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CNN This Morning

Abrego Garcia Threatened With Deportation To Uganda; Several Remain Hospitalized After Deadly Tour Bus Rollover In New York; Israel Strikes, Shelling Continue As Gaza Becomes Focus Of Military Offensive; Thousands Take Part In Nationwide Protests Against Israel's War In Gaza; More Than 20 Hurt After School Bus Crash In Pennsylvania; Florida, Feds Appeal Ruling Halting "Alligator Alcatraz" Detention Camp; Monday's Powerball Drawing Jumps To $750 Million; Texas Governor To Sign New Congressional Maps Into Law; Officials Say Trump Administration Planned For Weeks To Send National Guard To Chicago; Trump Alludes To Sending National Guard Troops To New York Next; U.S. Envoy Kellogg In Kyiv For Ukraine's Independence Day. U.S. Envoy Kellogg In Kyiv For Ukraine's Independence Day; Shares Of Cracker Barrel Drop After Logo Change; Musk Fans Meet Up At Tesla Diner In Los Angeles; FAA Warns Of Uptick In Lithium Battery Fires Aboard Planes. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired August 24, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:42]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING, Sunday, August 24th. I'm Victor Blackwell.

There is a new turn in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. He's the man who was wrongly deported to El Salvador, then brought back to the U.S., detained for weeks. Well, now he may be deported again. You'll hear what his lawyers have to say about that.

The NTSB is on the scene of that fatal bus crash in New York State. The key details they're looking into to determine exactly what happened there and why so many people were injured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Unless you have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent. And we'll straighten that one out probably next. That will be our next one after this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: That's President Trump on Friday. Now, we're learning more about the White House plan to send National Guard troops to patrol the streets of Chicago.

Plus, if you fly, you may have been asked about those batteries in your bags. And see, that's why they're asking. The dangers some batteries and everything from phones, laptops and more, even the rechargeable ones in your carry-on bags can pose mid-flight. All right. We're starting this morning with the latest in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case. After he was wrongfully deported earlier this year, then spent weeks in detention in a facility, he was released on Friday, but now he's facing deportation again, this time to Uganda in the coming days.

The Department of Homeland Security sent a notice to the Salvadoran national just minutes after he was released from criminal custody. Abrego Garcia still faces federal smuggling charges, but now his attorneys are saying he's being forced to enter a plea deal, plead guilty and be deported to Costa Rica, or risk removal to a country where he fears torture. CNN's Rafael Romo has more on what the notice to Abrego Garcia said.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One of the attorneys for the Salvadoran national is blasting the Trump administration's intention to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, calling it retaliation. The reaction came after CNN learned that the Department of Homeland Security may try to deport the Maryland father of three to Uganda, a landlocked country in east Africa, nearly 8,300 miles away from El Salvador, his native country in Central America. This is according to an email sent by a DHS official to his lawyers on Friday only minutes after Abrego Garcia was released from a county jail in Tennessee.

The message reads in part, let this e-mail serve as notice that DHS may remove your client, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, to Uganda no earlier than 72 hours from now, absent weekends.

We reached out to one of Kilmar Abrego Garcia attorneys for reaction to the notice. In a statement, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said the following, the government's decision to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda makes it painfully clear, he said, that they are using the immigration system to punish him for exercising his constitutional rights. There is a perfectly reasonable option available, Costa Rica, where his family can visit him easily, but instead they are attempting to send them halfway across the world to a country with documented human rights abuses and where he does not even speak the language. This is not justice. It is retaliation.

On Friday afternoon, we witnessed the moment when Kilmar Abrego Garcia walked out of the Putnam County Jail in Cookeville, Tennessee, surrounded by five men. He later posed for pictures with his wife and three children, two of them holding flowers, before making his first public statement in his native Spanish. This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA, DEFENDANT (through translator): Today has been a very special day because thank God I've seen my family again after more than 160 days. And I'd like to thank everyone who has been supporting me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And reacting to Abrego Garcia's release on X, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blasted what she called activist liberal judges who have, in her words, obstructed law enforcement from removing what she described as the worst criminal illegal aliens from the United States, by ordering this monster loose on America's streets, this judge has shown a complete disregard for the safety of the American people, she said.

