too worried. Walk us through the scope of that money.

RAJU: Yes, this is significant because this is the most ever this group has ever spent in House races. About $186 million if you conclude TV, and digital, and they're looking at races across the country from districts that Republicans hold in the Biden one and districts that Biden carried in 2020, and also to defend Democrats in states districts that Trump won in 2020.

The challenge, though, going forward is there are such a limited number of truly swing House districts, which means that of those handful or so, or more of those limited districts, there's going to be so much money poured into it. And as you hear from the Democrats, they're ready to do whatever it takes to win back the House majority.

WALKER: All right, Manu Raju, a lot to talk about. Thank you so much.

Be sure to catch Manu on Inside Politics Sunday coming up next right here on CNN.

BLACKWELL: Up next, a group of Texas high schoolers are keeping a close eye on tomorrow's solar eclipse. How they're helping NASA track the event.

WIRE: And the stage is set. UConn and Purdue will play for the men's national title tomorrow night. Coming up, we'll tell you why this giant matchup is going to reach heights never seen in the game before.

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[07:29:15]

BLACKWELL: Students and teachers at a high school in Kemp, Texas are playing a key role in researching the total solar eclipse tomorrow. Five students from the school will take part in the 2024 Citizen Continental American Telescope Eclipse Project funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation. They are one of 34 teams across the country.

Joining me now, two members of the Kemp High School team, Kyle Rimler, he's the chair of the school science department and Katy Kiser, who is the captain of the school's eclipse team. Welcome to you both. First, congratulations because this is such an honor. The more I read about it, the more excited I am for you that you're part of it.

Katy, let me start with you. This is, as I said, Citizen Continental American Telescope Eclipse project. What is that? And what is your role?

[07:30:03]

KATY KISER, CO-CAPTAIN, KEMP HIGH SCHOOL ECLIPSE TEAM: So, the project is different groups were selected throughout the United States. And I believe there's about 35 to 40 groups altogether. And in Texas, we got together a training, and they taught us how to do the telescope and how to put it together, how to program it, how to collect the data from it.

And tomorrow, during the eclipse, each site will collect the -- like a timeline with pictures. And they're going to put all the pictures together to kind of formulate one big data set of the eclipse in one big timeline and image.

BLACKWELL: So, at the end, we're going to see what it looked like going across all 40 of these sites?

KISER: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Mr. Rimler, did NASA approach you? Did you have to apply for this? How did you get involved?

KYLE RIMLER, CHAIR, KEMP HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT: So, there was an application process that one of our teachers sent -- e-mailed me. And so, I applied and I thought it was going to be, kind of, just a -- I thought we were competing against other high schools for the position. And so -- but it ended up that we were the only high school in Texas that actually -- the high school team.

And so, when we went to training and walked into the training for this area, we were the youngest team in the room. And -- so that was kind of -- that was, very, very, very cool to have these kids be able to have this opportunity.

BLACKWELL: Yes. It must, as the head of the science department there and leading this team. It just really must be a dream for you to watch your students experience this kind of, I understand there have been some challenges to figure them out to get ready. Talk about that if you would.

RIMLER: Yes. It's -- it -- it's just been watching them work together. Watching them do science. Watching them problem solve. And even us working with them, the kids, no more than we do, honestly, with the telescopes. And so, my -- our other co-teacher that helps us out, Mr. House, he -- you know, we kind of listen to the kids.

And as they troubleshoot the issues, we've had a lot of issues with finding polar north. We've had a lot of issues with getting the cameras set up just right. And the kids really work well getting all of that taken care of. And I have no doubt that we'll be ready to go tomorrow.

BLACKWELL: Katy, are you expecting, clouds, weather? How's that going to impact, potentially, the pictures?

KISER: So, there's been forecasts of clouds and rain. And as of now, we're just really hoping that by the time that the eclipse happens and we have to start taking pictures of the partials and such, that hopefully the clouds are -- will clear up because during our practices, we've been having really bad cloud coverage. But then we get just this time period where out of nowhere, there's no clouds. They all just kind of disappear.

