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CNN This Morning

600-Plus Dead, 3,000-Plus Missing After Catastrophic Flood; Iran War Hits Six Months With No Clear End In Sight; Jury Deliberations Resume Monday In Trial Of Mother Accused Of Killing Her Children; Thousands Remain Missing After Catastrophic China-Nepal Flood; Marine One Struggles Again To Contact Air Traffic Control; 18- 21 Year Olds Trading More Than $5 billion In Prediction Markets. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired August 29, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for staying. Here's what you need to know today. The death toll is rising in Nepal as rescuers reach areas swamped by floodwaters. We're also hearing from those fortunate enough to escape that wall of water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We saw people just getting sucked in the water. It was so traumatizing to see that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Dozens of Americans are among the missing. The latest from our teams and aid workers in the region ahead. Today marks six months since the U.S. and Israel launched the war with Iran. We'll take a look at President Trump's options as the U.S. faces mounting casualties and depleted weapons stockpiles.

The jury in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy will continue deliberating on Monday. The two key pieces of evidence the jury asked to see and what that tells us about their mindsets. Plus, for the second time, the president's helicopter, Marine One, had trouble communicating with air traffic control. What we're learning about what caused the confusion. It's all coming up this hour on CNN THIS MORNING.

Saturday, August 29. Good to have you. Starting the weekend right here. I'm Victor Blackwell.

We're starting with brand new drone video over Nepal right now near the Chinese border. You can see -- were going to show it to you -- the destruction left behind from that devastating flood this week in the region. The death toll -- excuse me, the death toll and the number of those missing keeps rising. More than 600 people are dead in Nepal and Tibet. A warning. The video you're about to see is distressing. Now, Wednesday's landslides and the floods wiped out entire towns, including the Chinese border crossing. Chinese officials say there are no signs of any survivors. In other areas, survivors told CNN they were helpless, as they could only watch the devastation unfold.

With mortuaries already at capacity, authorities say they will start burying some of the unidentified victims today along the riverbank in one hard-hit town. Nepal's foreign minister said this morning that he's asking foreign governments for freezers to try to preserve the victims. At least 3000 people are now missing.

Nepal's government is also asking for specialized rescue crews to find them. That includes 11 people from India who specialize in tunnel rescues. We also know that there is another lake, a newly formed lake that is possibly a threat to the workers who were there.

Let's bring in now CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar. Allison. I had someone on a geoscientist earlier who said that they just don't know when it could happen. There are also some larger pieces that could be dislodged that could cause a repeat of what we saw on the 26. What do we need to know about the weather there and the rain that could still be coming?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. I mean, there's a lot of those are factors. And I think the real question is we just don't have an answer to the when. It could be days. It could be weeks. It could be months. We just simply don't know.

But one of the factors is adding additional rainfall into some of those newly formed lakes that we've had. So here, for example, is the satellite imagery. Again, you can see not really much over the last 24 hours, except in the last few hours.

That's when we really start to notice a lot more convective activity, meaning showers and thunderstorms in that general vicinity of where the landslide occurred. And here's the thing. This is the rainy season. We expect to have rain showers this time of year.

Here's a look for the remainder of the day on Saturday, because we are heading into the evening hours there locally. But even as we go into Sunday and as we go into Monday, you'll see a lot of shower and thunderstorm activity in this general region. Most of it is expected to be in the afternoon and the evening hours.

They will get some breaks in the morning. And look, we may get lucky. Some of those hardest-hit areas where the rescue and recovery efforts are taking place. They may not have all that much rain.

But it is the rainy season, so we do expect to have some showers and thunderstorms in the area. Even if it's not right there in those spots, though, Victor, keep in mind that river, all the -- all those rivers flow into those areas. So, it could still end up in some of those locations, even if it doesn't rain there directly.

BLACKWELL: All right. Not out of the woods yet. Allison Chinchar, thanks so much. CNN's Hanako Montgomery is in Nepal right now. She spoke to a man who lost everything in the landslide and the floods.

[07:05:06]

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Victor. Right now, we're in an area of Nepal called Batar, which is really at the heart of search and rescue operations. You can actually see there's a constant stream of people coming up behind me, also going down this path, because just beyond these trees, there's actually an area -- a village by the river that was very, very devastated by the flooding.

