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Iranian State Media Shares Undated Video Of Supreme Leader; Iran Issues List Of Demands For U.S. Before Reopening Hormuz; Fast- Moving Wildfire Forces Evacuations In Western Canada; Wildfire Evacuees In Washington Grow Frustrated; Storms Target Midwest With Risk Of Flash Floods, Damaging Winds; Woman, Baby Die After Vessel Overturns In New York Harbor; Former President Joe Biden's Cancer Worsening, His Son Shares; Medical Providers Testify On Lindsay Clancy's Mental State; Darline Graham Faces Crowded Field In South Carolina Senate Primary; South Carolina Holds Special Primary Tuesday To Replace Late Senator Graham; Experts: Influencer Economy Could Be Worth Half A Trillion In 2027; Experts: Influencer Economy Could Be Worth Half A Trillion In 2027; Russian "Black Widows" Allegedly Marry Soldiers For Money; Tupac Murder Trial Set To Begin Nearly 30 Years After Fatal Shooting; Ariana Grande Announces Break From The Spotlight; Robotic Hope: Bringing Bionic Therapy To More People. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired August 09, 2026 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:30]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. Here's what we're following for you today. Iran is demanding that the U.S. pay it for damages caused by the war before it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Plus, for the first time, Iranian state media is releasing video of the supreme leader as speculation swirls about his health.

Also new this morning, thousands of people are forced to evacuate their homes, look at this, in the middle of the night, as these wildfires were closing in. We've got the latest on the fire threat.

The special election to replace the late Senator Lindsey Graham, that's Tuesday. Candidates are sharpening their messages and their attacks on one another. We'll get into that.

The highly anticipated trial of the man accused of orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur starts tomorrow. We've got a look at how we got here and what to expect.

And is influencer the new American dream? How colleges are leaning into the creator economy. It's all coming up on CNN THIS MORNING.

Sunday, August 9th. It is a brand new week. Let's start strong. Thank you for joining me. I'm Victor Blackwell.

This morning in the U.S. war with Iran. Iranian state media has released undated video of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. This is the first video we've seen of the supreme leader. Here he is. This is since he was appointed in March after the assassination of his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Now, he has not been seen in public since then.

There are no details about the timing of this footage, the context. The video appears to have been taken before the war. This footage does not appear to show any injuries, despite sources that tell CNN that he suffered a fractured foot, minor lacerations to his face around the time he was appointed.

Iran's national security chief says that he will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz unless certain demands are met. Iran's list of requirements was published on Iranian state media. Iran's security chief demands that the U.S. withdraw military forces, compensate the country for damages caused by the war. There are others.

In the meantime, Vice President JD Vance discussed on Fox News two key issues Iran and the Gulf countries and, in particular, Oman, are trying to iron out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JD VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The one problem, of course, is the Iranians laid a large number of mines at the beginning of the war. And so, what we're really working through now is how you can actually set up a traffic scheme so that the ships that pass can pass through safely. That includes, of course, demining. That also includes a commitment from the Iranians that they're not going to fire at commercial vessels.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's Clare Sebastian is following all of these developments and joins us -- joins us now with more. There was no traffic scheme before the start of the war. There was free passage there. And these demands from Iran, not what the U.S. wants to hear. What else do you know about the demands?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think, Victor, this really underscores that Iran is intending to use this leverage it has over traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to the maximum that it can. Essentially, the demands they're putting out are broadly the same as what we saw in the memorandum of understanding that was agreed to in June. And then, of course, promptly collapsed, lifting the U.S. naval blockade, withdrawing military forces, ending the war. And then, of course, the whole issue around compensation for Iran for damages caused by the war and then releasing Iranian frozen assets.

The difference now is that Iran wants all of these done straight away as a condition for opening the Strait of Hormuz, whereas obviously, with the memorandum of understanding, Iran needed to fulfill certain criteria as well. Not least, of course, reaching a deal on nuclear issues. So they are sort of hardening, toughening their position at this point.

And as you have noted, we have multiple Iranian officials now coming out and saying that the talks that are happening right now with Oman on essentially drawing new maps of routes for ships that can be safe, that can be used for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, that those talks are entirely separate from the issue of actually reopening the strait, because, of course, they want the U.S. to fulfill these demands. Take a listen to the IRGC's spokesman on this issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOSSEIN MOHEBBI, IRGC SPOKESMAN (through translator): The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz follows its own specific mechanism and has no connection whatsoever to the negotiations between Iran and Oman.