So, we're really hoping for the best because no one -- you never really know what the weather is going to do. So, we're just trying to keep our hopes up high and remain positive and not let it really get in the way and mess with our mindset of the whole project.

BLACKWELL: Well, I'm hoping for good weather for you. Now, Katy, you are captain of the color guard. You play the saxophone. You run cross country and track. You're in theater. You're the junior class president, the beta club vice president, Spanish club secretary, drama club officer. Girl, when are you doing this? How are you leading this team with all of that on your schedule?

KISER: Well, we also have other people. I wouldn't really say that I'm the captain. It's kind of me and another girl that really kind of lead it together, her name's Zoe Brooks (ph). she couldn't be here today. But she is the senior that's on the team, and we both work together along with the other three members of our team. And she -- again, we both kind of understand each other's parts. So, she's very helpful in all of this. And it's all just really fun.

And so, it -- I wouldn't really call it, like, stressful or anything because you have so much doing it because you get to experience it with the people that you're doing it with.

BLACKWELL: Well, shout out to Zoe Brooks (ph) for being a lead also on this team. Kyle Rimler, Katy Kiser, thank you very much for your time. Good luck tomorrow.

[07:35:00]

And after this project is complete, we'll be looking especially for those pictures from Kemp Texas. Thanks so much.

RIMLER: All right. Thank you, Victor.

KISER: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Sure. CNN is helping you prepare for one of the year's most-anticipated celestial event with an interactive map. Outlining the solar eclipse's exact path and what you can expect to see in your city.

WALKER: Remember Katy's name.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WALKER: Good for them.

Still to come, one person is dead and seven others were injured in a shooting at a South Florida bar. We will have the details next.

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[07:40:00] WALKER: We are learning more about a deadly shooting just west of Miami that left a security guard dead and seven others injured, including a police officer. Now, police say officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect early Saturday morning following an altercation at the Martini Bar located in Doral.

BLACKWELL: Officials say, the suspect was also killed in that shooting. CNN's Ryan Young has details. Ryan.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor Amara, a very troubling sight when you have nine people shot in this area in Doral. From what we're told, a security guard stepped in to start some sort of situation between two groups of people. A man produced a weapon, fired it and killed the security guard. The police responded very quickly and they ended up in a gunfight with that shooter. One officer was shot. The suspect was shot and killed. Six other people, four men and two other women were shot. We're told two people at least are in critical condition. Listen to the chief talk about what his officer had to do to save his life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF EDWIN LOPEZ, DORAL POLICE DEPARTMENT: During the process, the officer, two officers discharged their firearms. One of the officers, the one who was struck, with four years of service applied a tourniquet on himself immediately after being struck even after he discharged his firearm. The extensive training that our police officers undergo is a testament to why that officer is alive today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Again, I can't stress enough about how this area is not really known for this type of violence. We still don't have a motive just yet. And when you think about, they're working through this, several different agencies are helping to derail police department to, sort of, try to figure out what's going on. But we don't know if the suspect has a long criminal history or what else has happened. But we do know the suspect was shot and killed on site. Victor and Amara.

BLACKWELL: Ryan, thank you so much.

Police say, a bold burglary ring is targeting high-end homes in Southern California. You'll hear from the family who says crook stole an estimated $8 million worth of valuables right out of their home.

WALKER: But first, the untold story of the mission that changed space flight forever. The new CNN original series, "Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight" premieres tonight. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NASA has declared a state of emergency over Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is something amiss. We are watching mission control. NASA have gone through this before, 17 years ago with Space Shuttle Challenger. You can see it in their eyes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you're working in a space flight, this is the worst possible thing that could ever happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Be sure to tune in tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern and pacific, only on CNN.

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[07:45:00]

BLACKWELL: Authorities say, they're starting to see a trend in so- called burglary tourism. This is how officials say it works. The thieves use visa waivers to get into the U.S. and they head out with millions. Typically, they arrive from South America. The suspects join sophisticated burglary rings and target luxury homes.