You could actually see there were diggers there trying to create a clearer path so that some of these people could go home. But this is, you know, a scene that we keep seeing play out across Nepal. Earlier on Saturday, we were at another area of the country -- actually, Victor, I just want to point out, you can hear choppers in the air over here.

And again, these choppers here -- they are going to an army barrack in Batar, where we are, delivering survivors and making sure also that aid is going back up the mountain so that individuals who are injured are getting the right medical attention. And again, these are the scenes that we keep seeing play out over the past few days. Now, again, in this -- in this village that we were in earlier on Saturday, we were speaking to the locals there. We were speaking to some survivors.

And I mean, Victor, this devastation, I haven't seen anything like it. Homes were half buried in mud. You could even see the road. It was just that deep -- the mud.

The livelihoods of these people -- I mean, just completely strewn out in the debris. And we spoke to one survivor who actually came back to his house to see just what he had lost in this disaster. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: What were you thinking when you saw that water coming?

SADIP NEPAL, FLOOD SURVIVOR: During? I wanted to run, but my legs is not working, so I don't know what to do.

MONTGOMERY: Because you were so scared.

NEPAL: Yes, yes.

MONTGOMERY: You couldn't even run.

NEPAL: Yes.

MONTGOMERY: And is everyone in your family OK? Are they alive?

NEPAL: We are alive. OK.

MONTGOMERY: OK. And where are you sheltering now? Where are you staying? NEPAL: Now, I am living in the hospital.

MONTGOMERY: Your house looks really badly damaged. I'm so sorry. Has anything been left in there?

NEPAL: There is lots of rice, maize, everything was for it.

MONTGOMERY: Everything.

NEPAL: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: And you know, this man, he told us that he lost his livelihood. He lost his business. He lost his home. But at least he and his family were able to get out safely.

Because that's not the case, for example, for his neighbors, for his family, friends who had lost again in that town called Devghat. Now, also Victor, I do want to point out this critical window -- the 72- hour window after natural disasters, when the chances of finding survivors alive, who might be trapped in the debris in the rubble, those chances are very, very high. But that critical window is now come to an end.

And now some of these search and rescue missions are turning into search and recovery. We actually were with the Nepali police and army on Saturday as they were going around with sniffer dogs, with shovels, trying to find any bodies. They actually did find one, and they were able to extract this individual.

But they said that because the body was so badly decayed -- and I'm sorry, Victor, this is extremely disheartening -- but because the body was so badly decayed, they weren't able to identify the individual. And, you know, Victor, again, we're in the foothills of the Himalayas. And if you go further up to these mountains where the devastation is even worse, you can only imagine just how traumatic this has been for locals who still have no idea whether they'll be able to see their loved ones once again, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Hanako Montgomery, reporting from Nepal there. All right, a few other stories we're keeping an eye on this morning. At least 27 people are dead after a Russian drone attack triggered a massive explosion near Ukraine's capital. Ukrainian officials say drones struck a warehouse outside Kyiv and caused a blast that left dozens more wounded and damaged the surrounding area. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that investigators are looking into what stored -- was stored at the site. Russia says it targeted an arms depot used in drone production.

President Trump says that the U.S. has reached a deal, giving it majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil reserves. The president says the agreement will more than double Americas oil reserves and boost supply and help bring down gas prices.

The U.S. military says it sank what it called a floating refueling station used by drug trafficking boats in the Eastern Pacific. Before the sinking of the vessel yesterday, Marines and sailors removed the crew and escorted them to Ecuador. It marks the third U.S. strike against suspected drug trafficking targets this week.

Six months into the war with Iran, there's still no clear end in sight. The conflict has taken a physical, financial, and emotional toll from the United States to Iran, with ripple effects felt in communities around the world. CNN's Senior White House Correspondent Kristen Holmes reports.

[07:10:15]

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What we are now hearing, that six-month mark, and that is well beyond, if we're being generous, the six-week mark President Trump put in place. At one point, he actually said three to four weeks. Again, far beyond that.

Now, whether or not they still consider this a war, that might be up for debate within the administration. But for the American people, it certainly feels as though this is still ongoing. And it doesn't appear that there's going to be any end in sight. Here's what President Trump said this week as we were hitting that six-month mark.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We don't want to speak to them. We're not looking to meet or anything. The Strait is open. We're taking a lot of boats.

