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CNN This Morning

Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake Strikes Off Indonesia's Coast, Killing At Least 38; Hawaii Could See Its First Hurricane Landfall; Bessent Teases Severe Economic Action Against Iran; Trump Downplays Concerns About Conditions On The USS Abraham Lincoln; Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty To Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO; Woman Arrested For Allegedly Vandalizing World War II Memorial In Washington D.C.; U.S. Midwest Braces For More Flooding As Deadly Storm System Lingers. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired August 15, 2026 - 06:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:00:29]

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to CNN this morning. Here's what's new today. Breaking news, Indonesia rocks by a deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake. We have a live report coming up on scenes of destruction and rescue efforts happening now.

Plus, we are tracking the storm system that could become the first hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii in decades. The latest on the storm's path and how people there are getting ready.

And later, there is growing concern about the living conditions for sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln out at sea for months due to the war in Iran. Yet new comments from President Trump seem to suggest he does not share those concerns. Hear for yourself how he responded when asked about their mental health.

And a new legal fight in the case of Luigi Mangione and his execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. What a guilty plea and disturbing admission in federal court could mean for the state trial set to start next month.

Well, good morning. It is Saturday, August 15th. Thanks for joining us this morning. Victor Blackwell is off. And I am Rene Marsh.

We begin with breaking news this morning. A deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake has jolted the Indonesian coastline at this hour. Here's what we know. At least 38 are dead, but assessments are still underway.

According to BNP, a disaster relief organization, the quake triggered a tsunami warning, but it has since been lifted. People frantically ran for cover from damaged or collapsing buildings. BNBP says government offices, schools, health care facilities and more than 50 homes have been damaged. The disaster relief group says 2,000 people were evacuated as a precaution in one region as rescuers race to find survivors. A woman describes the terrifying moments after the strong earthquake hit. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NONA, VILLAGER (through translator): The quake was massive. The shock was so strong we were resting at home with family. There were 13 of us inside the house and we all ran to save ourselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: Well, we're going to go straight to CNN's Gage Goulding who is covering all this for us this morning. Good morning, Gage. What's the latest?

GAGE GOULDING, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hey, good morning. Overnight. And this was the big development this quarter, quake striking around 6am local time, which is pretty much the opposite of east coast time. And slowly over the overnight hours, we saw that death count continuously creep up now at 38, with about a little over a dozen people injured.

Here is the striking fact, though, the comparison to the other earthquakes that we've seen recently. I'm going to use the Colombian earthquake here. About 6 million people in that earthquake felt what the USGS categorizes as severe shaking. Here in this earthquake, there were about a half a million people feeling that.

And I bring up this point because it's two very different situations. In Colombia very urban area. Here, this is more mountainous, rural island terrain. There are some tourist hotspots. For example, Bali, very popular tourist destination.

They felt shaking there, which is about 400 miles away. But on the actual island of Flores, it's very rural in that sense. But that does not take anything away from the dramatic situation that is unfolding there. The good news is roads have since been cleared after numerous landslides.

That's according to government agencies there. However, there are still roughly 10 people trapped under the rubble at this time that they are still working to get to. Now, remember, all of these numbers are preliminary. They've been changing hour by hour from the number of those killed to those injured to those trapped.

And we're continuously getting this information. I want you to think of this kind of like a wheel and spoke where there's a bunch of different agencies, police, substations, search and rescue crews that are feeding information back to the hub. And we're getting those updates, I would say, every other hour or so. But the information coming in is changing here.

The other part of this, too, is that a lot of critical infrastructure, including several airports, hospitals, healthcare facilities, even schools, have all been damaged in this earthquake.

[06:05:05]

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake is incredibly strong. Anything over 8.0 magnitude is about as severe as it gets, although the scale does go up to 10. Also, another threat that these first responders, the search and rescue crews are encountering is in the immediate hours after the initial earthquake they saw 37 different aftershocks.