[06:05:04]

We will not stop fighting until this Salvadoran man faces justice and is out of our country.

He's been scheduled to appear for an immigration and customs enforcement interview on Monday. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

BLACKWELL: Rafael, thank you. This morning we're learning new details about the deadly tour bus crash that happened in Pembroke, New York, on Friday. The bus was carrying more than 50 passengers from Niagara Falls to New York City. Five people were killed, several others hurt.

CNN's Leigh Waldman has more from outside one of the hospitals where patients are being treated. Leigh, good morning.

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor. Dozens of people continue to be treated for their injuries following that devastating crash. We're here outside of the Erie County Medical Center, where several people have been discharged at this point. Several people remain in the hospital to be treated for their injuries following that crash.

Investigators telling us that bus was traveling at full speed when the driver became distracted, lost control of the bus itself, tried to overcorrect, that's what caused it to roll. Take a listen to the moments immediately following the bus crash.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pembroke (ph), Indian Falls (ph), Mercy medic two, Mercy medic three, Mercy advance five, Mercy squad one. Report of a tour bus rollover with ejection, area 403.9, route 90 in the eastbound lane.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

WALDMAN: First responders describing the scene as volatile not only because of the scale of the crash itself, but because many of the people who were on that bus, ranging in age from one years old to 74 years old, they didn't speak English. They had to wait for translators to come so they could continue on with helping people.

The bus itself has been towed away now to the New York State police barracks, not far from that crash site, so investigators can continue on with their investigation. At this point, they've already ruled out driver impairment. They've already ruled out any issues with the bus itself. They're working to determine what caused that driver to become distracted in the first place, Victor.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a tour bus with 52 passengers, mostly foreign speaking. We have people ejected and people possibly under the bus at this point.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

DR. SAMUEL D. CLOUD, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER: This is probably the most trauma patients we've had from one incident in my career here in Buffalo --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over 25 years.

CLOUD: -- over 25 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right. Leigh Waldman, thank you for that report. Israeli strikes pounded Gaza again overnight as Palestinians brace for a full takeover of Gaza City. Palestinian media say at least three children were killed in the latest wave of attacks, including two siblings in northern Gaza.

Thousands of miles away, protests erupted across Australia. Demonstrations happened there in more than 40 cities. They rallied against Israel's war in Gaza, from Sydney to Melbourne. Organizers say turnout was among the largest so far.

CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now. Nada, good morning to you.

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor. We have seen once again a huge show of opposition to the ongoing war in Gaza. As you mentioned, those protests erupting across multiple cities in Australia.

And of course, it's not just Australia where we are seeing these protests. Over the last two years, we have seen these continuous protests being held across multiple countries around the world, including here in London, where we are seeing almost weekly protests now against the war in Gaza.

And of course, over the weekend, we've also seen in Tel Aviv is yet another weekend of protests being held by those calling on the Israeli prime minister to do more to secure a ceasefire deal that ensures the safe release of all hostages being held captive in Gaza and a halt to the war that we are seeing in the Gaza Strip.

And of course, as we know at this stage, there is a deal, a proposal on the table. Hamas has agreed to it in its current form. The Israeli government has not yet moved to agree to that deal. And what we've heard from the Israeli prime minister is that Israel remains steadfast in its war goals. Its original war goals. So, that is the destruction of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, the release of all hostages, not necessarily the phased release that we are currently seeing in this current proposal and security control over the Gaza Strip.

So clearly, we are still seeing some sticking points in this ceasefire proposal that is being pushed by mediators. And of course, there is mounting pressure not only domestically in Israel and Israeli citizens calling on the Israeli government to do more. But of course, as we've mentioned, that opposition to the horrific scenes that we are seeing in the Gaza Strip.

As you mentioned, yet another round of airstrikes in Gaza targeting the Deir al-Balah area, according to Palestinian officials, who have said that more than 60 people were killed on Saturday, including children. And of course, this comes as the Israeli military doubles down on its renewed military operation in central Gaza. Some 1 million people in Gaza City have now been ordered to evacuate, to move south to so-called safe areas.

[06:10:03]

But as we know, these areas have been targeted in the past. They are completely overrun and crowded with makeshift tent shelters. And this all comes as the hunger crisis in Gaza continues to worsen.

