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CNN This Morning

Moments Ago: U.S. Envoys Arrive In Kyiv For Peace Talks; Fans Brave Triple-Digit Heat At College Football Games; U.S. Military Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers; Germany's Far-Right AfD Party Poised To Take Power; CNN On The Ground In Tibet After Last Week's Flash Flood; Above-Normal Heat Expected Across Part Of The U.S. Next Week; New York Schools Ban Use Of AI For Primary School Students. U.S. Envoys in Kyiv for Talks After Moscow Visit; 91-Year-Old Becomes Oldest Hiker to Complete Appalachian Trail; Inside the Teepee Capital of the World. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired September 06, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:00:34]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: Welcome back to CNN This Morning. Here's what you need to know today. We're following breaking news. President Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner just arrived in Ukraine. Their visit to Kyiv is their first since the war began. We're breaking down what it means for the renewed push to end the war in Ukraine.

And it is a hot holiday weekend out there. We've got the forecast for who is in store for a dangerously steamy Labor Day.

And the largest school district in the country will welcome kids to class this week. AI, however, will not be welcome in some classrooms. I'm going to speak to the head of the New York City public school system about his thinking on artificial intelligence for education.

And later, I can't wait for this, you're going to meet Greybeard. He's 91 years old and just reclaimed the record, yes reclaimed, as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALE "GREYBEARD" SANDERS: What is it? The Blue Ridge Parkway, right. Wellington victory. Yehey!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

FREEMAN: Good morning and welcome all. It is Sunday, September 6. Thank you so much for joining us on this Labor Day holiday weekend. Victor Blackwell is off. I'm Danny Freeman in New York.

We want to get straight to our breaking news out of Ukraine this morning. A short time ago, President Trump's envoys arrived in Ukraine and were greeted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And this is Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner's first time to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine back in 2022.

Yesterday, Kushner and Witkoff met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. Trump sent his envoys to revive efforts to try and end this war.

CNN's Eleni Giokos joins us now with the latest. Eleni, what are we anticipating for this second crucial part of this trip?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's really interesting, Danny. I mean, you played both of those images of Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy greeting President Putin, that was the first trip, and now arriving in Kyiv. And there we have these images a short while ago, President Zelenskyy meeting both of the diplomats there, engaging in conversation.

What's quite remarkable is that you see hugs. You see a very warm welcome there to Kyiv. And we know that they arrived by train. Russian state media is saying that they traveled to Poland before taking a train, which basically aligns with how most foreign visits have been occurring into Ukraine of late.

What is important to note here as well is that both sides have agreed to halt strikes against capital cities. So no strikes on Moscow and no strikes on Kyiv. But it does not, basically, it's not widespread across the country. What is interesting is that Ukrainian forces have said that 10 people, 10 civilians have lost their lives over the past 24 hours and another 65 people have been injured and also saying that 11 sites across Ukraine have been targeted.

So basically showing while they have agreed to stop striking on each other's capitals, that the front lines are still very much in line for more strikes. We also heard from President Zelenskyy a short time ago. He posted this on social media.

He says, "We are ready for talks. Ukraine has always been and will continue to be constructive. We are committed to bringing the war to an end. Peace is needed. Security guarantees are needed. A dignified post-war peace is needed. Our proposals are ready. It is important to work in coordinated, substantive and realistic manner."

Now, in terms of the talks that occurred in Russia with President Putin, we know the Kremlin said that they were encouraging and also saying that the two diplomats had brought through a list of ideas. We also heard from the White House that they were substantive and they will be releasing the communique, they say, within the next couple of weeks.

What we've also been seeing is intense strikes over the past few weeks, frankly, not only towards Russia, deep inside Russia, but also in Ukraine. Analysts that I spoke to today, Danny, say that the two sides are worlds apart and the United States has been trying to lead peace negotiations for over the past year. They haven't been able to see eye to eye.

The sticking points remain the same. NATO membership by Ukraine and also what happens to the land and the territory that's currently held by Russia, which is around 20% of Ukrainian territory. Are there going to be concessions from either side? That is the big question as we head deeper into hopefully what is diplomatic talks.

[07:05:07]

FREEMAN: Yes, indeed. All eyes on Kyiv today.

Eleni Giokos, thank you so much for your reporting. Appreciate it.