[06:05:08]

Whether the Strait of Hormuz is reopened depends on the conditions under which the Islamic Republic decides to reopen it, and that, in turn, depends on the extent to which the United States accepts the conditions set by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So this I think, look, we have an emboldened Iran, keenly aware of how big of a problem the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is for the U.S. economically and politically. The Iranian foreign minister was also out this morning saying that no talks are happening right now with the U.S., and they won't until the U.S. addresses, as he put it, its violations of the memorandum of understanding.

So big picture, look, this time a week ago, we had Trump backing off a threat for a massive escalation in military action, saying that he wanted to give diplomacy a chance, not for the first time, of course, in this conflict. I think at this point, you know, obviously there is still hope around these Iranian-Omani discussions. There's been some positive noises about that.

There's still hope that it could be a small part of the jigsaw puzzle, but are we any closer to actual peace talks? If so, only you know, not by very much at this point.

BLACKWELL: Clare Sebastian, thanks so much. This wildfire in Western Canada, it is moving fast. It has triggered a lot of damage, massive emergency. More than 20,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes.

This is the Bald Range Fire. It was first reported on Friday night. But then within hours it grew to about 19 square miles. It overwhelmed the surrounding communities of Faulder and Summerland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know whether my house is gone or still there or not, but that fire came so fast and furious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Video from witnesses shows homes burning as people were trying to escape along roads with flames on both sides. The fire moved so fast that one emergency official had to abandon the command center just to rush home to get his own family to safety. The premier of British Columbia quickly declared a state of emergency Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID EBY, BRITISH COLUMBIAN PREMIER: Conditions are extremely dangerous and changing minute by minute. The fires are moving incredibly quickly.

This new fire marks a significant shift in the overall fire situation in our province. Today, based on the advice of emergency officials, Minister Greene has declared a provincial state of emergency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Officials say it's still too dangerous to go in and determine how many homes have been lost. Of course, we'll keep watching this fast moving threat as the daybreak reveals the extent of the destruction.

In Washington State, nearly a week after evacuations because of wildfires there, officials are warning people to stay away from their homes. But driven by the desire to check their homes and grab their belongings, you see here people walking right past the checkpoints, back into the neighborhoods that have been ravaged by the fire. Officials stress that there may be no active fires in the area, but there are what they call invisible dangers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM STOKESBERRY, INCIDENT COMMAND: You're looking at a lot of hazardous materials in there. The solar panels, the lithium ion batteries that is in the air. We saw it on other fires such as the Palisades, where you might not initially feel that, but firefighters weeks, months later had serious medical problems because of what they were breathing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Now sheriff's deputies are tightening enforcement at all roadblocks, and they're urging people to request official escorts for critical medicine or pet rescues instead.

Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms are targeting the Midwest today. Major cities like Chicago, Detroit, they're on high alert for damaging winds and flash flooding.

CNN's Allison Chinchar is tracking the storms for us. There is a lot going on from the fires and the heat and the storms.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And let's add in some tornadoes, too.

BLACKWELL: Wow.

CHINCHAR: Yes, because there is the potential for it. It's on the lower side, but there is still the potential, especially across portions of the Midwest. And that's where we're going to begin today to kind of talk about where that threat is located.

Again, you'll see we have those storms that are expected across the Northern Plains, stretching all the way down into the Ohio Valley. And some of these areas, it's going to be rain for three and four days in a row. So, you also will have the flooding component become an issue in the coming days.

Here's where we have the storms that are active right now. Again, you can kind of see a lot of these storms, a lot of lightning out. Maybe we'll get back to that in just a second.

We do have a lot of lightning in some of these areas, especially as you're making your way through portions of Iowa and Missouri. There we go. Yes. Now, you can kind of see a lot of those storms that are there. Several of them have had watches and warnings throughout the morning.

You still have some active warnings there, right there in that northern tier portion of Iowa, as that line of storms continues to slide through, more warnings are possible as we go through the rest of the day and even into tomorrow, too. Here's where we have that greater threat of flooding for today.

[06:10:01]

Now, I want to make note places like Illinois, Indiana, you're going to get it not only today, but also Monday and Tuesday of this week. So, it's that cumulative effect of all of the rain that we anticipate in these areas that's really going to cause the flooding concern. And again, that's where you have some of those that kind of even go into day two for some of these areas.