Of course, just on Friday, the U.N. backed initiative IPC report confirming that there is now famine in parts of the Gaza Strip, with this expected to continue to spread. Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Nada Bashir for us, thank you. All right. Headlines we're covering for you this morning. Let's start in Pennsylvania. Investigators are looking into what caused the bus crash. A junior high football team was on board. This is in Beaver County, about 30 miles northwest of the state capital.

More than 20 people were taken to the hospital, including one student who is in critical condition, who had surgery. School officials say the bus did not flip and no other vehicles were involved.

Florida state and federal governments are now moving to appeal a judge's order that stops them from sending new detainees from the Alligator Alcatraz detention camps in Florida's Everglades. Florida's asking a judge to rule by Monday at 5:00 p.m. eastern on an emergency request to pause the order while the appeal plays out.

Now, the judge cited environmental damage and threats to indigenous lands and blocking the site. For now, no new detainees can be moved there, and much of the facility's infrastructure must be dismantled.

The numbers that just keep going up, no one has matched all six numbers in last night's $700 million Powerball drawing, but you've got another shot at it tomorrow. Jackpot for that drawing is right now $750 million. But if you win it and you don't want to wait 30 years for your coin, you can take an estimated lump sum of $339 million before taxes.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign a bill in the coming days that redraws the state's congressional maps. The GOP led measure is expected to secure up to five additional U.S. House seats for Republicans. President Trump threw his full support behind the state's lieutenant governor, applauding him for his role in the redistricting plan. Dan Patrick is running for a fourth term in November. Let's check in with CNN's Arlette Saenz, who has an update from Austin.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The Texas Senate gave its final stamp of approval on a redistricting bill that could reshape the landscape for the 2026 midterm elections. The bill passed the state Senate in the early morning hours of Saturday, and now will head to Texas Governor Greg Abbott for his signature. He's expected to sign it early next week.

But really, this represents a major victory for President Trump and the Republican Party as they are trying to pick up an additional five U.S. House seats here in Texas. And Republicans have been very blunt about why they are pushing these redistricting plans. Take a listen to state Senator Phil King, a Republican on the Senate floor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL KING (R), TEXAS STATE SENATOR: I'm convinced that if Texas does not take this action, that there is an extreme risk that that Republican majority will be lost. And if it does, the next two years after the midterms, there will be nothing but inquisitions and impeachments and humiliation for our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Texas Democrats, who had fled the state to try to block this bill for two weeks, had no other legislative options left to prevent this from being passed. Now, Democrats are turning their attention to the courts, hoping that the court system will step in to block these maps from going into effect.

But already this map, even before it was passed and signed into law, it's already impacting the 2026 midterms here in Texas. There's Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who represents a district right here in Austin. He announced that he would not seek reelection if the courts do not block these maps. Part of that is because a congressman from a district just south of here, Greg Casar, said that he would now run in Doggett's district after his own district is essentially eliminated to become a more GOP leaning district.

So, there's a lot of big questions going forward for Democrats about how they are going to handle this, whether they will continue to seek a reelection in their districts or perhaps decide to retire. But at this moment, this really represents a major victory for President Donald Trump, who has also vowed to push other states to consider their own redistricting options as well. Arlette Saenz, CNN, Austin, Texas.

BLACKWELL: All right. Arlette, thank you for that. Next, on CNN THIS MORNING, President Trump is targeting Chicago for the administration's next city takeover of law enforcement. We'll explain how this could be different from the deployment in D.C.

Today, Ukraine is marking its Independence Day as its war with Russia rages on and peace negotiations are stalled. [06:15:01]

Next, why Ukraine's offensive on Russian energy seems to be working. And danger in the air. The batteries that power your phones and your laptops are putting flyers at risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will get warmer and warmer and warmer until the battery -- the structure of the battery itself fails.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sounds --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:20:00]

BLACKWELL: We have new details this morning about where the president's next plan National Guard rollout may be. Officials tell CNN, they've been planning for weeks to send troops to Chicago, but the mayor says he has not heard anything about those plans yet.