And these aren't little tremors as they're commonly heard referred to. These were still in themselves quite abrasive and severe earthquakes, some of them registering up to 6.2 on the Richter scale. So what I'm saying is there is a lot of different obstacles as really that area there continues to evolve.

MARSH: Gage Goulding staying on top of this developing story for us this morning. Thank you, Gage.

And here in the United States, Hawaii is bracing for what could be its first hurricane landfall in decades. Tropical storm Lala is gathering strength as it approaches the Big Island.

It's expected to slam the region with dangerous winds, heavy rainfall and life threatening flash flooding and mudslides. Hawaii Governor Josh Green has declared a state of emergency as the storm intensifies.

Now the worst conditions are expected to last from this afternoon through Sunday. We are monitoring several advisories about Lala bringing hurricane force winds to the Big Island.

CNN meteorologist Melissa Nord joins us now live with the latest details. Melissa, how are people in Hawaii preparing for this storm? This is not something they see very often.

MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is not in Rene. Right now it's midnight in Hawaii. But as the sun comes up first thing in the morning and then throughout the day on Saturday, conditions are going to deteriorate, especially on the Big Island which could see a very close run in with a hurricane landfall which could be the first hurricane landfall ever for that particular island. You can see satellite imagery, Lala starting to approach the islands right now.

Some of the outermost rain bands moving in and where we expect the brunt of the wind impacts going to be on the south shore of the island. But the rain is really going to pile up there on the eastern side of the island, the windward side. That's where we could see locally 10 to 20 inches of rainfall leading to life threatening flash flooding in addition to mudslides possible as well. You can see the hurricane warning in effect.

They are becoming potentially that Category 1 hurricane right near the southern coast. And then as we go into the second half of the weekend passing to the south of the rest of the islands. But rain, some of those winds could easily be topping hurricane force strength and the size of this storm, Rene, pretty large the wind field right now stretching over 200 miles across.

MARSH: And I know you're tracking that for us, Melissa, thank you. Now to the conflict in the Middle East. New images are coming in this

morning of Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Lebanon state media says seven people were killed, making it the deadliest day since June ceasefire. Israel said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in response to a quote, action against Israeli soldiers by the Iranian backed militant group.

Meanwhile, a U.K. marine trade organization says a quote, unknown projectile struck the hull of a bulk carrier in the Strait of Hormuz. The group says that the crew is safe and there's no reported damage or environmental impact.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to apply unprecedented economic pressure on Iran as the U.S. continues its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Well, let's go straight to CNN correspondent Larry Madowo. Larry, you're covering all of this for us this morning. Thank you for joining us this morning.

LARRY MODOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Rene. We are tracking all these developments in the Middle East and you see those threatened measures from Secretary Bessent. And he says that the announcements will come in the following week. So basically in the next few days and that they will be historic in terms of the economic isolation of a country, measures never seen before.

And that builds on what President Trump has been saying about the U.S. plan to choke Iran economically. And President Trump is posturing in front of a crowd that essentially appreciate what he was saying as the frustration grows over the delay in this war. It's been six months and there's no sign that it's anywhere close to ending. In fact, the Iranians are now saying that they have not decided when they would resume negotiations in the United States.

And President Trump himself told Axios earlier in the week that they were low keying these talks. They only seemed to be negotiating with them. So the talks are a stalemate. But President Trump now saying this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: And after we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.

[06:10:15]

Essentially, that's what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: It's not clear how that would work out. Declaring the state of Hormuz U.S. territory would that it meant U.S. troops on the ground. He didn't offer any more specifics. President Trump has also previously said that he would call it the Strait of America, again, that didn't pan out for the Iranians giving a very strong response. The Iranian deputy foreign minister said this. The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized with a tweet, an aircraft carrier, an executive order or a campaign speech. Iran neither fears threats nor is intimidated by displays of force.

And the Iranian deputy foreign minister also saying that they have complete control and they will open and close the strait as they please. Rene.

