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CNN This Morning

Hurricane Lala Lashes Hawaii's Big Island, One Dead; Chaos At New York Synagogue Leads To Hate Crime Charges; Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Attack Deep Into Russia; Search For Survivors Continues After Indonesia Earthquake; Dems Reshape 2028 Presidential Race With New Primary Schedule; DeSantis Not Backing GOP Front-Runner In FL Governor's Race, Rep. Byron Donalds; Wasserman Schultz Under Fire For Running FL District With Large Black Population After Redistricting; Tomorrow: Opening Statements In Tupac Shakur Murder Trial. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired August 16, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:00:22]

RENE MARSH, CNN HOST: Welcome back to CNN This Morning. Here's what you need to know today. We are tracking Hurricane Lala as it brushes past Hawaii. At least one person was killed due to the storm. We'll hear from a reporter on what it was like to ride it out.

New this morning, dramatic visuals coming out of Russia as Ukraine carries out some of the largest aerial strikes yet in that war. And the road to 2028 just got more interesting. The major shakeup to the presidential primary calendar newly approved by Democrats.

And happening tomorrow, opening statements in the trial of a man accused of playing a lead role in the murder of rap icon Tupac. We'll break down what we know about the jury and how this high profile case may play out.

Well, good morning. It's Sunday, August 16th. Thanks for joining us. Victor Blackwell is off. I'm Rene Marsh in Washington.

Well breaking news right now as Hurricane Lala lashes Hawaii's Big Island. The hurricane, which did not make direct landfall, already turned deadly. One person was killed in a storm-related car wreck. The Big Island is bearing the brunt of the wind and rain, but it's felt across the island chain.

Heavy rain and tree branches already down in Maui and more than 100,000 people across the islands are without power right now. Residents of Hawaii's Big Island say they were nervous as they heard the storm approaching.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been really surreal and kind of unreal that we're getting like Lala like right now. And it said like in three decades, we haven't got one like this big that said to be this big. So I am kind of nervous about it, but we're going to hunker down. We're going to stay safe. Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: Well, we're taking a live look now at our radar. The hurricane is now moving past the Big Island and making its way towards Maui. Angela Cifone with CNN affiliate KITV wrote out this storm on the Big Island, and she explains exactly what some Hawaiians saw from their front doors.

ANGELA CIFONE, KITV REPORTER: We're at Kaloli Point, the easternmost side of the Big Island. You can see that there is so much wind, just so much rain and massive waves behind me. I'm going to step out of the way so you can kind of see.

We are at a homeowner's home, which is the second most eastern house on Big Island. And, you know, you're getting hit with these waves and that mist from those waves as they break are brushing onto neighbors' roofs. You know, the wind is making these branches fall off.

We had a branch go into the homeowner's door screen. There is water coming in through the bottom of the house. The lanai is soaking wet. I am soaking wet. I'm currently in a puddle in my rain boots. We have lost power, as so many people have on the island.

And the craziest thing that we're experiencing is the outer bands. As they're passing, you can kind of see you never know what you're going to expect from Lala, because at one minute, there's not too much wind. There's still wind, but it's not so harsh. And the rain is a little bit lighter.

And then all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, you know, it just gets super significant, super harsh on your body, on your mind. There's a lot of things happening here. You know, we can hear the wind hitting the windows and the doors. And it's just something that is, it's really a significant thing that's happening out here.

But again, we're going to keep track of Lala as it passes through all of the islands. But right now, we're just trying to stay safe, stay off the roads, and try and stay dry, unlike me.

From Kaloli Point, Angela Cifone.

MARSH: Well, thanks to our affiliate and Angela for that report. And back on the mainland, disastrous flooding and rain in the Midwest for the seventh straight day. Indiana has been hit the hardest. Officials say six people have died since the storms began. The Indianapolis mayor says this is the city's most severe flooding in more than 30 years.

You are watching video of a flooded home near the White River in eastern Indiana. It reached major flood stage this morning. And this evening, a new round of storms is set to begin in Indiana and Ohio before moving east. More than 21 million people across the Midwest are under flood watches today.

And CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here. She's tracking all the latest. My goodness, I just feel for the folks there, because this is a whole week now.

[07:05:05]

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, and there's so many other states that have been dealing with flooding. Indiana is not the only one. And so that's been the concern, is as these next couple of waves move through, it's going to impact several states.