BLACKWELL: Allison, a lot going on. Thank you so much. Next, we have more about that boat that overturned in the New York Harbor. Two people killed. We'll get you the latest on that.

Plus, if you're looking for love or payout, we'll take you inside Russia's black widow controversy and the scam behind wartime weddings.

Also, it's the next generation's dream job. How colleges are helping to prepare people for careers as creators. And live look at Pittsburgh this morning. Good morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:15:38]

BLACKWELL: A woman and an infant are dead after a boat overturned in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty. Now, police, divers and aviation teams responded after they received 911 calls last night. Here's the moment emergency crews were dispatched.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Report of New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty, reporting people in the water. Manhattan Box 842, New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty people in the water.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Divers found that 27-year-old woman and the five month old baby in the water. Police have not confirmed if they are related. Both were taken to the hospital where they were pronounced dead. Twelve other people were rescued. And now the coast guard is working to find out what caused the boat to capsize and plans to interview the captain. No arrests have been made.

Former President Joe Biden's cancer is worsening. That's according to his son, Hunter Biden. The cancer has metastasized into his bones and cause pain and debilitation in many respects. Hunter Biden said that his father's condition has been sad to watch and hard for his family, but his father stays dedicated to speaking on issues that he's passionate about. President Biden revealed his cancer diagnosis last May, it being one of the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

Tomorrow, testimony resumes in the trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy, accused of killing her three children. Now it's the defense's turn to cross-examine one of her psychiatrists, who was treating her for postpartum mental health issues. CNN's Jean Casarez walks us through their testimony to the prosecution on Friday.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Friday was a very important day in the Lindsay Clancy trial because this is the first time that actual providers took the stand and testified as they treated and assessed Lindsay Clancy from September of 2022 through middle of January of 2023. And they testified that they assessed her, they observed her, her demeanor, what she said, prescribed medications for her.

And the first to take the stand was Dr. Alia Goodheart. She was from McLean Psychiatric Hospital. And on December 31st of 2022, they received a patient from Massachusetts General Hospital via ambulance. It was Lindsay Clancy.

And after being admitted, there were numerous assessments of her. But Dr. McLean was her lead psychiatrist. A few days later is when she actually met with her, and she said that Lindsay Clancy was medically stable, that there was no apparent suicidal risk at all, that what Lindsay was saying was that it was hard for her to sleep, that she felt numb and that she couldn't sleep without medication. But the medications were giving her side effects. And the diagnosis from the psychiatrist, major depressive disorder without psychotic features.

Well, on cross-examination, the defense asked, you know, she'd been to so many doctors since September. Did you go back and get her other medical records to see for yourself? Watch the reply.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN REDDINGTON, LINDSAY CLANCY'S ATTORNEY: Did you look at her records?

DR. ALIA GOODHEART, PSYCHIATRIST, MCLEAN HOSPITAL: I did not have access to them. REDDINGTON: Why not?

GOODHEART: They aren't in the same medical record system.

REDDINGTON: Well, the same medical record system is just so that you have access to MGH. You have access to Brigham and Women's Hospital because it's all part of some big computer information access you have. What about other health care providers? Can you get access to their records?

GOODHEART: Not immediately.

REDDINGTON: And Lindsay was very, very cooperative with you guys, wasn't she?

GOODHEART: Yes.

REDDINGTON: Did anyone ever ask her to sign a HIPAA release for anyone to get access to nurse practitioner Jollotta's records?

GOODHEART: No.

REDDINGTON: How about psychiatrist Tufts' records?

GOODHEART: No.

REDDINGTON: How about nurse practitioner Paul's records?

GOODHEART: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: Probably the main psychiatrist for Lindsay Clancy, Jennifer Tufts, took the stand in the second half of the day. She testified that she first saw Lindsay Clancy in September of 2022, and the last visit was January 23rd, 2023. That is basically 24 hours before she killed and strangled her children.

[06:20:01]

She testified that on that day of January 23rd that Lindsay was depressed, there was no question about it. That she had anxiety, just as she did in the first visit. That she said it was difficult to get out of bed in the morning, but she would force herself to do it.

And -- but she did assess and find at the end of that visit that she was not a danger to herself, and she was not a danger to others. And once again, about 24 hours later, maybe a little bit more, she strangled her children and tried to commit suicide.