Right now, we do not know when this might happen or how many troops or National Guard service members might be deployed. We know it would look different, though, than what we've seen in Washington, D.C., there President Trump has more leeway in directing troops. In Chicago, the deployment could look more like the president's deployment in Los Angeles earlier this year.

Joining me now is senior reporter for "Bloomberg News," Myles Miller. Myles, good morning to you. So, the president says that Chicago is next because Chicago is a mess. But the mayor says there's been significant drops in homicides and shootings and carjackings and car thefts.

Can you fill out the picture for us of why Chicago is next from this White House? This president who is focused on Chicago for years.

MYLES MILLER, SENIOR REPORTER, BLOOMBERG: Right. So, from the crime perspective, the president has been focused on Chicago since January, right? He's really been pointing at what he sees as a high crime city. As the numbers go down, the president's mind has not changed.

Chicago has been on the president's mind, not just for crime, but also for immigration. You'll remember, in early January when they were talking about these mass sweeps of immigrants, they said that the first stop they were going to do was Chicago. And then they had to walk that back.

Tom Homan decided that, you know, he didn't want to do that. He thought that that information had gotten leaked and he didn't want to -- he wanted to have an element of surprise when he went in and did those sweeps. He eventually did get to Chicago. But the focus, as you said on Chicago, is going to be much more and much different than what is happening in D.C., right? Right now, 2,000 troops in Washington who are assisting in that effort to what -- do what Trump has said is clean up Washington, D.C., In Chicago, narrowly focused on assisting ICE with these deportations in terms of keeping the deportation facilities safe from protests, much like what you saw in Los Angeles. But this really points to a Trump administration that is focused on these major big cities, that are run by, you know, Democrats that he sees as big challenges for the administration.

You know, you talked about Chicago's mayor, but you go one step further with JB Pritzker. And as you look towards 2028, these are some of the places that he's targeting, not just Chicago, also Los Angeles. And then, you know, also saying that he would look at New York City as well. And so that is the way that the Trump administration feels that they need to progress, not just with National Guard, but also with federal agents as well.

BLACKWELL: You bring up New York City, and the president said on Friday he may be looking there as well. Eric Adams, the mayor there, has become how do we say more amenable to the Trump administration, to President Trump himself, certainly, since that federal cases has been dropped. Should we expect a fight there from the mayor, considering he is running for reelection?

MILLER: Yes. You know, and I will say that, you know, covered Eric Adams for the last 15 to 20 years. And so, I know him pretty well. And one thing I will say is that, you know, he has been forced to sue the Trump administration as it relates to immigration related dollars that have come into the city.

You know, the Trump administration clawed back a significant pile of money that was set aside to deal with what the mayor has called migrant crisis in the city, and that money hasn't yet come back. But he has been forced to sue the Trump administration. So, he says that's how he's pushing back. But he did through his first deputy mayor try to let ICE agents on to Rikers Island. So, you have this push and pull, right?

He is running for reelection. And so, it remains to be seen if he is anti-Trump or if he, you know, is more willing to work with the Trump administration. But some of his top deputies are, you know, speaking with Tom Homan. They're speaking with folks at ICE, you know.

But I would say, you know, Kristi Noem was here just a few weeks ago, and she was very critical of Eric Adams, and it was very different than sort of the blossoming relationship between Tom Homan and Eric Adams. You know, that happened, you know, on "The Curvy Couch" on "Fox News," which he said, you know, he didn't do enough on immigration, that he'd be right back there to make sure that he did more.

And the relationship has gotten better. It's interesting to see what happens with the administration and the Adams administration.

BLACKWELL: All right. Myles Miller, "Bloomberg News," thank you. Next on CNN THIS MORNING, a closer look at peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine as progress seems to have stalled.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:29:37]

BLACKWELL: Today marks Ukraine's 34th Independence Day, and the Trump administration is weighing in with a message of support. Russia- Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg is in Kyiv to show support and attend today's celebrations. You see him here with President Zelenskyy.

President Trump also sent a letter to the Ukrainian president. He praised Ukraine's unbreakable spirit. He said he believes in a future as an independent nation.

[06:30:00]

Trump also called for a negotiated settlement to end the war. The message comes as Ukraine steps up its attacks on Russian energy facilities, and peace talks are stalled.

Joining me now is CNN political and national security analyst, David Sanger. David, good morning to you.