To this now, college football is back, but so are triple-digit temperatures. In Texas, first responders transported 13 people from a game at the University of Texas stadium to local hospitals. Officials say at least three of those cases may have been heat-related. Despite temperatures that fell well above 100 degrees, many fans were not letting the heat ruin opening college football weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey man, that's how it goes, man. You got to keep it in the state, man. Start it off, bring everybody together. It's always a good time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go Texas, just overall. I hope both teams have fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I took the day off for this, so I'm going to have fun. Regardless, I'm going to make the best of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: But make no mistake, it's not just Texas. CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here to explain where the heat is expected to stick around. Good morning, Allison. I hope they're hydrated at least down there.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I hope so too, yes. So again, we've got the map kind of showing some of those areas that were dealing with some of the heat yesterday, and that includes Texas. I apologize, actually, you know what? You're going to have to come back to me. I can't get this to work at the moment. I am so sorry about that.

FREEMAN: No, no, don't be sorry at all. We'll come back to you in a little bit with more on the forecast. Thanks, Allison.

All right, let's check in this morning on this morning's headlines. First up, a dangerous escalation in the war with Iran. The U.S. military says it sank three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard launched ballistic missiles towards two U.S. Navy warships. This new round of fighting is raising concerns about a heightened shipping war in the Gulf. And the U.S. claims the Iranian tankers were part of a shadow network that funds Iran's military and its proxies.

And also, we're following a state in Germany which could soon have far-right leaders. Weekend elections in Saxony-Anhalt in eastern Germany are expected to result in a majority for the far-right AfD party. If that happens, it would be the first far-right state government in Germany since the end of the Nazi era. The AfD party is promising to revitalize a sagging economy and step up immigrant deportations.

And the Justice Department has sent subpoenas to Nevada's secretary of state demanding voter information. Democratic Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar says the FBI has sent seven subpoenas in the last three months, and he claims the Trump administration is trying to overwhelm states ahead of the midterms. It's unclear what specific information the DOJ is seeking.

It's been 11 days since catastrophic flooding along the border between Nepal and China, and families are still hopeful their loved ones will be found alive. Their hopes grew after two more people were rescued on yesterday, including a Chinese man trapped in a flooded tunnel. He says he was able to see rescuers' flashlights for days, but they couldn't hear his cries for help.

The other was a 63-year-old Nepalese woman who was stuck in the wreckage of a four-story building. Her family had already started preparing her funeral. But more than 5,000 other people are still missing, including hundreds of workers who could be trapped in flooded tunnels. Officials say close to 1,400 people have been confirmed dead so far. The search for survivors will continue for at least a few more days.

And CNN has reached what you could call ground zero of the disaster. CNN's Simone McCarthy is on the Chinese side of the border on a rare trip organized by the government, and we want to clarify that CNN still has full editorial control of this coverage. Take a look.

SIMONE MCCARTHY, CNN SENIOR CHINA REPORTER: This location was once a five-story building that was flattened by floodwaters after a landslide and devastating flooding hit the China-Nepal border late last month. That image was captured in surveillance footage that many of us saw circulating online, where a wall of water just engulfed this five-story building and sent people fleeing for their lives.

Now, we're here at this site just looking at the absolute devastation that's been wrought here from that moment. This is the first time that foreign media has accessed this zone. CNN is part of just a handful of foreign journalists who have been allowed access to the China side of this disaster site. We're now 11 days in since that disaster.

And, I mean, it's just staggering looking at the destruction that's here. You can see parts of the foundation of this building. There's actually a sign indicating that this rebar and pieces of cement that we can see here was once that border crossing. Now, this is also a place which has very much been in the focus for many families around the world and here in China who are waiting for answers about what happened to their loved ones. This area has also been a focal point for families who are desperate for information about loved ones that they believe were at this port at the time of that impact.

[07:10:06]

Now, rescue efforts have been incredibly challenging here. We can see some of those behind me. These are excavators. This is recovery efforts that are operating in the impact zone. But response efforts are still clearly very much underway here. And that's likely to be the case for days, if not weeks.

We asked one of the responders how long he thought the operations would continue. And he wasn't able to give an answer, which I think really just speaks to just the sheer scale of the devastation here and what more needs to be done in order to respond to this disaster.

Simone McCarthy, CNN, Gyirong Port.

FREEMAN: Simone, thank you for that piece.

All right, let's now get back to Allison, because we are tracking extreme heat in the South. Allison, everything working now? All good?