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

BLACKWELL: The trial continues with more witnesses, more testimony tomorrow morning. "CNN ALL ACCESS" will bring you live coverage. Just go to CNN.com/watch. Next, we are looking ahead to the special primary to replace the late Senator Lindsey Graham. How candidates are trying to stand out in a pretty crowded field. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:25:27]

BLACKWELL: Republicans are on the ballot in South Carolina to replace the late senator Lindsey Graham. A special primary election is set for Tuesday. Graham's sister, Darline, is filling out her brother's term and has President Trump's endorsement. But she's facing a crowded field of known GOP challengers. CNN's Dianne Gallagher has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As candidates look for a way to stand out in the crowded race to replace the late Lindsey Graham on the ballot --

MARK SANFORD (R), SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE CANDIDATE: Pig math doesn't work for any of us as taxpayers.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): -- with just days to go.

RUSSELL FRY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE CANDIDATE: We'll see you at the polls on August 11th.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): Republicans in Charleston packed a private club to hear from most of the GOP Senate hopefuls.

RALPH NORMAN (R), SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE CANDIDATE: We are getting ready to elect a person for the next six years.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): While there are 10 Republicans on the ballot, five are seen as top contenders. Senator Darline Graham, Congressman Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, former Governor Mark Sanford, and businessman Mark Lynch. The splintered field means it's unlikely one person will get a majority on August 11th, which would lead to a runoff between the top two vote getters two weeks later.

KYLE SIMS, SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN VOTER: I'm really kind of looking at a couple of the top candidates and see what they have to say about particular issues.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): Missing from the stage in Charleston? President Donald Trump's endorsed candidate, Darline Graham, whose campaign says has been busy in Washington with her new job in the U.S. Senate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please raise your right hand.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): Republicans here were largely supportive of the President's push for Graham, who had not previously held elected office, to finish out her older brother's current Senate term.

DARLINE GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm here today because I'm answering President Trump's call to serve.

My late brother Lindsey --

GALLAGHER (voice-over): But her decision to campaign for the full term has left some of her rivals up in arms.

MARK LYNCH (R), SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE CANDIDATE: Queen Darline, she was only at one debate and she had to have her notes there and read from it. She's just not qualified.

FRY: What I hear from voters is no one knows who she is or what she's about. I've actually worked to pass bills and craft things and build coalitions.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): Graham's opponents claim she's running a curated campaign based only on the Trump endorsement.

GRAHAM: I completely support the President's agenda. I'm 100 percent behind him.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): Although those who didn't get the nod do still tout their own Trump alignment.

FRY: Everybody who runs in Republican Party politics would love to have the President's endorsement. But I think beyond that, too, it's important to have a working relationship with the President. I think that's what I -- you know, what I carry with me.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): And while Trump's backing launched Graham into frontrunner status, the President's recent endorsement scorecard in South Carolina isn't without blemishes, with his initial choice in the governor's race losing in a primary runoff after he also endorsed her rival. Voters here seem less likely to take an endorsement as a mandate.

MARY ANNE TAYLOR, SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN VOTER: I give him credit for being a smart man, but I'm a smart woman. His endorsement did not mean anything or sway me in any way. Like I said, I do my own research and my own homework.

GALLAGHER: Senator Darline Graham announced that President Trump is going to hold a primary eve tele-rally for her on Monday. Nearly every candidate, including Graham, is scheduled to make campaign stops throughout the state over the weekend.

The math tells us that this almost inevitably will go to a runoff. In fact, the South Carolina Republican Party has already scheduled a debate for the top two vote getters one week after the primary. The eventual Republican nominee will go on to face the Democratic candidate, pediatrician Annie Andrews. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Diane Gallagher, thanks so much. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who chairs the Senate Republicans' campaign operation, is optimistic about the midterms. He spoke about that with Manu Raju. He talked about why he thinks Republicans will expand their Senate majority in November, despite huge headwinds. Manu will join us in our next hour with more on that.

So if you ask anyone -- and listen, you know this, their teens, their 20s, they're about the dream job, right? And there's a good chance they'll get you with -- they want to be influencers. That's what they want to do. It's a popular and often lucrative gig.

Goldman Sachs estimates the creator economy could be worth a half trillion, with a T, trillion dollars by next year. But for a long time, you wouldn't find a lot of academic programs to set you up for success in the industry. That's until now.

Arizona State University just announced a four-year degree in content creation. And this fall, Syracuse University is launching a similar interdisciplinary minor.