Let me read a line from the President's letter today on Ukraine's Independence Day. As you mark this important day, know the United States respects your fight, honors your sacrifices, and believes in your future as an independent nation.

Is this just boilerplate diplomacy, or is there something significant here about what is or is not included in this message, in this message to Ukraine?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST (on-camera): Well, good morning, Victor.

You know, we're what, eight or nine days since the Anchorage meeting between President Trump and President Putin. I was up there covering it at the time. And I think the good news out of the President's message is that he used the phrase independent nation. So, he envisions an independent Ukraine that is not part of or even controlled by Russia.

The bad news is that almost nothing that the President predicted on the stage with President Putin when he tried to cast an optimistic tone around their negotiations has come to pass. Obviously, there is no ceasefire, and he gave up on a ceasefire almost right away in those talks.

He predicted that by last Friday, a couple of days ago, there would be a meeting between President Zelensky and President Putin. None is scheduled, and none seems likely. And he believed that by joining in or saying that he would join in with the security assurances for Ukraine, should there be a peace agreement, in other words, join with the Europeans in making sure that Ukraine could remain independent.

We've now seen the Russians turn around and say there will be no NATO- related countries keeping troops inside Ukraine. And that if anybody guarantees Ukraine security, Russia's got to be part of it, which is a little bit of a fox and hen house problem here.

So it's good verbiage compared to earlier in the term, but I don't think we've gone very far.

BLACKWELL: David, let's focus on those talks, those trilateral talks, because I'll go a step further. You said that the President predicted that there would be talks. The White House said that they were in talks about planning the actual event until the Kremlin said that there were no meetings planned.

CNN's Alayna Treene then asked the President about what could be next if Putin does not ultimately come to the table.

Let's watch that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: If there are reasons why, I understand that. I know exactly what I'm doing. We're going to see whether or not they have a meeting. That'll be interesting to see. And if they don't, why didn't they have a meeting? Because they told them to have a meeting.

But I'll know in two weeks what I'm going to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: I mean, there's that two weeks again, often the two weeks to nowhere --

SANGER (on-camera): Yes.

BLACKWELL: -- that he kind of pushes out, pushes out and nothing happens.

It's been four months since the President posted on social media that he'll know if Putin is tapping him along. That was in April. And there's been no progress since then.

Is there a degree of frustration in the White House? Have there been any lower level talks even since the summit?

SANGER (on-camera): So there's huge frustration in the White House and there's huge frustration with the President himself. You saw him turn out a social media post the other day that asked the question, why isn't Ukraine striking deeper into Russian territory?

Well, they're not striking deeper into Russian territory because the U.S. has maintained, as far as we can tell, a ban on using the U.S. long range weapons. They have been using some of their own weapons along the way, including drones.

But I think this speaks to the larger question, which is, as you said, Victor, it's always two weeks away, right? Whether that's a new health care plan or whether it's knowing or not the Russians are serious. The President said going into the Anchorage meeting, that if he emerged without a ceasefire, there would be serious consequences for the Russians, which everybody interpreted as sanctions against their oil and gas exports, the one thing that could really hurt the economy. We haven't seen that.

So, I think the President's general view is he wants to talk tough here. He certainly wants to make it appear as if he's not being led around by Putin. But Putin certainly emerged from Anchorage, having gotten what he wanted, which was a delay and perhaps a permanent shelving of those sanctions and yet no ceasefire.

[06:35:19]

BLACKWELL: Yes. All right, David Sanger, thanks so much.

Next on "CNN This Morning" --

SANGER (on-camera): Thank you, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Certainly. Next on "CNN This Morning," a rebranded campaign for Cracker Barrel. I mean, people are talking about this all over the place, how much stock prices have fallen in the last couple of days.

We'll get you more on what's happening over at the barrel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:20]

BLACKWELL: Shares of Cracker Barrel dropped more than 12 percent last week after the company unveiled a new logo.

Cracker Barrel is dropping the recognizable barrel and the man from the logo. This was central to the brand's identity. This new logo is the latest in a string of changes, and some loyal customers think it's drifting too far from the Cracker Barrel roots.