MARSH: Larry Madowo, thank you for that report. Well, U.S. aircraft carrier pushed to its limits. Concerns about morale and mental health. And now a presidential remark is fueling a new debate. The latest on the USS Abraham Lincoln is just ahead.

Plus, one of America's most sacred memorials vandalized in broad daylight. The message left behind and the suspect now facing felony charges.

And later, what comes next for Luigi Mangione, who pled guilty to federal charges in the killing of United Healthcare CEO.

And as we go to break, here's a live look at Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle. Good morning.

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[06:16:26]

MARSH: Five people were killed, one is wounded and a suspect is dead after a series of killings in northern Michigan. The Suspect, identified as 39-year-old Chad Hickman of Lake City, Michigan, was found dead in a wooded area five miles north of where the first bodies were found on Friday.

Police have not released the identities of the victims, how they died or a possible motive. This is the same second mass killing in Michigan in the last three weeks.

A former University of Cambridge professor was found dead just days after resigning amid plagiarism allegations. Police say they found the body of 41-year-old Jason Arday in South London on Friday. Arday was a sociologist who earned accolades as the youngest ever black professor at Cambridge. Last month he faced accusations of plagiarism and questions about his athletic and fundraising accomplishments.

All Apache helicopter training flights are temporarily halted after a crash this week near Fort Hood, Texas killed two soldiers. 34-year-old Chief Warrant Officer Deontre Huey and 25-year-old Warrant Officer Seth Olmstead were killed in the crash. The army says the stand down will remain in effect until there's a better understanding of the cause of the accident.

Well, President Trump is dismissing growing concerns about the mental health of the crew on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. The ship is in the midst of a record setting deployment. It's been at sea for over six months. At least one crew member has gone overboard in what the Navy calls a mental health episode. But take a listen to the President's response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Has the deployment gone on too long?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: No, no, no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you worried about the mental health concerns?

TRUMP: No, no. Not nearly long enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: Well, more now from CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: After President Trump dismissed some of the concerns about the USS Abraham Lincoln on Friday, I asked the White House whether they wanted to add any context or clarification to what the President said. And they replied that they were going to let the President's words stand on their own, which is kind of remarkable. And it was clear as the President was answering these questions that he was frustrated by them. He kind of snapped at the first question.

And after his last answer that he thought that the deployment of the Lincoln did not last long enough, he very abruptly turned and walked back towards Air Force One, which isn't his normal mode. He usually answers more than one question in these gaggles.

And the backdrop, of course, to all of this is the growing concerns that you hear inside the administration that just how long this conflict with Iran has lasted. These historic deployments of these aircraft carriers only underscore to the American public that the President's initial projection that the war would last only six weeks has been wildly wrong.

And it's not the only example we're seeing of the war's length and intensity, raising some questions about the American military's ability to carry it out much longer. You also hear concerns about the stockpile of munitions. And the worry that you hear from military officials is that the longer these deployments last, the greater the toll that they will take on both the people aboard, but also the ships themselves. You know, the gears start to wear out.

Replacement parts are hard to come by. And even in a statement on Friday from the Navy Secretary, Hung Cao, that was intended in some ways to diminish some of the reporting about the USS Abraham Lincoln.

[06:20:04]

He also acknowledged that there had been a small number of mental health cases, that some of the meal plans had to be adjusted and that at points a calls home had been limited because of operational security. And all of this, I think, contributes to the reason you hear some American officials now start to talk privately about the need for to find some sort of off ramp to this conflict. That's something that, for example, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, has been talking about privately with other officials inside the administration.

But there really isn't much indication that President Trump is looking to take that off ramp at the moment. He said at an event in New York on Friday that he planned to soon declare that the Strait of Hormuz was territory of the United States. You also heard Pete Hegseth said say this week that the U.S. was prepared to enforce the blockade of Iranian ports, quote, indefinitely. Of course, all of that would require sustained American military presence in the region, which would be quite a shift for a president who once promised never to enter a forever war.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARSH: And a new carrier group is headed to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln. In the 8:00 a.m. hour, we'll talk about the conditions crew members are facing retired Navy chief and counselor Patrick Caserta and his wife Terry, who have made it their life's work to address mental health challenges in the military after the suicide of their son.