[06:30:00]

Ryan Schram is joining me now. He is leading the first ever academic center for the Creative (ph) Economy at Syracuse University.

Ryan, it is good to have you on the show.

Let's start here. So content creation is not like working at Goldman Sachs, where you got to go to business school first. If you want to get in, they expect a specific pipeline in the people living off brand deals and, you know, the monetized content now didn't go to school.

So, what's the virtue of a content creator course load?

RYAN SCHRAM, EXEC. DIR., SYRACUSE CENTER FOR THE CREATOR ECONOMY: From our perspective at Syracuse, it's looking at both the art and the science of this massive creator economy that you pointed out. Nearly 50 million people around the world, Victor, participate in it. Millions of them are creators, but tens of millions of them are equally other parts of that same ecosystem, whether they happen to be the supporting team behind that influencer or creator, a brand side marketer, the folks working on the technology that power those platforms, and increasingly all the different business affairs capacities that go into making that come to life.

So our view bringing together a world-class program like the Newhouse School with incredible entrepreneurial roots like the Whitman School represents where this is all going and why that four-year degree really matters.

BLACKWELL: And so I point out that this is a minor, right? While Arizona State, they have their BA in content creation. As a minor, it can support a journalism career. It could support a legal career. It could support a business career.

So while that may be your concentration and the degree is in, this content creator element can elevate that.

SCHRAM: Very much so. And the novel thing about what we're doing here at Syracuse under the guidance of our Chancellor Mike Haney is that our minor is open to all students across SU. So it's not just the kids or the adults who are wanting to necessarily go into that as their primary career path. It could also be folks coming from a psychology background or a legal background wanting to have that extra level of acumen, that really expert view on this very fast-moving category.

BLACKWELL: Fast-moving, indeed. It's certainly forward-looking, but what's the approach to the oncoming of AI? Because if you have students who think they're going to be a millionaire from drinking lattes and unboxing items, there are digital personalities who are coming on.

SCHRAM: Very much so. And this is really the antithesis of what we call Selfie School, Victor. It is preparing students for those realities that AI is inevitable in content creation, but it's the humanity that has always brought us back to engaging.

So our point of view on this is that we want students to be fully equipped for that entire range of possibilities, but also recognize that at the end of the day, we're all engaging, we're scrolling because of the fact that we're making a connection with something. If that happens to be augmented with artificial intelligence, that's one more means of developing great content.

BLACKWELL: Give us an idea of maybe a course that is not in the typical communications or business column that's geared directly toward content creation.

SCHRAM: Sure. I think firstly is you and I are being viewed horizontally, right? Made for television. The creator economy is currently largely a vertical medium.

So at the very basic level, equipping students with the methods on how to best produce for that more lo-fi, in-your-pocket way of creating content. But beyond that, it's then to your point earlier, how do you monetize that if you want to be the talent yourself? And if being in front of that camera or behind that mic, if you're a podcaster, isn't for you, understanding the entire range of career possibilities that are in very, very high demand and making sure that you're as best position as possible.

Our interest at Syracuse is to give our students an unfair advantage, not only from working with world-class faculty, but also setting them up with our alumni network, other industry leaders, so that they can plug right in and make a difference.

BLACKWELL: Ryan Schram, thank you so much for explaining this new content creator minor there at Syracuse University. Good to have you on the show.

In Russia, controversy is growing around a so-called black widow scam. Women allegedly entering sham marriages with soldiers to claim their death benefits if they're killed.

CNN's Matthew Chance has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[06:35:01]

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A mass wedding of Russian soldiers before they're packed off to the front lines.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): I want to shake your hand and thank you for not running away, for not being scared.

CHANCE (voice-over): But not all marriages offer love.

Russian military wives get thousands of dollars compensation if their husbands are killed in action. And officials say ruthless scammers dubbed black widows are now tricking vulnerable recruits into wedlock.

The father of Maria from St. Petersburg died after being shot in Ukraine last year. She told me she only found out her dad had joined the army after he was killed and only then did he had a new wife.

CHANCE: How did you feel when you found out that your dad had got married just days before he went off to war?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): It felt unreal. When I was being issued the death certificate they asked if he was married. I said no, but they told me he was. I never even managed to contact the woman. I simply didn't know what to say to her because I suspected it was a scam.

CHANCE (voice-over): It's just one suspected case in a growing number, scandalizing Russia.