CHINCHAR: It's always better when the map's working.

FREEMAN: I think so.

CHINCHAR: It is. Yes. So let's take a look. We've got about 40 million people that are under some type of heat alert for today. Keep in mind, many of these are going to be extended even as we go into Monday. So this map is not likely to change.

You've got about 101 for the forecast high today in Oklahoma City. Same thing for Dallas, 97 in Nashville, 96 in Atlanta. The only really nice spot is really going to be the Northeast. Temperatures in the 70s, same thing once again as we head into Monday.

But you've got a lot of these locations. Look at those temperatures. The average in Kansas City, 83. It's going to be 102 on Tuesday. So a lot of these places are talking 10, even 15 degrees above average. That heat is also fueling a lot of showers and thunderstorms. We've got a strong line of storms right now in Kansas and Nebraska, a few more across portions of the southeast and some rain spreading into areas of Southern California and even into portions of Nevada.

Now, here's a look at where you have the best chance for severe thunderstorms. We're mainly talking damaging winds, especially across portions of the south. You could also be adding in the potential for some small hail. So keep that in mind.

The bulk of these are actually going to develop late this afternoon and continue through the evening hours. And you can see that here's about 3, 4 o'clock in the afternoon. You've got a lot of those pop-up showers and thunderstorms. You also have this line starting to spread into areas of the Midwest. And again, we talked about even some heavy showers out to the west. So Las Vegas, looking at some heavy rain at times as we go through the late afternoon and into the evening hours. Here's a look at tonight. Again, you've got that strong line moving into Iowa, but also some showers and thunderstorms, some of which could be severe in the southeast.

FREEMAN: Allison Chinchar, thank you so much for the forecast. Appreciate it.

All right, still ahead, the biggest school district in the country is putting the brakes on AI use for some students. The head of the public schools in New York joins us live to explain why.

And a clock controversy highlights the opening Saturday of college football, how the Big Ten Conference responded to this controversial call in Ann Arbor.

And a 91-year-old man is now the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. But here's the thing. It isn't the first time he's held that title. We're going to speak with him coming up after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:17:40]

FREEMAN: Students in the largest school district in the country head back to class this week. Staying out, though, AI. New York City schools are taking action against the use of artificial intelligence in its classrooms.

Back on Wednesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a ban on the use of generative AI by public school students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Older students will be able to use it, though, on a limited basis. Chatbots, though, will be banned for all grades.

The mayor says the district will continue or rather discontinue or disable AI components of programs that don't meet new safety and oversight standards. After one year, a new technology in schools coalition of teachers, parents and students will evaluate the effects of the policy and then make recommendations.

So joining us now is the head of the city school system, chancellor of New York City Public Schools, Kamar Samuels. Chancellor, thank you so much for joining us on this very, very interesting topic this morning. You've defended this ban by saying --

KAMAR SAMUELS, CHANCELLOR, NEW YORK PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Thanks for having me.

FREEMAN: Of course. You've defended this ban saying you don't want technology to do the students thinking for them. But what do you say to critics who call it regressive, counterproductive or worry that it might hinder students' AI literacy? SAMUELS: Look, I have two kids at home in NYC Public Schools and one is a 12th grader and one is a second grader. They both need different things. And so what we have is a developmentally appropriate approach whereby our preschoolers through 8th grade are not going to be involved in generative AI at least for one year so that we can really take a good look at what the effects are and what the outcomes are of AI instruction.

And so when we think about student-facing AI, when we think about the world that our young people are headed into when it comes to work, we ought to make sure that our high schoolers are heading towards being more prepared for careers. And so we have a limited use in high school so that we can really continue to study the impact of generative AI. And in doing so, we make sure that our high schoolers are exposed to AI literacy and they continue to be deepened in that exposure as they engage with AI tools.

FREEMAN: Well, what kind of AI policy do you ultimately envision for the future in your schools? I mean, do you see this ban extending or do you -- are you perhaps taking this year to study with more of an open mind of maybe there are elements of it that you would want in the classrooms?

[07:20:12]

SAMUELS: Yes. One of the most interesting things about New Yorkers is that we are deep in engagement. We engage with each other. I think the parent-school partnership is really critical to the work that we do. So we will continue to engage members of the public. We will continue each month, each day.

