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Excitement Builds as Millions in U.S. Await Total Solar Eclipse; Caitlin Clark Era is Over in Women's College Basketball; Coach Dawn Staley Leads South Carolina To Third Championship Title; Southwest Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Losing Engine Cover; Trump Releases Statement on Abortion, Says It Should Be Up to States. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired April 08, 2024 - 07:30   ET

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

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[07:32:28]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: In just a few hours, nearly everyone in America will have the chance to see at least part of today's solar eclipse, 32 million people in the United States live along the path of totality, where, as we have all learned, where the sun will be blocked entirely by the moon for a period of time. So this is clearly a rare event.

The next total solar eclipse visible in the United States won't happen for another 20 years. And our next guest has not only seen a solar eclipse, but seen one from space nonetheless.

Joining us right now is Colonel Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut who spent over seven months in space during his two spaceflights. His last trip lasted more than 200 days.

It's good to see you, Colonel. Thank you so much for jumping on. Let's start, what was the experience like witnessing the eclipse in 2015 from the International Space Station?

COL. TERRY VIRTS (RET.), FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: Well, it was amazing. It was something we weren't sure we'd be able to see. The station doesn't have good windows on the top. There's some small hatches, and most of them are blocked. So we could look out, and you could see the moon taking a bite out of the sun. But it was not -- it was not a great view. But when we flew over the North Atlantic, that's where the moon's shadow was. And it was -- excuse me, it was off in the distance.

And it was amazing. There was this big giant, black hole down on Earth. So I'm glad they told us that there was an eclipse, or it would have been really disconcerting to look down at Earth and seeing this big black thing pooping across the surface. But it was pretty cool.

BOLDUAN: That is -- I mean, putting that kind of, in the category of you always have a good view when you're on the -- when you're up in space looking at Earth. But -- but on this one, it's a little different. How is the experience this time going to be different from that, as you're planning to see it?

VIRTS: I had a chance to see the 2017 eclipse, and it was spectacular. I say a partial eclipse on a scale from 1 to 10 is like a 7. But seeing that total eclipse was like a million. I mean, it was really a spectacular experience. Daytime turns into night. It's so surreal to look up and see the sun being eaten by the moon. And then it -- and then it's a really, really beautiful thing. I hope we have good weather. I'm here in Fort Worth, Texas, and it's iffy at best. So we'll see.

BOLDUAN: I've seen some reporting, though, that like clouds parting right at the last moment as the eclipse sets in. So you never know. You know, hope springs eternal, I guess.

VIRTS: That's what we're counting on.

BOLDUAN: So in terms of --

BOLDUAN: Go ahead.

VIRTS: That's what we're counting on.

BOLDUAN: In terms of celestial events, you've experienced and seen clearly more than most humans with the amount of time you've spent in space. How does an eclipse rank in terms of those amazing -- of all the amazing things you've seen in space?

[07:35:10]

VIRTS: So looking out at the galaxy is incredible. There's a lot of stars up there. That's something that really stood out to me. Getting to see all the planets from Mercury to Saturn from space was pretty cool. But the eclipse, I -- honestly, the best thing that I've seen in the sky in my life has been a total eclipse from Earth.

Well, the northern lights are pretty cool, too, and the southern lights. So the aurora are pretty spectacular. But the eclipse is definitely up there. It's definitely on the Mount Rushmore of most spectacular things you can see, for sure.

BOLDUAN: For sure. I've been reading some and not understanding a lot, I will have to admit, about some of the experiments that -- John is laughing in the off camera -- some of the experiments that NASA is often conducts during eclipses and is planning to do to learn more from the solar eclipse. What can be learned from events like this?

VIRTS: Well, a lot, especially back in the, you know, hundreds of years ago, where we really didn't know anything about the sun. An eclipse is the only time that you can actually see the sun's outer atmosphere. They did an experiment about Einstein's theory of relativity, and they could see stars being bent by the sun's gravity. And that was about 100 years ago.

We're going to send some rockets up into the upper ionosphere. We have a really super thin atmosphere that goes up hundreds of miles. That's why you can see those aurora when the particles interact hundreds of miles above the surface.

NASA has an airplane called a WB-57, and it has several cameras, an infrared camera, optical camera, some radio experiments. And you see things and you can observe things that you just can't see when the sun is out.

And when the moon blocks it, it just helps researchers understand that upper part of the atmosphere is very important for satellite communication or life down here on Earth. You know, when the sun's very active, sometimes that damages our electric grid. So it's a way for scientists to just increase their understanding, and it doesn't happen that often. So it'll be exciting for scientists.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely, exciting for so many people. It's great to meet you, Colonel. Thanks for coming in.

VIRTS: Thanks for having me on.

BOLDUAN: Of course. John?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: On a scale from 1 to 10, it's a million, he says.