Right now, you've got very heavy rainfall right here, kind of here at the junction point of Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. That line is going to continue to shift eastward. You also have some strong thunderstorms sliding their way into the mid-Atlantic.

And that's the area that's really going to be the target point for today for the heaviest rainfall, especially West Virginia, but even areas of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. Those are also areas that could contend with some flooding, especially later on today. You look at the timeline, there's that first cluster that moves through.

But it's going to continue through the afternoon and even into the evening hours across areas of the mid-Atlantic, but also the Midwest. You look at areas here like St. Louis, likely to get some, maybe say about 9-10 o'clock tonight, will be some of the heaviest storms that move through those areas before that continues to slide over into the Ohio Valley. That's going to be overnight tonight and into very early Monday.

But these aren't the only areas dealing with flooding. We talked about Hawaii. Here's a look at what's left of the Lala as it continues to slide out to the west. You do have this flash flood emergency that has been issued. It's got the considerable tag there.

Here's the thing about this. While it's not heavy raining at the moment, they have had so much rain in the last 24 hours. They've had homes wash out, roads completely underwater. So it's really more just to kind of emphasize how much rain has fallen.

Those outer bands are going to continue to sweep across the northern islands as well. So you're talking Maui, Kauai and Oahu as we go through the remainder of the day today. So conditions are likely to deteriorate in those islands, even though it's gradually going to get better here across the big island.

Forecast rainfall amounts, even though the worst of it is over for the big island, they could still pick up extra 1 to 3 inches of rain on top of what they've already had. The other islands, however, quite a different story. Now you're looking at an extra 4 to even 8 inches of rain, Rene, on top of what they've already had.

So certainly something to keep a close eye on in the coming hours.

MARSH: Allison, thank you.

And a hate crime investigation is underway after police say a man disrupted Shabbat services at a historic Manhattan synagogue. Authorities say the suspect spat and headbutted a member of the synagogue security team as he was escorted out of the building Friday night. A 63-year-old woman was also injured when the man hit her. Investigators are now working to piece together what may have motivated the attack.

CNN's Rafael Romo has new details on the chaotic scene inside and the suspect now in custody.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rene, good morning. A law enforcement official has told CNN the suspect entered the synagogue during Shabbat services Friday night and was sitting down for roughly 10 minutes before he got up and was confronted by security.

A clip from the synagogue's live stream obtained by CNN affiliate WCBS shows how congregants scramble the shouts of panic erupted while a security guard is seen trying to restrain the suspect as he barreled down the aisle.

The law enforcement source also told CNN that when the suspect tried to make his way toward the rabbi, security tried to escort him out. And that's when he proceeded to attack a woman and the security guard while also yelling a racial slur at him.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the suspect as 46-year-old Larry Montes from the Bronx. She also said the suspect has now been charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief also as a hate crime among other charges. Tish also said that no one was seriously injured and that the NYPD increased security at the synagogue.

The synagogue's rabbi opened the service Saturday morning by saying the congregation is grateful to be safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RABBI ANDREW KAPLAN MANDEL, CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE: Our day of rest was interrupted last night by a security incident in our main sanctuary but we are OK. We are safe. We are grateful to be here. We are grateful to our security team for supporting us. We feel so grateful for our community.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We went through something really hard and scary last night and I think this healing prayer can be focused on the whole community, on all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a post on X that "This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe." The law enforcement official familiar with the investigation also told CNN that Montes, the suspect, tried to walk toward an area that is not open to the public. And when they confronted him, he proceeded to chop with his hands at two candles each valued at $10,000.

According to CNN source, Montes has several sealed arrests, some of which were robberies as well as a history of mental health issues. And investigators do not have evidence that he was targeting anyone inside the synagogue.

[07:10:11]

CNN reached out to the federal public defender's office in the southern district of New York but we were told the suspect had not yet been assigned an attorney. Rene, now back to you.

MARSH: Rafael, thank you.

Well, in other headlines we are following this morning, Moscow says it shot down more than 800 Ukrainian drones overnight in one of Kyiv's largest aerial attacks of the war. The targets included areas around the Russian capital. Video shows a large fire tearing through a warehouse south of Moscow after one of the strikes. Russia says at least six people were killed.

And here's new video of Russia retaliating launching strikes in the Ukrainian city -- Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Missile strike took out a book market there where you could see the smoke for miles.