CHANCE: With the war in Ukraine now in its fifth year and casualty rates at catastrophic highs, it's hard to imagine there are people out there marrying vulnerable men and encouraging them to join the military just so they might financially benefit if they're killed on the front lines. No wonder there's outrage across Russia at the spread of these black widow scams.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE (voice-over): There are numerous allegations of recruits honey- trapped before dying on the front lines, even marrying on their deathbeds in hospital. This woman, who married a soldier 10 days after meeting him, then posted images of herself with other men, was branded a black widow in the Russian media and denied compensation when her husband was killed before their divorce went through. She denied any wrongdoing, saying the allegations had blackened her name.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE (voice-over): But there's growing public anger at how cynical some Russians have become about the war, which the Kremlin calls its special military operation. (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE (voice-over): If I want an apartment, where am I supposed to get the money, the host of this podcast asks. It's simple, the guest, who's a real estate agent, responds. Find a man serving in the special military operation, and when he's killed, you get eight million rubles, she laughs.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE (voice-over): The podcasters were prosecuted and forced to apologize, a rare intervention by the Russian courts.

Back in St. Petersburg, Maria takes us to the block where her dad's old apartment has now been sold off. Convinced he was also scammed out of his home.

CHANCE: Do you know who the new owner is? How long, how many years did your dad live here?

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE: Five years. This is it? It's open.

CHANCE (voice-over): Behind the broken door --

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

CHANCE (voice-over): -- the new occupants insist it was a legitimate sale and that they never even met the seller. It means the money and the widow, just like Maria's dad, are now long gone.

Matthew Chance, CNN in St. Petersburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Matthew, thanks.

Thirty years after the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, the case will finally go to trial. Next, we'll look ahead to the start of the trial involving Keefe D, Duane Davis.

And if you are heading out, remember, I'm down to ride. You can stream our show from anywhere in the U.S. right from the CNN app. You can also go to CNN.com/Watch.

Live look this morning at the Crescent City Connection over the Mississippi River there in New Orleans. Good morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:43:53]

BLACKWELL: Three decades after Tupac Shakur's murder shocked the world. The first trial in this case is about to start. Jury selection starts tomorrow in Las Vegas Duane "Keefe D" Davis is accused of orchestrating the drive-by in 1996 that killed Tupac. Now 63, he is the first and only person ever charged in a case. Davis is pleaded not guilty to murder, denies the allegations against him.

I spoke with Tupac's stepbrother Mopreme yesterday about this case. Here's part of that conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAURICE "MOPREME" SHAKUR, TUPAC SHAKUR STEPBROTHER: These are strange days of living in. So I'm, you know, I'm just -- we just being cautiously optimistic like the, you know the process take its course and see where we land.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN senior entertainment reporter Lisa Respers France is with us now.

First, I can't believe it's been 30 years.

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER (on-camera): Yes.

BLACKWELL: Thirty years next month.

FRANCE (on-camera): Yes.

BLACKWELL: What should we expect?

FRANCE (on-camera): I think we should expect a lot of interest around this case, because Tupac Shakur still beloved, still hailed as possibly the greatest rapper who ever lived and his death at 25 is still resonating. And this has all the elements of you know, a great drama. You got rival gangs, you got a man who wrote in a book or co- wrote in a book that he was involved in who's now singing a very different tune saying that he wasn't involved, you know, saying that he wasn't even in Las Vegas at the time when prior to he's very publicly stated that he was in the car that pulled up alongside Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight and opened fire.

[06:45:27]

BLACKWELL: And that's what's really remarkable here is that Keefe D has talked on podcast in the book about a role in the murder of Tupac Shakur. And for his family all these decades hearing him talk about this and now there is finally this trial that's coming.

Are there any witnesses that we will recognize who've been called? Do we know any of that yet?

FRANCE (on-camera): We don't know any of that yet but most of the people who are involved in this are no longer alive. That's part of the issue. I mean Mr. Davis is the uncle of Orlando Anderson and it is, you know, long been believed that he may potentially have been, you know, the person who might have pulled the trigger. We do not know that. But he's dead.

He was the person that got into the fight with Tupac immediately before the shooting and so you know that was his beloved nephew. And so there's definitely a connection there in terms of people saying well this whole case was about rival gangs but also something that happened immediately before. Everybody was in Vegas for the Mike Tyson fight. And --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

FRANCE (on-camera): -- so you know there was just a lot of drama surrounding the actual incident and there's going to be a lot of drama surrounding the case. But I think it's going to be interesting to see how the prosecution puts this together because, you know, I mean after 30 years what do you have in terms of physical evidence?