And so that when the AI school -- and we also launched a technology in schools coalition, and that coalition is going to also be looking and studying what we have. So it would be very difficult to say, this is a policy we want to get to. That's the idea of having a moratorium, is to really ensure that we're getting it right with the policies that we have for our young people. So we won't say where we want this to go. It's really a partnership.

FREEMAN: Can you -- Chancellor, can you actually detail what the reaction has been from parents, for example, after the announcement of the span? What are you hearing from people on the ground about this decision?

SAMUELS: Well, I would say by and large, I've heard really positive comments. And again, this was in partnership with our families and our communities. And in doing that, we know not everyone will agree. There are some people who believe that there should be no AI in our classrooms at all.

And of course, they've given us that reaction. And there are also people who believe we should have AI from kindergarten to 12th grade. And so we're not going to please everyone. But what we are going -- what my responsibility is, as well as the mayor, is to try to find the right balance, try to thread the needle on behalf of our 900,000 kids. FREEMAN: I only have about 30 seconds left. You said, and you kind of described this, that you're providing older students this more highly regulated teacher-supervised environment, including, I understand this, mandatory AI critical thinking modules, so they can understand the risks and ethics of the technology. I'm just curious, do you think an approach like that might work or be valuable for younger children?

SAMUELS: Absolutely, I think we should definitely -- we are definitely thinking about modules that every child should be thinking about or being exposed to AI literacy, understanding AI, absolutely. And that starts in younger grades. And we are looking into those modules.

FREEMAN: Well, Chancellor Kamar Samuels, thank you so much for joining us this morning to talk about a very consequential and fascinating policy. Keep us posted as we go throughout the year as to how things go. Appreciate your time.

SAMUELS: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.

FREEMAN: You bet.

Still ahead, U.S. envoys are in Kyiv on the second leg of their peace push. But is a deal with Russia really possible? We'll talk about it.

And a man out on bond after allegedly killing his wife is back in jail. How an alleged hit and run led to his rearrest. You're not going to miss this story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:27:42]

FREEMAN: We've been following breaking news in Ukraine all morning long. President Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, are now in Kyiv for their big meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy, you see, greeted the two during their first visit to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine four and a half years ago.

Kushner and Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday at the Kremlin. That meeting lasted three hours.

Joining us to discuss is Emily Harding, she's the Vice President of the Defense and Security Department for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Emily, thank you so much for joining us on this morning.

Let's start here. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemed optimistic about this meeting and said he's looking for a, quote, "substantive conversation" with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. But the Russian side did not seem to indicate any breakthroughs. I think an aide described talks between Kushner and Witkoff with Putin as, quote, "useful." What should we realistically be expecting from this trip?

EMILY HARDING, VP, DEFENSE & SECURITY DEPARTMENT, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Frankly, I wouldn't expect any major breakthroughs. I think the really promising developments here are, number one, that Witkoff and Kushner are in Ukraine at all. This is their first trip to Kyiv since the war began.

The fact that they're on the ground, they can see some of the damage, they can hear from the Ukrainians firsthand is a really positive development. The Russians also said that they found the negotiators very well prepared, which suggests to me there may be substantive proposals on the table.

FREEMAN: You know, I wanted to get your take on this, because Kushner and Witkoff, they've visited Russia several times. Witkoff in particular appeared to view their meeting with Putin yesterday warmly. Let's take a listen to what he said. We're going to play this bite.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY: So, first of all, President Putin, thank you so much for having us. We were sitting outside just now, me, Jared, and Carol, and then Yuri joined us, and we were all talking about when we retire, we'll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: So, Emily, we wanted to play that, because that's pretty affectionate, almost, and fawning. Is this part of the normal pleasantries, to try to get off to a good start by ingratiating himself to Putin, or should we be reading more into that?

[07:30:05]

HARDING: Well, flattery will get you everywhere, after all. I mean, it does seem like the Russians have done a good job trying to roll out the red carpet for Witkoff and Kushner on multiple occasions. I mean, they do know how to treat guests. I'm sure they've made them feel very special. I'm sure they've done their best to show their side of the story. One just hopes that Witkoff and Kushner are both maintaining a little bit of separation and objectivity even in the face of such hospitality.

FREEMAN: One of the big questions is what are they going to be saying after this meeting with Zelenskyy? So, let's talk about that. Zelenskyy posted that he said security guarantees continue to be needed for any sort of peace. We've heard this for years now. Can you just talk through what that could realistically look like after this point of the war?