WALKER: While there's no official count of crimes associated with burglary tourists, estimates suggest that the numbers are at least in the hundreds. CNN's Josh Campbell has more.

BLACKWELL: All right, so we have an issue with the tape there. We will get that to you. Take a break, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:50:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, the world's news network.

BLACKWELL: Well, we fixed the tape. So, we have that story for you now about these sophisticated burglary rings targeting high-end homes.

WALKER: The digital tape.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WALKER: CNN's Josh Campbell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Home burglaries.

CAROL STARR, BURGLARY VICTIM: They hit the jackpot.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): From coast to coast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could see that the entire place had been trashed.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): But these aren't your typical thieves.

JEFF STARR, BURGLARY VICTIM: We've heard now they use drones.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): And their alleged crimes even have nations pointing fingers.

TODD SPITZER, (R) ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I got a letter of apology from the Chilean ambassador.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): But it all starts much closer to home with lives changed forever.

C. STARR: You don't feel safe in your own home anymore.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Carol and Jeff Starr thought their jewelry was secure, locked up in a safe in their Orange County, California home.

C. STARR: My mother wanted to leave a legacy through jewelry and she bought some beautiful antique jewelry, museum quality jewelry.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): But thieves are believed to have stalked the neighborhood, waited for the family to leave, and got away with $8 million in heirloom jewelry and other items.

J. STARR: They broke through a window in the upper bedroom and came through that window and then immediately started working once they found the safe, started working on the safe.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Police say, the break in is part of a sophisticated ring of thieves who arrive from South America, often from Chile, prosecutors say, where it's easy to get a tourist visa waiver to the U.S. Then join with others in a coordinated effort to scout and break into homes.

SPITZER: They lie in wait in these ghillie suits so they remain camouflaged while they're watching the behaviors of the homeowners when they come and go. They have Wi-Fi jammers to stop the alarm company from being notified.

CAMPBELL (voice-over)0: Hundreds of wealthy homes targeted, authorities say, from Scottsdale, Arizona to Raleigh, North Carolina and Nassau County, New York. Recent arrests have highlighted a nationwide issue.

CHIEF JEFF WALTHER, SCOTTSDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT: So, we have to be willing to start asking some hard questions of our federal government.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): The so-called burglary tourists have law enforcement demanding change to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA, which allows up to 90-day visits to the U.S. from certain countries including Chile, which Spitzer says is not providing the required background check on its citizens.

SPITZER: Well, if we don't know the criminal background of these individuals, then we can't tell the judge anything or represent anything about the background. Which means the person is released on no bail and they never come back again to answer for the charges.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): Spitzer claims another Chilean suspect was out on bail when he broke into this Dana Point, California home in July.

[07:55:00]

BALAKRISHNA SUNDAR, BURGLARY VICTIM: This is the window the burglar came through.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): The Sundar family built their dream home, now rebuilding their peace of mind.

RAMA SUNDAR, BURGLARY VICTIM: We want to move away from here. And I don't feel very secure at all.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): They say, for a problem so well known to public officials, it's time to put an end to these crimes.

R. SUNDAR: I want to know what these politicians are doing up there. They're supposed to help us.

B. SUNDAR: Because I want a politician to go through this experience and he may feel exactly as I feel.

CAMPBELL: Now, Chilean officials didn't respond to CNN's request for comment. But the Department of Homeland Security said it was working with that government to urgently address the issue. In a statement, DHS says, Chilean officials have responded by improving operational cooperation with DHS offices in efforts to detect, deter, and prevent travel to the United States by known criminal actors.

DHS says that once those changes are fully implemented, the U.S. will have access to travelers' background information. But of course, for a type of criminal scheme that has been around for so many years, the victims we spoke with are asking, what took so long?

Josh Campbell, CNN, Los Angeles.

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WALKER: What an extraordinary story. Josh Campbell, thank you.

BLACKWELL: Thanks, Josh.