All right, this morning, actor Jonathan Majors will be sentenced for assault and harassment. The conviction stems from a domestic dispute between Majors and an ex-girlfriend. The former Marvel star faces up to a year behind bars, but he could end up with probation.

This morning, an arrest of a suspect who allegedly lit a fire at the Vermont office of Senator Bernie Sanders. Investigators say the 35- year-old sprayed an accelerant on the door of the Senator's offices before lighting it. Senator Sanders says he is deeply grateful for the work of law enforcement for the Burlington police. No one was hurt.

This morning, crews in Baltimore have begun removing shipping containers from the huge cargo ship that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The goal is to move enough containers so workers can safely access the front of the boat and begin deconstructing the tangled mess of debris from the bridge that is sitting there. And then hopefully they want to move the ship to shore.

Sara?

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. March Madness coming to a close tonight as UConn tries to become back-to-back champions. They take on number one seed Purdue tonight in Arizona.

But last night, it was all about the women. The South Carolina Gamecocks capping off a perfect season and getting a bit of revenge on the team that knocked them out last season for the third time. The Gamecocks are now the national champions, defeating Iowa in Caitlin Clark's 87-75.

We've got Coach Dawn Staley there, emotional, hugging her players. CNN's Brynn Gingras is joining us now from Cleveland. Wow. Her team ended with perfection, all Ws in their basket. BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Perfection, and what a thrilling end to reach that perfection. It was an incredible game here at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Sara. 38-0 for the Gamecocks, undefeated season. That's the first time that's happened since 2016 when UConn did it. Third national championship.

Listen, the bench for the Gamecocks scored 37 points versus Iowa's bench, which scored zero. When you have that much depth in a team, you know you're going places, you're winning national championships. And that's exactly what happened, led by Kamilla Cardoso, the senior there.

So exciting. And of course, there was so much anticipation for this game. It was a sold-out crowd. A lot of people there, of course, to see number 22 on Iowa, Caitlin Clark. She didn't have a shabby finish to her senior year, 30 points, rather, for number 22. And listen, when she hit those big shots, this place behind me erupted.

And when the game was sort of solidified that South Carolina was going to win, she came out to a standing ovation. I want you to hear from Caitlin Clark.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAITLIN CLARK, IOWA HAWKEYES: I'm sad we lost this game, but I'm also so proud of myself. I'm so proud of my teammates. I'm so proud of this program. There's a lot to be proud of, but, you know, there's going to be tears. It is sad that this is all over, and this is the last time I'm going to put on an Iowa jersey.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:40:17]

GINGRAS: Now listen, Dawn Staley herself is saying thank you to Caitlin Clark, calling her the one of the greatest of all time in this sport for lifting up this sport. There were so many young girls and boys in this arena wearing number 22 jerseys, and actually that is the last time that Caitlin Clark will be putting on that jersey as she is headed to the WNBA draft, expected to be the number one pick.

But you know what, Sara, as a basketball fan myself, Dawn Staley, let's hand it to her. Listen, she is solidifying herself in the record books, becoming the first Black Division I coach to go undefeated in a season. I mean, what a career so far as the head coach there at South Carolina. Congratulations to those Gamecocks for winning in what was an unbelievable Division I women's basketball season this year.

SIDNER: And Brynn, keep your earpiece in because we're going to be hearing in just a few seconds from Coach Staley. Thank you so much, and thank you for all the excitement that you have brought, Staley.

All right, the woman who led South Carolina to their victory, head coach Dawn Staley. Staley is now joining us, and she joins an elite club of coaches after clinching last night's win. She is now only the fifth coach to win three titles and the fifth coach to be unbeaten in a season. Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley joining me now.

Thank you so much for taking the time. I know you have to be tired. I know you were celebrating. I want to start with how the game began. It began with Iowa coming out strong. They were in the lead, and you could see your emotions. You were not holding them back. What were you thinking in that beginning of the game, in those beginning moments?

DAWN STALEY, HEAD COACH, SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS: Well, in the beginning, I was just thinking I didn't even get up. I think I sat in my seat, just kind of allowing things to play out. When you -- when you're playing at the biggest stage of the season, the national championship game, especially against an Iowa team in which we knew they were a transition team, knew their bigs, we're going to get up and down the floor.

I didn't think our players met that moment, and I didn't really think, although we prepped them for it, and I just let them play through it. I just said they're going to play through it. They got to get a feel for the speed of the game and what they do well, and once things settle down, I do think we can get back into this game, and it's going to be a hard and challenging feat, but I thought above all, our depth would pay big dividends for us and for the separator in this particular game.

SIDNER: And boy, did it. We are looking at the moment when the championship was won. You broke down when they presented you with the trophy. How was this win different than the other two national championships that you have led South Carolina to win?