HARDING: Yes. So, this is where the rubber really meets the road on the actual negotiations. I mean, when you're fighting over land, there's not really a half measure. It's hard to compromise. And from the Ukrainians' perspective, this is an existential threat. The Russians are occupying land that is legally and historically Ukrainian.

So, Zelenskyy is going to want to hear that if he makes any concessions at all, there will be security guarantees from the West so that Russia doesn't maintain the gains they've made so far and then just wait a little while before trying to roll further into Ukraine. The land the Russians are occupying right now is highly valuable both for its industry and then also for its defensive capabilities.

FREEMAN: Now Ukraine, Emily, has suffered an onslaught of what feels nearly daily attacks from Russia since late August. It's interesting because it's exposed Ukraine's severe shortage of air defense interceptors, which is something we've been talking about for quite a long time now. What -- I guess, what could a peace proposal do in light of the fact that Russia clearly is trying to take advantage of this weakness when it comes to defense?

HARDING: Right. So, I mean, you can't get to peace without something on the table. So, I think any kind of indication that there is a substantive proposal out there is a positive step. Now, that said, the Ukrainians' number one most important object is to protect its people, and air defense is the primary thing they need. So, we've seen shortages. We've seen them trying to fight off Russian drones and increasingly deadly missile attacks with very little.

And so, their number one priority is really going to be securing from the U.S. additional Patriot missiles, additional other air defense, and then pledges that are actually sustainable from the Russians of a ceasefire.

FREEMAN: And, yes, it's remarkable as we talk about the United States' own shortage or difficulties getting hands on more Patriot missiles that, again, a reminder, Ukraine incredibly valuable for them as well. Emily Harding, thank you so much for sharing your expertise. As always, really do appreciate you getting up this morning.

HARDING: Thank you.

FREEMAN: Let's take a look at some of the other headlines we're watching this morning. First up, new video shows the tense moments after a Colorado murder suspect, Barry Morphew, who is out on $3 million bond, allegedly crashed into two vehicles and then left the scene. Here's the exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need your insurance. Do you not have insurance?

BARRY MORPHEW: No, I don't. I don't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have insurance?

MORPHEW: No. There's no damage though.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't trust that there's no internal damage, though.

MORPHEW: There's not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't trust that there's not. MORPHEW: I will give you money. And if there is not --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't feel comfortable doing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Now, the woman who recorded that video says Morphew tried to rub scratches off her car and told her he didn't have insurance. She says he insisted, as you heard, there was no damage and offers her $300. She refuses, saying there could be damage she can't see. Well, then, as Morphew allegedly tries to leave, another driver steps in front of his truck, apparently to stop him. Moments later, Morphew backs up and drives away. He's not been charged in the alleged hit and run, but authorities say he did violate the terms of his house arrest while he awaits trial in a murder case.

And to this now, the tarp covering the entrance to the White House at the North Portico has come down for the first time since July. Workers have been repairing the exterior columns at President Trump's request. The White House also says security focused upgrades are being made to the front door. The scaffolding, as you can see, is still up. Work on the area is expected to be completed by mid-September.

OK. Coming up in a moment, a 91-year-old man is back where he belongs in the record books, reclaiming his title as the oldest person to hike the Appalachian Trail. We're going to speak with the man affectionately known as Grey Beard after the break.

And before we go, let's have a good morning to Chicago. Oh, man. Windy city looking outstanding. If you're heading out, remember, you can always stream our show from anywhere in the U.S. right from the CNN app. You can also go to cnn.com/watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:00]

FOSTER: 71 Falls, dirt path power naps, and a steady stream of treats from so-called trail angels. That is what it takes to break a world record at 91 years old. Dale Sanders, known on the trail as Grey Beard, just finished all 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail and reclaimed his title as the oldest through hiker in history. He scraped his knees, took some hard falls that even sent him to the hospital at one point, but he never gave up.

[07:40:00]

He made it to the end last week on Maine's highest peak, where he paused to pray at the sign marking the summit.

And joining me now is the legend himself, Dale. Congratulations. Let's start here. How are you feeling after this incredible, wild accomplishment?

DALE "GREY BEARD" SANDERS, HIKER: Well, thank you for the congratulations. And surprisingly, I'm doing very well. Matter of fact, I hiked yesterday up the top of the Clingmans Dome so I could do a special dance up there. Everybody's telling me they can't imagine that at my age I could come out without serious injury. But for some reason, I was protected. I came out without serious injury.