And a NATO fighter jet shot down an unidentified drone after it entered Romania's airspace. Romania's defense ministry says a Spanish F-18 on a NATO mission intercepted the aircraft overnight. Officials say the drone was detected after crossing from a neighboring country. No one on the ground was hurt. Romania which borders Ukraine has seen repeated drone incursions since Russia's invasion began.

And rescuers are racing to find survivors after a powerful earthquake rocked Indonesia. Take a look at where it hit. The quake struck off Flores Island and triggered a series of strong aftershocks. More than 50 people have been killed. Drone video shows widespread damage across communities hit by the quake.

More than 1,300 homes were damaged. Most of those severely. Schools, government buildings and hospitals have also been affected.

A national park in Texas is now a construction zone. Bulldozers are clearing land in Big Bend National Park making way for another section of a border wall between Texas and Mexico. Despite the fact the area barely sees 1 percent of unauthorized crossing apprehensions.

We're now learning Commissioner of Customs and Border Patrol Rodney Scott is heading to the region on Tuesday. He'll meet with a group of sheriffs and judges as opposition to the project grows.

Still to come, for the first time in nearly 50 years, Iowa and New Hampshire will no longer kick off the presidential primaries. We'll tell you which two states will now lead the way.

Plus a jury is now in place for the only man ever charged in Tupac Shakur's murder. We'll speak to a legal expert about the case and what's next in court.

And in Colorado, hail piled so high crews had to bring in a snow plow. The dangerous conditions and what caused it. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:17:51]

MARSH: Well, the Democratic National Committee has approved its new primary schedule ahead of the 2028 presidential election. The DNC's calendar has South Carolina's primary set for late January 2028. Nevada will follow in early February. That will be followed by New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, and Virginia in February.

And the remaining states will vote in March. But for nearly 50 years, Iowa and New Hampshire were first. Those are small and primarily white states. South Carolina and Nevada are more racially diverse states. The changes come as the Democratic Party's progressive and centrist wings battle it out for influence and control of the party.

Let's talk about all this and upcoming primaries on Tuesday with Mary Ellen Klas. She's the politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and the Miami Herald's former Capitol Bureau chief.

Good morning. Thanks for joining us, Mary Ellen.

MARY ELLEN KLAS, POLITICS AND POLICY COLUMNIST, BLOOMBERG OPINION: Good morning.

MARSH: So what do you think of the impact of the change to the DNC's primary calendar, starting off with these more diverse states like North -- like South Carolina and Nevada in the primary season? What will the impact be potentially?

KLAS: Well, I think it's a really bold move by the DNC. I mean, they're breaking out of a tradition that they've grown out of for quite a while. South Carolina is not unusual because that's where they started four years ago. And obviously, Joe Biden credits that with giving him, you know, the launch in his 2020 campaign.

But moving up Nevada and New Mexico is really a signal that they are working to try and expand the influence of Black and Latino voters. You know, this, of course, comes on the heels of the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court has really gutted the Voting Rights Act, made it harder for Black voices to be heard, especially with the redistricting that's happened as a result of it.

And Latino voters are also really being eagerly fought over right now as many of them, you know, many sided with Donald Trump four years ago, and Democrats are really working hard to try and get them back.

[07:20:16]

So I think this will be interesting. It's not going to be an easy lift. New Hampshire has its own law that says that it can't let another state go ahead of it in the presidential primary.

MARSH: Yes.

KLAS: So, you know, that's going to be interesting how they work that out.

MARSH: Yes, a little complexity there to still -- and it's uncertain how that will pan out. Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, he's considered the front runner for the race for governor to succeed Governor Ron DeSantis, who's term limited. But DeSantis hasn't come out and endorsed anyone. He hasn't endorsed Donalds, nor has he endorsed his Lieutenant Governor, Jay Collins, as well as other Republicans.

Florida, you know, that's a reliably Republican state. What do you think the impact of DeSantis not coming out and endorsing anyone could be on this race?

KLAS: Yes, it's been a surprise move, and it's got a lot of people shaking their heads. You know, the governor used to be close with Byron Donalds. They were in Congress. You know, he shared some time endorsing Donald Trump. But when Donalds decided to endorse Trump over DeSantis right before DeSantis was launching his campaign, that sort of ended their romance.