STALEY: I mean, this is different because -- because, I mean, it was so unexpected. You know, yes, we have a team full of talented players, but as our season ended last year in the semifinals, you're not promised to win a national championship, and you're certainly not promised when you're not bringing back any of your starters. So it was a long, hard road to get our team to where they are today, but throughout the season, this team just organically fell in love with each other, and they did not want to let each other down.

And it's not often that you see young people connect in this way and actually really not lose a game and be as free-playing as -- as loose. I mean, this team has been loose throughout the entire season. None more loose than what they were right before this game, and I thought they were too loose, but I didn't say anything. This team has a way of dealing with the pressure of playing on the biggest stage, and they choose to stay loose, and I don't mind that.

SIDNER: Coach, it wasn't just that they loved each other. They talked a lot about you, some of them saying, look, you were like a mom to them. They come to you with all sorts of their issues, so your leadership certainly played a role.

Throughout the tournament, you talked about this grind of just win after win after win, but most folks were talking about Iowa, Caitlin Clark, to a lesser extent, LSU, and Angel Reese got a lot of the attention, most of the attention in the room. While your team was racking up these wins, why do you think that is, and did it bother y'all?

[07:45:00]

STALEY: No, I mean, it really doesn't bother us. I think it's par for the course when it comes to, you know, South Carolina, but there are household names. Caitlin and Angel are all worthy of their space in our sport. They're bringing more eyeballs to our sport. They're bringing more viewership to our sport, and they have -- you know, they have great personalities. They are talented players on the basketball court. And sometimes you -- there's a reason for all seasons, for players and coaches and teams. I think how the season ended is very much in tune with how I wanted it to end.

And although we haven't been the most talked about team in this -- in this whole, you know, women's basketball year, what we talked about a lot in the offseason, and I'd much rather have it that way after having won another national championship.

SIDNER: It's beautiful. You know, the win makes you the first black coach in college basketball history. You are a first to have three national championships and an undefeated season. What does that feel like? What does perfection feel like, Dawn Staley?

STALEY: I mean, perfection feels great. I never really paid attention to being undefeated because it really didn't feel like that. Every day we would go into practice and, you know, we didn't play -- we didn't practice perfectly. Every game that we went into, we did not execute perfectly. So all the things that we didn't execute are the things that were right there in front of us, and they felt like losses. I don't know why, but every close game, every time that we had, you know, some imperfections to look at and correct, it felt like we took a loss because we learned incredible lessons through every single game that we played that you -- we took the pressure off of being undefeated and put it on the process. And when you do that, you don't feel less pressured to win.

SIDNER: Coach, I've read that you've gone over mistakes from back in 1991, back when you were playing, so you are obviously a perfectionist as well. Coach Staley, congratulations to you and the Gamecocks and their whole team for winning the national championships. I know you're feeling good this morning.

Kate?

BOLDUAN: She's feeling good, she's feeling tired, and that's a good coach, basically saying there is always room for improvement.

SIDNER: Right.

BOLDUAN: Even when we are perfect. That's a good coach.

Coming up for us, after months of mixed signals and avoiding taking a position altogether, Donald Trump just issued a statement on his stance on abortion. He wants to leave it to the states, so where does that leave him with Republican voters?

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[07:52:33]

BOLDUAN: So the FAA is now investigating after scary moments on a Southwest Airlines flight. This video we're showing you right here is posted on social media by one of the passengers showing damage to the wing of the plane. The flight was leaving Denver, had to make an emergency landing after what appears to be an engine cover peeling off during takeoff.

CNN's Gabe Cohen has more on this. Gathering some more information, what is Southwest saying, Gabe, about what they believe happened here?

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so, Kate, that is under investigation, but Southwest says maintenance crews are looking at this plane. The Airline saying in a statement, we apologize for the inconvenience of their delay, speaking about the passengers who had that emergency landing, but place our highest priority on ultimate safety for our customers and employees.

And you can imagine what those customers and employees who were on board the plane were thinking as this terrifying scene was playing out early Sunday morning as that plane took off from Denver. You can actually see in the video that you just showed, passengers were watching as that cowling, that engine cover actually ripped off the aircraft and struck the wing flap of the plane. And yet that aircraft still took off and was in the air for close to 35 minutes before returning to Denver for an emergency landing.

We do have some air traffic control audio of the conversation between the pilot and folks on the ground. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PILOT: All right let's go ahead and declare an emergency for Southwest 3695. And we'd like an immediate return. We got a piece of the engine cowling hanging off apparently.

PILOT: It was the right side. I'm not 100% sure it was the engine. I think the flaps on the inboard side of the engine -- between the engine and the fuselage ripped off on takeoff.

ATC: Southwest 3695, copy that. Thank you.