FREEMAN: Yes, you hiked -- if I had just hiked the Appalachian Trail, I would be asleep for a week. But let's talk about the injury part, because this is incredible. You survived 70 plus falls and also a brief hospital stay. But you -- as you said, you made it through. What was the secret to getting through some of those harder falls and injuries?

SANDERS: Well, when I said through, I'm talking about -- it's called a through hike and you have to do it in 365 days, one year or less. And the year starts with the date you start. And why I was able to get through without serious injury, I fell 71 times. Seven of those were what I call hard falls, but nothing took me off the trail. I would have given great odds if I was a betting person that I would not be able to get off that trail and finish it all 2,000 miles without some form of serious fall injury. That was my biggest worry, was falls. Sickness, of course. But, you know, I didn't get sick out in nature like that. I didn't even get a head cold.

FREEMAN: Wow. That is that is incredible. I mean, we should -- whatever diet you had and whatever program you're on, we all should be doing it. I'm curious, though, Dale, you held this record before back in 2017. Tell me what the different feel must have been this time around versus the last time that you broke this record.

SANDERS: What's the difference in this year than the last time?

FREEMAN: Yes.

SANDERS: Well, nine years older. That's a big difference.

FREEMAN: Sure, sure. Yes, that's fair. That's fair.

SANDERS: And I say that not with tongue in cheek because it is fact. Well, the older you get, the harder it is to reach a level of physical ability to do something that long. I mean, you're talking about the Appalachian Trail does not take the easy route from Georgia to Maine. It takes a hard route through the Appalachian Mountains. And it's over the tops of most of those, especially the tall mountains. And they sometimes go up cliffs and you have to sort of crawl up those cliffs.

It's -- some places it's not hiking. It's hard. And I think that anyone to walk that 2,200 miles and do it in less than one year (INAUDIBLE) age, it's really quite a feat.

FREEMAN: It really, truly is. Now, I was talking to you before we went on the air here. I hiked 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail, which is peanuts compared to what you did back when I was in college. And the question I wanted to ask you is, we talked about it then, that sometimes people can hallucinate when they're on the trail for that long. Did you experience anything like that?

SANDERS: Well, let me answer that this way. You know, I'm doing I was doing a through hike for a record. Well, last week, a 93-year-old guy came up to me and he said, you know, I hiked a trail last year. And I said, well, you mean you through hiked it? Yes. And he said, yes. And I said, well, did you tell anybody you did it? I thought I was hiking at 91 and he was 93 and he had the record instead of me. He said, no, I didn't tell anyone because I hiked one mile and I was through.

FREEMAN: Listen, I get it. I get it, man. Well, Dale Sanders, they don't make them like you. Congratulations again. And thank you so much for sharing a little bit of your victory with us this morning. I really do appreciate it.

SANDERS: Well, did you want to hear about my secret?

FREEMAN: If you got 10 seconds, I'll hear it.

SANDERS: My secret to -- well, preparation, faith in the lord and living a happy life and active life.

FREEMAN: Good man. That is the perfect note to end this on. Dale Sanders, congratulations. And thank you so much. Appreciate you.

SANDERS: Thank you.

[07:45:00]

FREEMAN: And still ahead, college football is back and it did not disappoint. Coy Wire has your highlights in sports coming up after a quick break.

But first, every summer, a temporary city rises in the shadow of Montana's Bighorn Mountains, with some 1,500 teepees drawing Native Americans and visitors from all around the world. It's called Crow Fair and it's known as the teepee capital of the world. And there's actually a special invitation to experience it for yourself on your next big trip. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's good that you came. This is the time where the Crow Fair celebration is happening.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For over 100 years, a temporary city pops up every summer in the shadow of the Bighorn Mountains. This is Crow Fair, known as the teepee capital of the world, with 1,500 canvases raised on the Crow Reservation outside of Billings, Montana.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been using teepees as far back as probably like 1600s, 1700s. You feel alive, you know, you feel like you're like a real Indian.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, this is one of the largest gatherings of Native Americans in North America. Indigenous communities and tourists come from around the world to experience it. The day starts with a parade in Crow Regalia.