Well, coming up this hour, a stunning turn in one of America's most talked about murder cases. Luigi Mangione admits he killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. We'll break down what to expect out of the sentencing phase.

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[06:26:14]

MARSH: Well, sentencing is set for December 18th after Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty yesterday to federal stalking charges in the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. But Mangione's legal fight is far from over. His New York state murder trial is still set to begin next month.

Now his attorneys are asking a judge to throw out the state murder and weapons charges, arguing the case violates protections against Double Jeopardy. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCDONALD, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Just a few moments ago, Mangione pled guilty to his heinous act.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Luigi Mangione admitting today in a New York federal courtroom to stalking and killing UnitedHealthcare's chief executive, Brian Thompson, outside a Manhattan hotel, telling the judge, quote, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died. I knew what I was doing was illegal.

He went on to describe why he did it. After years of enduring severe pain from a broken back, navigating the obstacles of the health insurance system and witnessing similar experiences of countless others, I learned that UnitedHealthcare would be holding its annual investigation conference in New York City on December 4, although the specific location was not publicly disclosed.

And revealing for the first time how he tracked down Mr. Thompson and discovered where he would be that early December morning. Quote, in November of 2024, I traveled from outside of New York state to Manhattan. I then emailed UnitedHealthcare leadership, posing as an investor at a firm managing over $50 billion assets and requesting information about the conference. Unlike my previous interactions with insurers, I received an immediate response within an hour.

Thompson's family was in the courtroom for the first time today, fighting back emotions as they heard prosecutors say Thompson turned to face Mangione just before the deadly close range shot. Following the proceedings, the family said in a statement, today's guilty plea marks an important step towards justice for Brian and for our family.

While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable. Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime. We remain mindful that additional proceedings in New York and Pennsylvania are still to come, and we will continue to seek the justice Brian deserves.

KAREN FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO, LUIGI MANGIONE'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: With Today's guilty plea, Mr. Mangione has accepted full responsibility for the death of Brian Thompson.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Mangione received no deal for his plea, and his fate is up to the judge who could sentence him to life in prison. His defense team explained its strategy after court.

AGNIFILO: New York law does not permit a person to be prosecuted and punished twice for the exact same crime under a statute that governs successive prosecutions. It's also known as the double jeopardy law.

Today's guilty plea triggers the statute, and we just filed our motion in state court explaining why the state charges must be dismissed under New York's double jeopardy protections.

PROKUPECZ (voice-over): But it will be up to the state judge to make that final decision. Although the state case is scheduled to begin on September 8, it will likely be delayed by the legal battle. Federal prosecutors saying justice was done today.

MCDONALD: This was not a spontaneous act of violence. It was deliberate, calculated, and premeditated. We have consistently pursued the maximum penalties under the law as necessary and just punishment for these crimes. The result achieved today now allows our office to seek the maximum penalty allowed life imprisonment.

[06:30:00]

PROKUPECZ: And now, the next phase in this case begins -- a sensing. And no doubt we're going to start to see legal motions filed and arguments about why Luigi Mangione should not spend the rest of his life in prison. Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARSH: Well, joining me now for analysis, Attorney Madeleine Simmons. Madeline, thanks so much for joining us this morning. I want to start off by asking you, I mean, did this guilty plea surprise you in any way?

MADELEINE SIMMONS, ATTORNEY: So, thank you for having me And, you know, I think that this was a smart move on behalf of his defense team, because as we just heard with the analysis, you know, now in the state case, they are getting to argue that would be double jeopardy to try him there.

So, I think they're really looking at ways to mitigate the impact of, you know, a sentence on him. And so, I think that him stepping up, taking responsibility, you know, is significant, and will potentially make it so that whatever the sentencing is in December is reflective of that. MARSH: And to that point, I mean, what does he gain by entering this

plea? Does he gain any leverage in his fight against the state murder and weapons charges?