And I do think that there's some hard feelings and DeSantis is not willing to go beyond it. So this opens -- this opened, you know, the door for some lots of wacky stuff. We've got three people running against Donalds. And I think it's going to be a question of whether or not Donald Trump's endorsement is going to be as strong and carry. And everyone sort of just seems to think that Donalds is going to walk away with this.

But it leaves DeSantis with sort of a diminished stature within the Republican Party here in Florida. And I think it's interesting because even some of his most loyal supporters are already jumping on the bandwagon. His -- the Attorney General James Uthmeier, who is someone that used to be the chief of staff for Governor DeSantis and has now endorsed Donalds. So this will be an interesting thing to watch.

MARSH: Another interesting race in Florida is the 20th Congressional District, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She has faced some strong criticism for running in what has traditionally been a black -- a largely black area represented with black representation. But with this past year's redistricting fights, you know, she is now running in this specific district. How do you see this contest playing out?

KLAS: Yes, this is really going to be a consequential congressional race. Republicans put a target on the back of Debbie Wasserman Schultz when they decided to redistrict the state. You know, this is a heavily Democratic district. It's historically, as you mentioned, been represented by black people in Congress.

And it really is an area that is being, you know, they're just loading it up with all the Democrats in the region. And that forced Debbie Wasserman Schultz into a district that was highly Republican. And so she chose to run in this black majority district. It's going to be a test for her.

She faces some challengers that are well known. She faces the incumbent Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick -- MARSH: Yes.

KLAS: -- who is the incumbent congresswoman. But she also has some baggage having resigned from Congress.

MARSH: Yes.

KLAS: And -- yes.

MARSH: Yes, yes. A lot of exciting races, interesting races to watch on Tuesday, especially there in Florida.

Mary Ellen Klas, thank you so much. Thanks for joining us.

KLAS: You're welcome.

MARSH: Well, nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was killed, the murder case that fueled decades of questions and theories is finally moving toward trial. More on what jurors will likely hear. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:29:04]

MARSH: Well, the jury is seated and opening statements begin tomorrow in the Tupac Shakur murder trial. Duane "Keffe D" Davis is accused of orchestrating the killing of Tupac in an act of revenge. Nearly 30 years ago, he now claims he was not in Las Vegas on the night Tupac was shot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you have anything to do with the murder of Tupac Shakur?

DUANE "KEFFE D" DAVIS, MURDER SUSPECT: No, ma'am. No, ma'am. I wasn't even in Nevada. I wasn't in Nevada, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: Well, Davis is also trying to distance himself from a book prosecutors say he co-authored seven years ago. They plan to use it against him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you regret the book and the interview?

DAVIS: Yes, I was just after the money, and they said I was a covered. I did it for the money.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did anyone close to you say, not a good idea?

DAVIS: That was the ghost writers did it.

[07:30:00] I didn't write that book. I can't -- I, you know, I don't know nothing about Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra. Just read the book. You know I didn't write that book.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: Well, attorney and legal affairs commentator Areva Martin is here. Thanks so much for joining us this morning, Areva. I think the primary question is whether Duane Davis' 2019 memoir, "Compton Street Legend," and his past police interviews can legally convict him. Take a listen to this interview he gave back in 2019.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: He's hanging out the window like he was in a parade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tupac?

DAVIS: Yes, he was.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what happens next?

DAVIS: We just came and -- I ain't going to go into details like that, you know what I'm saying? But, you know, you got it in a book.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: It sounds like an admission that he was there at the time of the shooting, but now he's saying he wasn't. It seems hard to defend. What are your thoughts?

AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Yes. We should expect a lot of back and forth about this book as well as the proffer that was given back in 2008. The prosecution's whole case is that he did admit to killing Tupac and he did it pretty brazenly. He did it in a book. He did it on a series of interviews, podcasts and television interviews and a documentary. And now, his lawyer is saying all of that was fictionalized. That was all just one big, embellished story solely for the purpose of making money, solely for the purpose of getting attention and cashing in on the death of Tupac Shakur.

Jurors are going to have to grapple with this. Is this truly an admission or is this, as his lawyers like to say, an old, sick man who was simply trying to make a buck because he was broke?

MARSH: You know, legal experts, they question whether the state can truly prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt when the physical evidence, such as the original Cadillac and the murder weapon that was never recovered. What are your thoughts on that?