CNN's Clare Duffy has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE DUFFY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Cracker Barrel, just the latest brand to get caught up in the culture wars. This backlash brought shares down around 10 percent this week, although they started to recover a little bit on Friday. But still, this amounts to millions of dollars in lost value for the company.

This is all connected to a $700 million brand refresh the Cracker Barrel has been undergoing. That also includes new TV commercials, updates to its menu and also changes to the interior design of its restaurants to make them brighter, more modern. Do away with some of those old country kitchen decorations that the company has been known for.

Those changes sparked some negative reactions from customers who said they liked the nostalgia, the old country feel of the original Cracker Barrel. But this all really escalated this week when the company released its new, more modern logo doing away with the man and the barrel. Although you do still see that barrel shape on the new logo.

But this sparked real backlash from conservatives who are calling the company woke. It's not exactly clear how a logo can be woke. But Donald Trump Jr. has weighed in on this. And now even Robby Starbuck, the anti-DEI diversity, equity and inclusion activist, who has also gone after companies like Lowe's and Tractor Supply for their DEI policies. Now he is also targeting Cracker Barrel.

Now, Cracker Barrel is saying these changes are all aimed at bringing in new diners to its restaurants, especially as the company has faced a $5 million hit from tariffs. Unlike many restaurant chains, Cracker Barrel also has retail stores in its locations, and many of those items are imported from China.

So the company facing charges from tariffs, wanting to bring in new customers to its restaurants. And at least for now, Cracker Barrel is saying that these changes have largely been positive among consumers. We'll see if the brand decides to respond further, because we've seen from companies like Target that this is a delicate line that brands have to walk. They can also go too far and risk alienating -- alienating customers on the other side if they go too far in responding to these so-called anti-woke protesters.

So, a challenging moment for brands as consumers in America are so divided right now.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right, Clare Duffy. Thank you.

All right. It's a diner unlike any you will see. While most diners traditionally celebrate the past, the newly opened Tesla Diner is looking ahead to the future. It's offering customers a little bit of everything.

CNN's Hadas Gold takes us to L.A. and shows us what it's all about.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the middle of West Hollywood, futuristic structure dominates this corner of Santa Monica Boulevard. The brand-new Tesla Diner serves the classics, but it's also a charging station, drive in movie and merch shop.

GOLD: So the Tesla Diner here in Los Angeles has become really a hub, not just for Tesla fans, but also for supporters of Elon Musk himself.

It's become a center point where people have meetups. People bring all their Teslas and their Cybertrucks and do these sort of joint light shows. And it's really become a place for them to meet, to hang out with one another and show their support for Elon Musk, whose image has gone through a lot over the last few months.

GOLD (voice-over): Here, Musk's stint as White House advisor, his fallout with the President and Tesla's falling sales are all background noise. The diner is a shrine to all things Tesla and Musk, from Cybertruck food boxes to the Optimus robot.

GOLD: So up on the roof of the Tesla Diner, you've got a great view of these huge screens that show movies and shows and clips. And if you're sitting in your Tesla, you actually can connect directly to the audio.

Now, normally there's supposed to be an Optimus robot who stands here and serves people popcorn. But staff tell me that he's been out of service for a couple of weeks.

GOLD (voice-over): Jacob Tao (ph), a high end lighting designer.

JACOB TAO (PH), LIGHTNING DESIGNER: Jacob (ph).

GOLD: Jacob (ph).

GOLD (voice-over): Says he owns multiple Tesla Starlinks and Tesla solar and power all systems, a big supporter of Elon Musk's universe.

TAO (PH): It's pretty rare to have someone who come along and can innovate regardless of naysayers or even having enough supporters.

GOLD: How do you feel about his foray into politics, the third party he's planning?

[06:45:01]

TAO (PH): I mean, his whole life has been set up like how many -- how many choices can I take on a hard path and pursue it? It almost like at this point, I feel like he's actively finding difficult paths to do, to outdo himself on difficult paths, which is pretty impressive.

GOLD (voice-over): Do you worry that his recent disagreements with President Trump might hurt his businesses, might hurt his ability to innovate in the future?

TAO (PH): And those two guys are the two alphas, you know. When you put two alphas in a room, they're always going to disagree with each other at some point. The two of them have very thick skin. So, I have no doubt in my mind that either of them can build a relationship very quickly.