SIMMONS: I absolutely think he does. As we heard, they've already filed motions saying that it would be double jeopardy to try him on the state case. So, I think that this was a strategic move by his defense team to potentially have him not be tried on a state case.

And then, like I said, you know, be able to show the judge that he's accepting responsibility for, you know, this heinous act that obviously took a man from his family. So, that even if he is, you know, given a significant sentence, perhaps he only has to serve, you know, 85 percent of it or so, and perhaps, gets out at some point while he's still alive.

MARSH: But I would expect it's not going to even be so cut and dry, right? Because I mean, this federal case was centered on the stalking charge, which some might argue is very different from this murder and weapons charge that he is facing in the state.

So, it isn't necessarily a slam-dunk for them, this argument that it's double jeopardy, right?

SIMMONS: You're absolutely right. They are two very different charges. Both carry significant amount of sentencing time. But this is like I said, I think a strategic move on their behalf to try to avoid those murder charges in the state trial.

MARSH: So, I mean, do you think that this plea ultimately could shorten his prison time? Does it or does it merely, you know, shift the legal battle to a different court? SIMMONS: So, I have seen before and my years of, you know, being an

attorney where judges will take into account somebody that steps up and accepts responsibility versus somebody that goes through an entire trial and makes a jury find them guilty, right? With a verdict.

And saying that, you know, I'm stepping up, I'm accepting responsibility, I'm sorry for what I have done. That can impact what a judge ultimately brings down on a sentence. So, we'll see if that happens in this case.

MARSH: And what are you going to be looking out for, as you know, we move to this next phase. I mean, obviously with all that has developed, we expect that this New York case was going to be postponed.

But what sort of considerations will that state judge in New York be considering in determining whether it is a strong argument that this is double jeopardy and he and the case won't go forward?

SIMMONS: Yes, I mean, the judge will look at the -- what he has pled to specifically, and what is in that plea agreement, and whether or not that, you know, kind of mirrors some of the same charges that have been brought in state court.

It's going to be -- like you said, it's not going to be cut and dry. There's going to be a lot of motions back and forth. I would expect we're probably going to have a few hearings between now and then and different motions filed by both sides, making different arguments regarding this issue.

But I certainly think that the defense side has -- you know, like I said, had a strategy here with him taking this plea to attempt to avoid, you know, more significant charges and sentencing in the state court case.

MARSH: Madeleine Simmons, thank you so much for your insight.

SIMMONS: Thank you so much. Well, a Kentucky woman is facing federal criminal charges after she was arrested for allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Officials are accusing her of filling the fountains with soapy bubbles while also using spray paint to graffiti the memorial. CNN's Katelyn Polantz reports.

[06:35:00]

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Vandalism of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., has led to two felony criminal charges against a woman from Kentucky.

Now, this happened on Friday when law enforcement saw that the balcony that overlooks the World War II Memorial on the National Mall, that it had spray painted words on it that said "Clean Hands, Dirty Money".

There was other spray paint as well, really taking up a lot of that stone balcony area, and a park ranger had seen a woman there with a container and also videotaping herself and then fleeing. That woman, her name is Melissa Farris; she is from Kentucky.

She was arrested on two felony criminal charges levied by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. She appeared in court on Friday. She's going to be held in detention over the weekend. This is a serious set of charges that Melissa Farris faces.

Now, these two charges, they're felony counts for destroying or hurting federal property. But also, there are stiff penalties. And it is a felony to destroy or somehow alter a veteran's memorial or vandalize it.

And so, Melissa Farris, she's not been able to enter a plea yet, but she will be back in court next week. We expect her to contest remaining behind bars, but the Justice Department has been very aggressive lately with trying to arrest people who may be committing vandalism on the National Mall and in downtown D.C.

They indicated already in federal court that they would like her to stay behind bars as she awaits trial and not have her released. Back to you.

MARSH: Katelyn, thank you. And it is being called the 1 in 1,000-year flood. Midwest communities drenched by heavy rain and are bracing for more. We will take a look at some of the hardest-hit areas coming up next.