WALKER: So, all eyes will be on the sky tomorrow when the solar eclipse crosses the country.

BLACKWELL: CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here with the forecast. Who has a good view? Who does not?

CHINCHAR: That's right. Yes. So, let's break it down. One of the biggest concerns we have is actually for the severe storm threat across portions of Texas and Oklahoma. Now, the bulk of those storms will actually come after the eclipse, but we all know clouds will develop ahead of time and it's more concerning for people as they are leaving the eclipse, maybe heading back home from where they came from, that they may encounter some of those stronger thunderstorms.

Better viewing a little bit farther to the north, then you start to get into another cloudy area and then really good viewing across portions of, say, Vermont, Northern New Hampshire as well as Maine. But back down to the south, the big concerns here are going to be large to very large hail. We're talking tennis ball size and then also some damaging winds and the potential for some tornadoes there.

Here's a look at the cloud cover because you don't even need storms necessarily to not have the most ideal viewing. Even some of those thick clouds, especially the lower clouds, that could cause some problems. You can see some of the clearer areas are going to be Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana, and as we mentioned again, those spots in the northeast may also have a very nice viewing spot.

BLACKWELL: All right. Allison, we're looking forward to it. Thanks so much.

UConn is now just one win away from back-to-back college basketball national championships.

WALKER: Andy Scholes is here.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

WALKER: The Huskies still have a huge challenge ahead of them.

SCHOLES: Yes, and we've got an old school big man matchup here in the men's championship game. It's going to be the 7'2 Donovan Clingan and the UConn Huskies versus 7'4 two-time national player of the year, Zach Edey, and the Purdue Boilermakers in tomorrow night's national championship game.

This UConn bunch, I mean, it's looking to cement themselves as an all- time great team. Only two teams in the past 50 years have been able to win back-to-back titles. That was Duke in the '90s and Florida in the 2000s. UConn pulling away in the second half to beat Alabama 86-72 last night. This was their 11th straight win now in the tournament by double digit.

And the Clingan versus Edey matchup in tomorrow's title game, it's going to be the first between seven-foot starting center since Ewing vs Olajuwon back in 1983. It's also the first one ever between two guys, seven foot two or taller. And well, Clingan, he's pumped up for it.

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DONOVAN CLINGAN, UCONN CENTER: Yes, I mean, I'm really excited. You know, you play at this level to play big time matchups, big time games. And, you know, I got a lot of respect for Zach Edey. He's a great player. You know -- and you know, me and my team are going to get ready to battle and give everything we got on Monday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now Edey with another great game, leading Purdue to a 63-50 win over NC State, getting them to their first title game since 1969. What a turnaround for Purdue. They lost to a 16 seed last year in the first round. But Edey, he didn't want his college career to end that way. Came back for his senior season to avenge that loss and win a title. And now, he's a game away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACH EDEY, PURDUE CENTER: This game is what we've been talking about all year. The reason I came back is playing games like these, you know, really the reason I've been playing Call of Battle (ph) for four years. Like, we talk about this every year. And to finally get to this game, it is big time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. So, say to set UConn versus Purdue tomorrow night 9:20 Eastern. You can watch that game in our sister network TBS or stream it on Max.

Now, on the women's side, 14.2 million people watch the Iowa UConn game Friday, making it the most watched women's basketball game ever. And check this out, a sellout crowd of more than 17,000 were on hand yesterday just to watch Caitlin Clark practice. She takes on undefeated South Carolina today. And here was Clark on what it would mean to get a title to end her legendary career.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAITLIN CLARK, IOWA GUARD: I think that would be the cherry on top. That would be the, you know, top of the list. The thing that you're the most proud of, that's something you get to share with your teammates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes. So, Dawn Staley's undefeated Gamecocks, they're going to take on Caitlin Clark in Iowa for that national title later this afternoon at 3:00 eastern, guys. And it should be a good one, you know, South Carolina, they lost to Caitlin Clark in the final four last year, so they're looking for a little revenge today.

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