Millions and millions of barrels of oil are coming out of the Strait every day. Other countries recognize that. Every once in a while they shoot some -- you know, they put some shots out. You know, we totally cleared the Strait of -- we have the best minesweepers in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: No talks planned. No talks on the horizon. So, what exactly is going to happen next?

Well, when we talked to these U.S. officials, they believe that this economic D-Day, this strangulation, shift in posture from military operation to economic sanctions. And trying to put that pressure on Iran is the best course of action. But those same officials say that this could take months to actually see any kind of movement.

And for Iran's part, they say that they're not going to work under any sort of pressure. That has been the big question about this kind of economic chokehold that the administration is planning. Iran has faced international sanctions for years and still not shifted their position when it comes to having a nuclear program. So, how is this any different?

But again, these various officials -- they believe that this is their best pathway forward. But also, when you look at this overall, the global economy has been harmed by this war in Iran. President Trump just now said -- you heard him saying that the Strait of Hormuz is open. It is open, and more ships are getting through, but it is still not at the same level it was before they launched this war in the first place.

So, it certainly seems this decision to shift strategy from military operation to economic is trying to put this war at an arms-length, particularly heading into the midterms. But Americans are still feeling the pinch on their pocket. A lot of this stemming from the higher prices, particularly around the pump, when it comes to this war in Iran.

And this economic chokehold, moving away from military operations, it's unclear if that's going to have any economic benefit for everyday Americans. Right now, you hear President Trump over and over again saying he's not in any rush, that he doesn't feel any pressure to bring them to the negotiating table, to come to an agreement. There are a lot of Americans across the country who would disagree.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.

BLACKWELL: Still ahead. Are the president's construction projects putting the president himself at risk? We'll tell you about a new communication glitch with the president's helicopter, Marine One.

Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial failed to reach a verdict on day two of deliberations. Ahead, what evidence they ask to see?

And police in California are looking for thieves who stole two delivery trucks carrying 40,000 pounds of beer. The unusual message from Pabst Blue Ribbon coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:18:12]

BLACKWELL: Jury deliberations continue Monday in the trial of the mother in Massachusetts charged with killing her three children. On Friday, the jury in the Lindsay Clancy trial sent a note. They asked to see prescription pill bottles and a knife.

Clancy was prescribed about a dozen different medications in 2022 and 2023, as her mental health declined. And after killing her three children on January 24, 2023, she used a kitchen knife to cut herself and then jumped out of a second-story window. The case has ignited a national conversation about maternal and postpartum health. Her legal team has argued that she's not criminally responsible for her children's deaths, as she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.

With me now, Retired Judge Ashley Willcott. Judge, always good to have you. Let's start with the request from the jury to see the knife and to see those prescription pill bottles. What do you glean from those requests?

ASHLEY WILLCOTT, RETIRED JUDGE: Good morning, Victor. These requests are not unusual. Juries often want to see, touch, feel the evidence. They want any of that evidence so they can look at it and pass it around to each person. Now, note. The knife is a little bit different because a safety concern. So usually, when I was on the bench, I'm not going to send a knife into the jury room. You could have them come in and look at it, for instance, in the courtroom.

But often they want to see the size of the knife up close. They want to see what the blade is like. This judge did say, no, we're not sending that back to the jury room.

BLACKWELL: So, speaking of the jury room, you've got nine women, three men on this jury. A gender imbalance there. Could that play in Clancy's favor? I mean, we've seen some support for Clancy inside and outside of the courtroom.

[07:20:01]

WILLCOTT: Absolutely. It can come into play. And think about this. On one hand, you think, who's going to be most sympathetic to a mother that the defense says, listen, the medical system failed her, the mental health system failed her, these meds, this was crazy, this is what caused this tragedy?

Well, women can be sympathetic to that because they may be a mother. They know someone who's a mother. They could be a mother.

On the other hand, Victor, there's the argument that women are going to be less tolerant because all they can think is even if their mental health issues, she had to have known right from wrong based on what the prosecution was arguing and knowing, hey, it was premeditated, deliberate. She sent her husband out to get takeout and meds so she could be alone with the children. So, it's hard to know which way it might go. But it is an imbalance.