And if you're heading out, remember you can stream our show from anywhere in the U.S., even right here on the beach in Miami. You can also go to CNN.com/watch.

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[06:40:00]

MARSH: Welcome back. A deadly storm system that battered the Midwest all week is circling back. Authorities are warning about flash- flooding this weekend that could spread across several states, including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

The Midwest has already seen at least six straight days of relentless rains and flash-flooding that forced entire communities out of their homes and cut power for hundreds of thousands of people. It's being called the 1 in 1,000-year flood.

At least, three people have died, including a four-year-old child. Right now, millions across the Midwest remain under flood watches because even modest rainfall could bring new problems.

CNN meteorologist Melissa Nord is back with us, she's tracking all of this. Melissa, it has been just brutal.

NORD: Yes --

MARSH: What should we expect going into today and the rest of the weekend?

NORD: Well, unfortunately, Rene, the ground is like a soaked sponge, so it can't absorb any more water. And that's why the flooding threat remains really elevated for creeks and streams and river flooding that's ongoing this weekend.

This is a map of the current either floods that are in effect along rivers, or what they're expected to crest to over the next several days. You can see three of those rivers in major flood stage, including the White River in Noblesville, runs through the heart of Indianapolis. But in Noblesville, the suburb just crested to an all- time record 24 --

(CLEARS THROAT)

NORD: Excuse me, 24.5 feet, beats the old record of 23.8 feet there first thing this morning. Flood warnings and the red color flood watches in green, and we still have this boundary that has brought us immense amounts of rain through this week and it's not moving today.

So, we have another level three moderate risk of flooding today and tomorrow. You can see the radar right now lit up with rain through the heart of Illinois, that's pushing eastward. So, Indianapolis drive right now, more of that rain is going to be moving into central Indiana this morning.

And then later on this evening and tomorrow, more risk of flooding stretching throughout the Corn Belt there, we could see additional rainfall amounts that are easily 3 to 5 inches.

MARSH: Melissa Nord, thank you for that. And Indiana has been the hardest-hit state from this historic flooding. Right now, it is under a statewide disaster emergency declared by Governor Mike Braun.

Beth Hall is joining us from Lafayette; she's the Indiana State Climate Office Director. Good morning, Beth, thank you so much for joining us. How is it looking where you are?

BETH HALL, DIRECTOR, INDIANA STATE CLIMATE OFFICE: Well, it's -- it hasn't been that bad in Lafayette, Indiana, but we're getting some really good storms now. So, I'm hoping our power will hold in there.

MARSH: OK, well, you know, states in the -- in the Midwest, I mean, you all have been inundated. Is this just a bad stretch of weather, or are we witnessing a new flooding reality here?

HALL: You know, this event is extraordinary. There's no way to say it otherwise. However, we are seeing an increasing trend of these heavy rainfall events, and because of just the planetary warning -- warming, we're going to see a shift in the storm tracks.

So, the data is telling us that we could see events like this happening more often. We hope that it doesn't, just because the tragedy involves.

[06:45:00] But the atmosphere is setting up, that this is not going to be that

unusual anymore.

MARSH: And tell us more about why? What are -- what are the climate factors making this the new norm for us?

HALL: Well, when the planet warms, it agitates the atmosphere. And unlike anything that's land-based, whether it's the pot on our stove or bathtub or even the oceans that have edges, the atmosphere, if you think about it, really doesn't have an edge.

So, if we have intense warming happening somewhere else on our planet, it's going to disturb the fluid that is our atmosphere elsewhere. And that's -- what's happening now is that shifting our storm tracks into paths that maybe we're not used to over the past hundred or so years.

So, that's putting these storm tracks in parts of the country and parts of the world that are just not used to this much rain. Add to that, the increasing temperatures, the air can hold more moisture. So, when it does rain, it literally pours.