BLACKWELL: Yes, yes.

FRANCE (on-camera): You know, after 30 years you have so many people who were involved allegedly who are no longer even alive.

BLACKWELL: And it's important to say that again Keefe D is on trial for murder but orchestrating it not pulling the trigger.

FRANCE (on-camera): Right.

BLACKWELL: While I've got you here, Ariana Grande taking this step back. Talk to us about that and the reaction from her fans.

FRANCE (on-camera): Yes. So she says that this is her stepping back and deciding to no longer be in the public eye is not a reaction to what some people view as having been bullying recently about her weight because she is very petite right now. She's extremely thin. People have had a lot to say and let's be very clear we don't know anything about Ariana Grande's health. We don't know, you know, what is happening in her life right now, what is going on.

But according to her she's doing this she said because she's long been thinking about taking a step back. Her fans have been mostly supportive, but also Victor there's a lot of concern about her health and about her weight about the fact that she's so small and not only that she's so small but also in her latest music video for the song Petal she's showing off how very thin she is in some pretty revealing outfits.

So you have this mixture of people wanting to be supportive of her but also being very, very upset and concerned about what may potentially be going on with her behind the scenes and in her personal life.

BLACKWELL: All right. Lisa, thank you.

FRANCE (on-camera): Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Ahead on "CNN This Morning," technology gave her a second chance at mobility. Now a CNN Hero is paying it forward in a pretty big way. Her story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:52:42]

BLACKWELL: Top stories for you now.

A 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old baby have died after a boat they were on overturned in New York Harbor last night. That boat capsized near the Statue of Liberty.

Twelve people were rescued. The Coast Guard is investigating that accident.

Iran says that it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its demands are met. Now the country's national security chief says the U.S. must withdraw its troops, lift the naval blockade, and permanently end the war. Iran also wants the U.S. to pay damages and release frozen Iranian assets.

No single ticket matched all of last night's Powerball numbers. That means the jackpot is now $905 million.

There's another drawing tomorrow. There were some winners, though. One ticket in Texas matched five numbers to win $2 million. That's something.

A new study finds robotic therapy can help people with spinal cord injuries move more freely and live more independently. But the technology can come with a pretty hefty price tag, putting it out of reach for a lot of people.

Now that issue is personal for 2018 CNN Hero Amanda Boxtel, she lives with paralysis. And as CNN Heroes marks its 20th year, we're highlighting her efforts to bring high-tech therapy to those who need it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANDA BOXTEL, 2018 CNN HERO: I feel like the mountain had robbed me of the use of my legs. But I was determined to show that I wasn't going to give up so easily.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST (voice-over): At 24, Amanda Boxtel was paralyzed in a skiing accident. After years of physical therapy, she had the chance to try a new costly technology, an exoskeleton designed to help people with mobility challenges.

BOXTEL: I stood up and I walked for the first time in 18 years. And it was as if all of my dreams were burgeoning to life in one upright, powerful moment.

COOPER (voice-over): Amanda purchased her own exoskeleton and walked 130,000 steps in a year, easing her chronic pain.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right leg was the first to come back. Is that right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's correct.

COOPER (voice-over): In 2015, she founded Bridging Bionics to help other people with mobility issues benefit from the technology.

[06:55:00]

BOXTEL: It's not easily accessible. It's not affordable. And I thought, we could get a whole community up and walking with this unit.

COOPER (voice-over): She even teamed up with her fellow 2018 CNN Hero, Ricardo Pun- Chong who provides free housing and support for sick children and their families while they undergo medical treatment in Lima, Peru. When Amanda learned a child in his program needed a wheelchair, she wanted to help.

BOXTEL: She has cerebral palsy, and she was in a stroller. She's been in a stroller for her whole life. It's time, don't you think, for her to have a wheelchair to call her own?

Look what we have for Delaska!

RICARDO PUN-CHONG, 2018 CNN HERO: Thank you so much.

With this new wheelchair, and with her surgery, she's going to have a better life.

COOPER (voice-over): Amanda recently secured a dedicated space for her work, allowing her to help more people access high-tech physical therapy.

BOXTEL: We are truly giving the gift of mobility for free or next to nothing, to help our community get upright and walking again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: To learn more about Amanda and Bridging Bionics, go to CNNHEROES.com.

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