PILOT: Our engines seem to be fine but we are structurally damaged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So we know the FAA has now launched an investigation into this incident. And I want to be clear, Kate, this is a Boeing plane, but this is not the Max 9 model that had issues and has been under scrutiny for months now. You'll recall that incident back in January when the door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight and led the FAA to temporarily ground the Max 9 and order Boeing to address what they called systemic quality control issues. But this is not the Max 9. This is a 737-800. It is a plane that has been in use a lot longer than the Max 9, in this case, about nine years. And we don't know yet if this was a Boeing problem, Kate, or perhaps a Southwest maintenance issue. That is something the FAA is still working out as they investigate the incident.

[07:55:18]

BOLDUAN: Yeah, definitely one of many questions of how this -- how this happened, but thankfully everyone OK, despite the scary video. It's good to see you, Gabe. Thank you so much.

John.

BERMAN: All right, breaking this morning, just a short time ago, Donald Trump posted a video on his stance on abortion. After reportedly, privately, saying he supported a federal 15- or 16-week ban, he did not take a stance this morning on a federal ban. Instead, he said it would be, he said it should be left up to the states. He said he did personally support some exceptions.

With us now, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, a Democrat from New York. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us.

REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT, (D) NEW YORK: Thank you.

BERMAN: So no stance on a federal ban, says it should be left up to the states. What does that tell you?

ESPAILLAT: He's ducking a very important issue that obviously the American public is very concerned about. Women deserve to have reproductive rights, and politically, it polls extremely well for Democrats. The elections could ride on this issue, and he's ducking it.

BERMAN: Do you think that he is occupying some kind of middle ground here?

ESPAILLAT: He hasn't said so, but you know, he should be very specific about what his stance is. He shouldn't duck this issue. This is an important one for the American public. Women deserve to have the right to reproductive rights, and I don't think it should be left to the states.

BERMAN: Congressman, over the weekend, Donald Trump held a huge fundraiser where they claim he raised over $50 million. We don't see the official reports for some time, but inside the fundraiser, the New York Times reports that he made some comments about immigration. He said, quote, "Why can't we allow people to come in from nice countries, you know, like Denmark and Switzerland?"

ESPAILLAT: He said this before. He said this, you know, in his first election cycle. He started out his political career, if you may, you know, talking about Mexicans and calling them rapists and criminals, and so we know what his rhetoric is. It's a rhetoric that tries to weaponize immigration. That's why the Republican Party doesn't want to take up comprehensive immigration reform. That's why they don't even want to do work permits, a simple thing like work permits, which will really help the economy and help the nation. They don't want to take that up.

BERMAN: What do you think it is in his mind that distinguishes between people from Denmark and people from South America?

ESPAILLAT: Well, you know, he obviously -- you know, he could -- he could think whatever he wants, but the fact of the matter is that this is still a nation of immigrants, and to really distinguish between one part of the world and the other, I think is divisive. And so for him to say what he said is divisive, and again, he's weaponizing immigration right before an election and trying to score some cheap political points.

BERMAN: The White House today, President Biden is going to come out with a new plan to forgive some student loan debt. The White House says in total, the plans he will announce today would fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million borrowers, it would eliminate the interest accrued, would cancel the full amount of student debt for more than 4 million borrowers, and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least 5,000 in debt relief or more.

The Supreme Court struck down his last effort to try to relieve some student debt. How important is it, do you think, for him to try again? Why do you think this will pass?

ESPAILLAT: I think it's very important. We've -- you know, student loan debt has passed now for some years. Our credit card debt, as a nation, imagine that. You know, people worry about their credit card debt. Student loan debt has surpassed, in total, our credit card debt. And so a young family trying to get up and do well for their children has a tough time if they're saddled with a very deep student loan debt.

I think to give them a bump, to give them a lift, it's a good thing for America, it's a good thing for their family, obviously, and I think the President is doing the right thing to try it again.

BERMAN: There are Republicans now on some of the Intelligence Foreign Policies Committee that are talking about their concerns of Russian propaganda among Republicans in the House of Representatives. Chairman Mike Turner was on CNN this weekend and said to us, he said, quote, "We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mass communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor." Is this something you hear on the House floor?

ESPAILLAT: I'm concerned about it. I'm concerned about Russian interference in this election cycle. Obviously, they did it in the past election. They continue to do it, particularly now as we try to fund and give monies to Ukraine. They will try to intervene. And this is something that's concerning to the average voter, it's concerning to me as a representative of the 13th Congressional District, that the power of one vote is going to be compromised because the Russians are meddling in U.S. politics. [08:00:23]

BERMAN: Congressman Adriano Espaillat from New York, thanks so much for being here on "CNN This Morning."

ESPAILLAT: Thank you. Thank you for having me again.

BERMAN: Really appreciate it.

So we get a new weather forecast for the total eclipse just in, a new hour of "CNN News Central" starts now.