MARSH: So, this is -- we are seeing in real-time when we talk about the impacts of climate change. This is it. These intense storms, lots of rainfall falling in just a short period of time. I guess the question is, what can people, communities, homeowners do to better protect their lives and property if this is in fact the new reality in a warming planet?

HALL: You know, if you're living in an area that's vulnerable, that's a tough situation to be in. I would talk with your insurance companies and find out what options you have. If you do have the ability to relocate, really take into consideration whether or not that property is within a floodplain, because we're doing our best to keep those rivers from overflowing.

But it's going to be a challenge. And one thing to really remember is the flooding impacts aren't necessarily where the rain is falling. The rain, the heavy rains could be falling somewhere else where all that water then feeds into the river systems. And that's when we have the tragic overflowing of the rivers.

MARSH: Beth Hall, thank you, I hope your power stays on this evening, thanks so much for joining us.

HALL: Thank you.

MARSH: Well, it turns out there's a steep price for being a nuisance in Norway. Why waking a sleeping polar bear led to a very expensive wake-up call for one tourist. And as we go to break, here's a live look at downtown Charlotte where the sun is coming up. Good morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:50:00]

MARSH: Right now, search crews are digging through rubble in Indonesia after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Video from this morning shows buildings crumbling and people running for safety. More than 30 people were killed, but officials warn that number could rise.

Rescue workers are now combing through the rubble looking for anyone who may still be trapped. In Hawaii, residents are getting ready for Lala, which could bring the island's first hurricane landfall in decades.

A hurricane warning is now in effect for Hawaii County, the Big Island, and the Governor has already declared a statewide emergency. Hurricanes don't hit Hawaii often. The last tropical system to make landfall there was Olivia in 2018.

And President Trump's name could soon be back on the front of the Kennedy Center. Sources say his hand-picked board for the institution voted to put the President's name below the Kennedy Center sign.

It will now say the iconic building was, quote, "restored and renovated by President Donald J. Trump." The move is testing the limits of a federal judge's order in May, that order blocked Trump's attempt to name the building after himself.

Well, the recent explosion in interest in drugs and supplements marketed for performance enhancement and longevity is everywhere. And if you aren't taking one yourself, there's a good chance you know someone who is.

But today, people as young as teenagers are turning to performance enhancing drugs like Testosterone in startling numbers. CNN's Isobel Yeung met with one of them for her latest report on the enhancement craze. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No matter how large I got; I always saw myself as tiny.

ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN REPORTER: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. No matter what angle, you know --

YEUNG: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you name it, and you just keep going and going and going, and you look in the mirror and you just don't realize how far you're in it and how far you're pushing yourself until it's kind of too late.

YEUNG: When you started taking these drugs, I mean, how quickly did you start to see physical changes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My first cycle I gained 40 pounds in five weeks.

YEUNG: Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hundred and sixty-two pounds to 203 pounds. YEUNG: Wow --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes --

YEUNG: That's crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

YEUNG: So, how many times were you injecting yourself, like, in a week?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daily, I'd say for that big cycle, probably around like 12 times per day.

[06:55:00]

YEUNG: Per day? You were injecting yourself about 12 times? Oh my God.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

YEUNG: Were you addicted?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was for sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: Well, fascinating. See more from Isobel's report on what's driving men of all ages to explore performance enhancing drugs like testosterone. It's this week's episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER: STACKED INSIDE THE ENHANCEMENT CRAZE", this airs tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN, and the next day on the CNN app.

Well, a sleeping polar bear in the Arctic got the world's rudest wake- up call this month. Authorities in Norway say a person aboard a tourist vessel spotted the bear snoozing on shore, and blasted the ship's foghorn.

Yes, very rude. The bear woke up and wandered off. The tourists, they say got a wake-up call of his own, a fine worth more than $5,000. Turns out in the Arctic, disturbing the bears can actually really cost you.

Well, thank you all for joining me for this hour of CNN THIS MORNING, "TABLE FOR FIVE" is up next. I'm back with another hour of CNN THIS MORNING at 8:00. I'll see you then.

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