MARTIN: It is an unusual case. Typically, in a murder case, you would expect jurors are going to expect to see evidence of the weapon that was used to kill the individual, the car. You mentioned Cadillac. That's going to be a big piece of evidence that is missing in this case. There's no forensic evidence. But again, you have this testimony of sorts. You have this admission from the defendant himself. So, his own words are what's being used to prosecute him.

And it's interesting, Renee, because this was a cold case. This was a case that law enforcement had pretty much given up on. This is a 29- year-old prosecution. Memories have faded. And as you just stated, there isn't the kind of evidence that you typically see in a murder trial. But you have something very unusual, which are these statements that were made by Duane Davis.

And I'm going to be watching that 21-year-old juror that was seated in this case because he wasn't even alive when this happened. In fact, he was born nine years after Tupac was killed. So, he doesn't have that kind of emotional attachment that many have to Tupac and may not feel the need to find someone guilty of killing this cultural icon.

MARSH: Yes. I was going to get to the jury makeup, but since you mentioned it, in the jury, there is a self-improvement coach, a mailman, as you mentioned, that youngest juror seated is 21. He was born nine years after Shakur was killed. What do you make of the makeup of this jury and how does that play into this larger picture?

MARTIN: Well, I think both sides are going to take advantage of the diversity of this jury pool. It's about 10 women, I think, and there's six men included because there's some alternates. But I'm going to be, like I said, focused on that 21-year-old. A lot of folks believe someone should be held responsible for Tupac's murder. Because he was such an important figure in hip-hop music. He was such an important cultural figure.

But some of these individuals may not have that level of attachment to him, may not, again, appreciate his celebrity as others have in our culture, in our communities. So, I think jurors are really going to be focused in on where is the evidence? Where is the proof? And that's going to make this case more difficult, I think, for the prosecution.

MARSH: Yes, absolutely. Areva Martin, thank you so much.

MARTIN: Thank you, Rene.

MARSH: Well, still to come, there's been a booming interest recently in performing enhancing drugs with the promise of self-improvement. We'll take a look at what's driving the trend next.

And if you're headed out, remember, you can stream our show from anywhere in the United States, right from the CNN app. You can just go to cnn.com/watch. Good morning, St. Louis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:00]

MARSH: Over the past few years, performance-enhancing substances like testosterone have exploded in popularity, thanks in part to influencers like Ryan Johnson. He not only uses these drugs himself, but also coaches other young men on how to take them to transform their bodies. CNN's Isobel Yeong meets with Johnson for her eye- opening report on enhancement craze in this week's episode of The Whole Story.

[07:40:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's the youngest person that slid into your DMs asking for advice on this stuff?

RYAN JOHNSON, FITNESS INFLUENCER: Oh, that's a good question. I mean, you definitely get some young people in there. 16, 17. If they're anything under 18, I'm not even going to talk to them, though. You know, because I'm like, you're way too young.

YEUNG: Can I see some of your DMs?

JOHNSON: Oh, yes. I met this guy at the gym the other day.

YEUNG: So, what have you said to him?

JOHNSON: So, he just sent me his blower. He was like, hey, what's some advice? I was like, he's got 250 milligrams to tes per milliliter. I was like, do half a mil Monday, half a mil Thursday. All right. That's 250 a week.

YEUNG: But you don't think it's dangerous at all that, you know, you're often guiding these, like, young guys through this journey, but you don't have the medical qualifications to do that?

JOHNSON: I mean, I would say what's the difference between doing it yourself and being fine and a medical qualification, though? You know?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: Well, CNN's Isabel Young joins us live right now. You know, you're used to hearing this when we talk about athletes, but this has gone beyond athletes. How common is it for people like Ryan to be handing out advice on what drugs to take?

YEUNG: Good morning, Rene. Well, yes, I mean, it's very common. I think it's becoming increasingly so. I mean, you might have seen your social media. There's a growing number of influencers like Ryan, as well as podcasters, as well as looks maxes, you know, these people really tapping into this idea that if you take these performance enhancing drugs, then you can achieve this hyper masculine looking ideal.

And for Ryan, I mean, we went to visit him, as you can see, in his house in Austin, Texas. And, you know, he's walking us through the many, many injections that he takes every single day, a combination of testosterone, of steroids, of peptides. In fact, at one point he opened his cupboard drawer and there was a lot more drugs in there than there was food.

And for him, you know, he would admit that he's addicted to these drugs. It's really become a part of his identity. And the way he justifies that is saying that, you know, it's better for him to be addicted to something like this kind of a lifestyle and these kind of drugs versus something like alcohol.