BLACKWELL: Yes. The -- I could never variable that jurors might consider who are -- if their mothers on this jury. Now, you mentioned the premeditated element because if they find her guilty, they've got three options: first-degree, second-degree murder, and manslaughter. Do you think that this -- the prosecutors have proven premeditation here?

WILLCOTT: Boy, is that a question of fact for this jury? I think the problem is it depends on which side you believe. If you believe their narrative, then yes, they've proven premeditation.

The problem is the pushback against that narrative is she didn't know right from wrong at the exact moment she strangled all three of her young children. And because of that psychosis, then she did not plan this murder.

And so, you know, the three options, Victor, the manslaughter really gives the jury the ability to split the baby, so to speak, and say, yes, it was an unlawful killing, but there was no malice. There was no premeditation. So, they have a whole gambit of options, including that not criminally responsible, which means she would go to a state hospital. BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the Tupac Shakur murder trial. Duane Davis "Keffe D," decided not to testify in his own defense. A pretty narrow defense put on by his team. Are you surprised by the scope of the defense?

WILLCOTT: The only reason I'm not is because I think the defense is confident that the prosecution has so little that they can't prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. Keep in mind, as you well know, Victor, the only thing they're relying on are the words of Keffe D. And the past words go both ways.

Either, A., yes, I was in the Cadillac. I handed the gun. So, therefore, guilty. Or, in the alternative, Keffe D has also said, no, I made it all up. I made money out of ghostwriter writing a book. Didn't really care what they said. I made money off of it. So no, I wasn't there.

So, it's a narrow set of facts. And therefore I think the defense decided strategically we can keep our defense narrow.

BLACKWELL: Was there any advantage that maybe his team left on the table by not putting him on the stand? Or was the exposure too great to put him up against a cross-examination?

WILLCOTT: Let me say this, Victor. I have been following this trial very closely, watching along. I'm shocked he didn't testify for this reason. It's his decision.

In the past that police secret recorded interview, he couldn't keep his mouth shut, even with an attorney there. He wanted to talk. I thought for sure he'd want to talk.

But strategically, I think it's the best thing not to, because they had recordings in his voice, in his word, where he was saying, I made it up. I was never there. And that was enough to prevent him from having to take the stand.

BLACKWELL: Judge Ashley Willcott, always making it clear and easy to understand. Thanks so much for joining us this Saturday morning.

Hey, it may be the biggest beer heist ever. A truck carrying 20 tons of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer was stolen in Montclair, California, this month. We did the math. That's about 50,000 cans.

Pabst wants it back. In a social media post, the company writes -- this is exactly what they wrote. We don't fault you for wanting to brag to your friends about how much PBR you have. They're giving the thief an 18-day deadline to return their truck, no questions asked.

Police are also investigating whether the theft of a beer truck from the same facility on the same day is connected. Same facility, same day. They wonder if it's connected.

We're staying on top of developments out of Nepal as well. I'm going to speak with someone from an aid group helping in rescue and recovery efforts there. Also, video shows a small plane crashing into the waves off of Florida beach. Those stories and more, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:29:19]

BLACKWELL: More now on the flooding along the China-Nepal border that has killed so far more than 600 people. Rescue crews are searching for more than 3000 people still missing in both countries. The devastation left behind is massive.

There are reports from China that there are no signs of survivors at the border crossing that was engulfed by the floodwaters. In Nepal, officials said an entire village full of people was just washed away. The situation is dire, and survivors are desperately searching for any information about their missing family and friends.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANI GUPTA, FLOOD VICTIM, (through a translator): We have even put up photos, but we don't know anything. Nothing is known over there. It has been it has been three days. There has been no update about any of my family members. When will I be able to meet them? No other family members are left in my family. I am the only one who is here now. I don't know where to go, and I don't know what to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:30:08]

BLACKWELL: With me now is Mike Ball. He is the chief operating officer for the global disaster relief nonprofit All Hands and Hearts.

Mike, thanks for your time. I know you are busy. Can you add to -- I mean, we are getting the pictures, but give us the things that -- the elements we cannot show on television. The feeling there, the emotion. What are you seeing and feeling?

MIKE BALL, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, ALL HANDS AND HEARTS: Yes. Good morning, Victor.