GOLD (voice-over): Other fans at the diner, though, want Musk to drop the politics for good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's doing a great job overall, but I think Tesla needs him at the moment.

GOLD (voice-over): Not everyone in the neighborhood is pleased with the diner. Some neighbors have complained about their views being blocked and the noise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Elon Musk, for all that you're doing --

GOLD (voice-over): Musk enthusiasts, meanwhile, recently sending him a video of support, even as his favorability ratings have tanked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for being Elon Musk.

GOLD (voice-over): Hadas Gold, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: It's been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.

A new "CNN ORIGINAL, NEW ORLEANS, SOUL OF A CITY, REBIRTH OF THE SUPERDOME," explores the role the Superdome played in the city's recovery.

Here's a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you talk about football in the South, that's the heart and the heartbeat of that land.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could be enemies on one day, but on Sundays, we all rooting for one team.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no way to talk about New Orleans without the Saints. The Superdome and the team are really right at the center of the city.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After Katrina, football became this narrative of renewal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Be sure to watch "NEW ORLEANS, SOUL OF A CITY, REBIRTH OF THE SUPERDOME," premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m. on CNN.

Explosions on flights caused by lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are found in items that a lot of us carry around every day.

A look at why they're at risk of blowing up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:51:54]

BLACKWELL: Millions of Americans are planning to travel for the Labor Day holiday and the FAA is warning passengers of an uptick in fires involving lithium-ion batteries on planes.

CNN's Pete Muntean takes a look at what happens when a lithium battery explodes in flight and the items that you may want to avoid packing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Test after test, shows what happens when lithium-ion batteries ignite in flight creating a crisis thousands of feet up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: United 2644 declaring an emergency, we have a laptop on fire in the aircraft and need to return.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): New data says the batteries malfunction on flights twice a week. The worst case is erupting in flames and filling passenger cabins with smoke.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was terrified. I didn't know what was happening.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): The problem batteries are the standard source of power for phones, laptops, vapes and external power banks used to recharge other electronics. Here at its massive research center in New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration is about to show us what happens when a lithium battery heats up uncontrollably until it burns, called a thermal runaway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will get warmer and warmer and warmer until the battery, the structure of the battery itself fails.

MUNTEAN: It sounds to me like you're describing an explosion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It could be -- there can be explosions as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll let it heat it up.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): For our test, a power bank fitted with special heating tape has been placed into an airline seat back pocket. And if the safety glasses, protective window and firefighter are any indication, the team here is ready for this to be big.

MUNTEAN: Wow. Taking by surprise.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): But this is not your average fire. The FAA demonstrates using the fire extinguisher available to flight attendants and the fire reignites. The FAA says water is key to cooling the thermal runaway and stopping the flames.

MUNTEAN: It seems kind of counterintuitive to put water on something electronic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't. Most people think that but at this point the device has failed. It's not -- it's no longer an electronic device now.

MUNTEAN: Now I want you to imagine what would happen if you were sitting in this seat. They say this test on the grand scheme of tests that they do here was pretty violent when that battery exploded. You could see all the embers that really blew back and it nearly hit the plexiglass window, the safety window that we were standing at about 20 feet away. MUNTEAN (voice-over): Earlier this year, a suspected external battery pack fire on the ground left this Air Busan flight barely recognizable and injured 27 people. The latest federal data shows external battery packs are the top cause of incidents and the FAA has banned them from check baggage where they're harder to extinguish.

But safety organization UL standards and engagement says two in five passengers still check them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that this is a solvable problem and first and foremost it is about passenger awareness and education.

MUNTEAN: Now think about what you fly with. The latest data says the average passenger travels with four devices powered by lithium-ion batteries. It's one of the big reasons numbers of incidents are going up. 2024 was the worst year on record for battery fires on planes, and this year is on pace to beat that number.

[06:55:12]

Right now, airlines are coming up with their own precautions. Southwest is now the lone U.S. carrier to tell passengers to keep their battery packs in plain sight, not in overhead bins.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Certainly, something to think about. Pete, thank you for that.

There's much more ahead on the next hour of "CNN This Morning Weekend," including new details released about the deadly bus crash in New York.

We're learning more about the victims.

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