You know, Ryan himself is just 22 years old. And, you know, he actually went to a doctor and asked to take testosterone. The doctor said that he had perfectly healthy levels of testosterone, that he didn't need to be taking these drugs. And so, he started doing his own research online. He went down Reddit forums. He started looking on YouTube. He started experimenting on his own body. And that's sort of how he got to the point where he's at at the moment.

This is very contrary to what a lot of the doctors have told us. In fact, every doctor I've spoken to on the subject says that, you know, they wouldn't advise people, especially young men of Ryan's age, to be taking these performance enhancing drugs and that it can lead to very serious complications, both cardiovascular, sexual, even psychological.

But, you know, for someone like Ryan, it's complicated by the fact that, you know, it's not only part of his identity now, but it's also a huge amount of money wrapped up in this. I mean, he told us that he makes tens of thousands of dollars every single month advising young men on what cocktail of drugs to be taking, how to improve their bodies, how to transform their bodies to look just like his.

And you probably see many other influences as well, talking about, you know, promoting various pharmaceutical companies and linking to these companies. And, you know, if those people buy those drugs, then they get a certain commission from that. So, there's a lot of momentum behind it at the moment.

MARSH: Yes. I mean, how big is the enhancement industry now? Any way to quantify?

YEUNG: I mean, it's difficult to know, but it's huge and it's growing. I mean, there's a massive explosion in interest in performance enhancing drugs. And I think, I mean, even in the last five years, according to Epic Research, testosterone prescriptions grew 50 percent for men.

And obviously this has provided a huge opportunity for big companies with big investors behind them. So, the company that we've been looking into as part of this documentary is the Enhance Group. So, this is the company behind the Enhance Games, which took place in Vegas, where essentially they're encouraging Olympic level athletes to come and perform and to compete, sorry, and to take these performance enhancing drugs to see if they can beat world records.

And this is a company that is backed by billionaires like Peter Thiel, like Christian Angermayer, like Donald Trump Jr.'s investment firm. Obviously, critics say that this sets a very dangerous precedent, that it preys on young men's insecurities. But, you know, people inside Enhance and advocates for these drugs would say that these drugs are simply providing an opportunity for people to live a better lifestyle, a more healthy lifestyle, a longer life.

MARSH: Sounds fascinating, and I cannot wait to watch. Isobel Yeung, thank you so much. You can see more from Isobel's report on this week's episode of The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, "Stacked Inside the Enhancement Craze." Watch tonight at 8:00 Eastern here on CNN and the next day on the CNN app.

[07:45:00]

Well, Hurricane Lala is battering parts of Hawaii, ripping roofs off buildings and knocking out power and drenching communities with heavy rain. More on the dangerous conditions on the island ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARSH: New this morning, Israel says it killed a senior Hezbollah commander in its attacks on southern Lebanon. The Israeli military says the commander helped carry out attacks against its forces, including drone strikes. The announcement comes a day after Israel launched a series of strikes in southern Lebanon. Lebanese health officials say at least 11 people, including women and children, were killed. Israel says it launched the strikes after three of its soldiers were seriously wounded in a Hezbollah attack.

[07:50:00]

A small Kansas town has agreed to pay $850,000 to settle a former reporter's lawsuit over a 2023 raid on her newspaper's office. The case ignited nationwide outrage over press freedoms. Retired Marion County record reporter, Phyllis Zurn, also claimed in her suit that the raid impacted her health.

Hurricane Lala is battering parts of Hawaii. One person has been killed in a storm-related car accident, and there are reports of damaged buildings and power outages. More than 60,000 customers are without power. Lala strengthened to a Category 1 storm early on Saturday, with its eyewall coming within 30 miles of the Big Island's southern tip.

And an early snow plow deployment, I should say, in Douglas County, Colorado, where a severe storm left behind piles of hail and severe flooding. Plows had to be used to clear the hail from the roads. Local emergency crews were called to scene of seven different water rescues in 90 minutes at the height of the storm.

Well, CNN's Allison Chinchar joins me now. Lots to talk about in your department, Allison. Good morning.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. Yes, that hail maybe is interesting. It's a great use of, you know, the supplies that they have, even though it's not snow season, to be able to use those for what they are experiencing.

And we have more hail potentially expected for areas of Colorado today. You've got some scattered storms out into the west, scattered storms off into portions of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic. That is also where we have our greatest threat for flooding.