VANEESA AFRAID OF BEAR, MISS CROW NATION: One of the biggest topics in Indian country today is the loss of culture. With Crow Fair being as big as it is, it kind of aids us in the way that we're able to keep our teachings and our traditions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of those traditions is the adrenaline-filled Indian Relay. It's a race where riders jump off a bareback horse onto another.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, this is an outstanding tema.

VANEESA: Now, this is an outstanding team. One common misconception is people believe that they need to be invited, but really the invitation is open-ended. I just think that the best way to support us is just being here. This is my invitation. This is me inviting you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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FREEMAN: Let's take a look now at the week ahead. First up, world leaders will gather in Norway on Wednesday for the funeral of King Harold V. You're looking at live pictures right now from the royal palace in Oslo, where people are paying their respects. He was Europe's oldest monarch, dying at the age of 89 years old after 35 years on the throne.

And President Trump is going to be back on the campaign trail this week, ahead of the midterms this November. Trump is going to speak both nights of an unprecedented Republican midterm convention taking place in Dallas on Wednesday. Also taking the stage is Vice President Vance, along with some of Trump's cabinet members and battleground candidates from across the country.

And Friday marks 25 years since the September 11th attacks, and a brand new CNN film, "Top of the World," tells the story of Windows on the World and how the legendary restaurant atop the World Trade Center helped transform the reputation of the Twin Towers. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Imminent collapse of New York in the 70s. The subways, the crime rate. It was the Big Apple rotten to the core. Everyone gave up on New York in a way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The World Trade Center in New York City. It will become the world's tallest building, rising over 1,300 feet into the sky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The World Trade Center, it's being built during this financial crisis. It was a very big expense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trade Center, a working landmark for building international commerce.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But people just didn't like these two buildings. (END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: "Top of the World" premieres tomorrow at 8 p.m. on CNN and streaming next day with an all-access subscription. You're not going to want to miss it.

OK. Sports now. A controversial Hail Mary ending and almost the biggest upset of the year already. Oh, college football is definitely back, and our Coy Wire is here to break it all down. Hey, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: What a rollercoaster and a glass case of emotions that just shattered, especially for Western Michigan fans and the players, the coaches. They thought they pulled off the upset of the year. Facing Michigan, their first Hail Mary attempt.

Watch this. It sails out of bounds, hits a defender's hand out of bounds with the clock reading all zeros, and Broncos players and coaches, their storm in the field celebrating. Officials called for a review, determined there was somehow still a sliver of time remaining. So, Michigan gets one more shot. Bryce Underwood to JJ Buchanan. 47 yards. Touchdown. Michigan wins 13 to 12. The Wolverines were 27.5- point favorites in Kyle Whittingham's debut, and they survived by approximately the thickness of a tortilla chip.

College football, you are ridiculous. Lane Kiffin's LSU debut delayed by nasty weather for two hours and 10 minutes in Baton Rouge, and the final score was as ugly as the weather for Clemson. LSU's transfer quarterback, Sam Leavitt, had three passing touchdowns, one rushing 51 to 10 is the final.

Now, last year's Cinderella, the Indiana Hoosiers coming off the school's first ever national title. This year, no QB Fernando Mendoza, but maybe no problem. His replacement, Josh Hoover, helmet twisted all the way around by a North Texas defenders face mask penalty and Hoover's gushing blood from his nose and face.

[07:55:00]

But he stayed in, and a few minutes later through this awesome touchdown to star receiver Charlie Becker. Becker flying high for the grab. Josh Hoover 13 for 16. Four touchdown passes as Indiana rolls 52 to 16.

All right. Danny, forget the glove, forget the beer cup. This White Sox fan caught a 112 mile per hour Colson Montgomery moonshot with his bare hand. He can't even believe it, and apparently his name is Joe and it was his birthday. White Sox lost to the Twins 6 to 4, but Joe goes home undefeated.

On Friday, home plate umpire Doug Eddings called time to tell St. Louis Cardinals rookie pitcher Hansel Rincon to straighten his tilted hat. Cardinals manager, Oliver Marmol, argued with Eddings about it was later ejected. Well, yesterday, several of Rincon's Cardinals teammates wore their hats tilted to the side as a show of support of him ahead of their matchup with the Colorado Rockies. Eddings did apologize to Hansel. Apparently, the baseball's unwritten rules are still being written one head at a time.

FREEMAN: All right. Coy. Thanks. I'll wear my hat like that for you. And thank you all for joining us for CNN This Morning Weekend. Inside Politics with Manu Raju up next.

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