But in the southern tier of the country, now we're actually talking heat, record-breaking heat. And you're talking a lot of folks from Texas all the way over through the Carolinas. A lot of these places, it's not just going to be a day or two, it's going to be a prolonged effect, too. You look at the forecast heat index.

So, that's taking into account the actual air temperature plus the humidity, because a lot of these areas are very humid, not just normally this time of year, but excessively in some of these spots. So, again, it's going to feel like 110 in Jackson, Mississippi, 104 in Dallas, 103 in Atlanta, 105 in Nashville. Again, you go to Monday, some of these areas also staying that way, and even into Tuesday. So, again, this is going to be kind of a prolonged effect for several of these states.

You look at Dallas, for example, the average this time of year is 96. So, yes, it's already a very hot time of year. But every single one of the next seven days is expected to be in triple digits. You could be looking at 105 for the high temperature on Monday and Tuesday.

Similarly, in Atlanta, the average height right now is about 89. Every single one of the next seven days will be above that mark.

MARSH: Allison Chinchar, thank you. And history was made in Major League Baseball yesterday, and it was made by a rookie who apparently is really good at hitting home runs.

Let's go to our CNN Sports anchor, Coy Wire, with more. Hey, good morning, Cory.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Good morning, Rene. Baseball has been around roughly 150 years. Think of all the people who have played this game. And yesterday, a rookie did something no one had ever done. Cardinals rookie, Joshua Baez, becoming the first player in Major League history to hit three home runs in his first three career at- bats. Now, that's a way to say hello.

It's like throwing three touchdowns on your first three NFL passes or three number one hits on the release of your first three songs. He finished three of four on the day with five RBIs. Joshua Baez with the least subtle entrance imaginable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSHUA BAEZ, ST. LOUIS CARDINALS ROOKIE: It's unreal. Like, I really can't put it into words, but it's honestly just a dream come true. To be honest, like, I was just trying to stay calm and, like, just trying to, like, embrace it. And the only thing was just to have fun. Like, I had no idea that, like, I was going to be able to hit three home runs in one game, you know. So, like, it's just surreal right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: To the W. A clash between two top teams. Lynx already with a playoff spot locked up, facing the Aces in four-time MVP. A'ja Wilson says, not in my house, Napheesa Collier. Wilson dominated both ends of the court. 32 points. They're looking to move closer to snagging the number two spot. But the five-time all-star Collier still shining. A pair of threes late in the fourth. She finished with 19. And how about that rookie, Olivia Miles. She is special. 23 points, eight assists, as the league-leading Lynx win it 92-87.

From stars making history to legends entering it, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, nine new inductees welcome into history last night, including Elena Delle Donne, Doc Rivers, and three-time WNBA champ Candace Parker, who had someone very special to thank, specifically regarding her rookie of the year season when she also won MVP and Olympic gold.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDACE PARKER, THREE-TIME WNBA CHAMPION: I knew I didn't do it alone. I was pregnant with my favorite teammate, my daughter, Layla Nicole. I knew I didn't do it alone.

I was pregnant with my favorite teammate, my daughter, Lailaa Nicole. She, in fact, she became number one from sleepless nights, nursing at halftime of games, her first steps on a road trip to Phoenix. We were a team and we shared the wins and the grind. Her sacrifice and support over the years is something that I do not take for granted. My favorite job is, in fact, to be your mommy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Awesome stuff. And hello, Buffalo. The Bills christening their shiny new, roughly $2.2 billion stadium. And MVP quarterback, Josh Allen, says, let's take this ride for a spin. Six of eight, 111 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Panthers. Lots of talk of some fans complaining about obstructed views in this stadium. Bills star lineman, Dion Dawkins, says it's looking just fine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DION DAWKINS, BUFFALO BILLS TACKLE: This is like being on the inside of a Rolls Royce, man. You look up, you got stars all in the ceiling. Across the street was the old Papa Joe's pickup truck, man. And that is gone. And now we in the race. So, it's a beautiful thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: New stadium, same dream. The Bills have been to four Super Bowls. They have won exactly up zero of them. So, let's hope this new stadium helps take them to get that Lombardi trophy finally.

MARSH: Coy, thank you. And thank you all for joining us for CNN This Morning This Weekend. Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju is up next. Hope you have a great Sunday.

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