I think this is a -- it's a truly devastating event. When I think of from where we are in, we are at, at the moment, and from everything we are seeing, it's really a mix of it feels of a tsunami of water, the equivalent of seeing a Category Five hurricane and just seeing everything destroyed. It's really hard to explain as we have been here to see the level of mud and destruction across the buildings, and we are meeting people who have just simply lost everything. From tragically, people who have lost loved ones, and for others, they have lost their business, their livelihoods, their homes.

So much devastation here. This -- and this is just in the section that we are in, and obviously we are talking about 50 kilometers of river here. BLACKWELL: There is a shot in this B-roll that we are showing of a man kind of squatting down, looking over. And it is kind of that where do you start look after what happened on the 26th.

So, we know the government is handling the search and rescue. Talk to me about what your organization is doing.

BALL: Yes. So, I mean, at All Hands and Hearts, we are here now to immediately support. So, that for us is supporting search and rescue with equipment, with items, whatever they may need. And also, we are seeing here displaced people who are being brought to the area, and then placed into many different centers, so then, you are looking at food, sanitation, hygiene, equipment, clothes, napkins, diapers, anything on that side. So, really, it's trying to meet the immediate needs of everybody around.

And then, for us, this is just the start. We have been in Nepal since 2015. We have been building schools and homes since the earthquake there. So, our aim is to arrive early and help in any way we can, and then to stay. So, this will go on to emergency supplies, then, into looking at how we help people with transitional homes, looking at returning to their homes, looking at clean-up, which is going to be absolutely massive with the mud and devastation.

So, it's a long, long road to normality, and our role and our commitment here is to help the local communities, the local people, to be here as long as we can until we can try and recover from this devastation.

BLACKWELL: I spoke with a geoscientist last hour about this newly formed lake that some are concerned about overflowing and causing more flooding. He also said that if something additional near this glacier is dislodged, there could be more flooding.

What's your degree of concern that there might be another chapter of this, for your teams?

BALL: I mean, it's massive here. We had a team yesterday that was evacuated, and I think if we think about it from our teams, we are relatively safe. We have the time to get away. I think for the people who are trying to return to their homes, who are trying to collect everything they have, that their lives are down by this river.

So, we were evacuated yesterday. Last night we had somebody coming through giving a warning again. So, there are constant warnings around the evacuation.

I just think it's for the people who have lost everything. The need to go back to try and see what they can find to search for loved ones. The risk is there, and I think, hopefully they will be warmed in time if the river does go again, and they can keep themselves safe.

BLACKWELL: Mike Ball, with all hands and hearts, thank you so much for your time, and thank you for the work you are doing.

Now, you watching. If you want to help these devastated communities in Nepal and China, you certainly can.

Just scan the Q.R. code at the bottom of your screen. No donation is too small. You can also text the word, FLOOD to 707070 to donate.

For the second time this month, air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport experienced some difficulty communicating with the president's helicopter.

Earlier this month, the communication lapse between Marine One and controllers led to a close call when the president's chopper came dangerously close to a passenger jet that had just taken off. On Thursday, there was another failure to communicate.

CNN's Pete Muntean, walks us through what happened.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: That air traffic control audio lays out that communication problems between the tower at Reagan National Airport and the president's helicopter have not been fixed.

The very same scenario on August 4th triggered Marine One getting too close to a departed commercial flight, and led to an investigation by the NTSB.

[07:35:02]

Good radio communication is key. Ever since last year's tragic midair collision of an army helicopter and landing commercial flight that killed 67 people, Marine One usually radios the control tower at Reagan National Airport to stop departing flights just before lifting off from the White House.

And here is more of that new air traffic control audio, in which the pilots of Marine One spend about four minutes trying to reach the tower to no avail, and the air traffic controller in the tower must ultimately rely on other helicopters flying nearby to relay the message. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do me a favor. I can't hear Marine One. If you hear a Marine One, can you let me know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Affirm, we have positive calls with Marine One.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Marine One, are you trying to reach me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Affirm, National Tower. Marine One, proceeding as brief with momentary delay.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Marine One, roger, there is a helicopter traffic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: The FAA, in a new statement, clearly referring to that relay maneuver, saying the usual three minutes to liftoff notification was "communicated" by alternate means. The FAA also insists it responded to the previous incident by relocating radio antennas. But this is maybe the most interesting part. The National Transportation Safety Board said during the first incident, Marine One was lifting off from a different location at the White House due to the construction taking place there, and that may have hampered radio reception.

Now, following this new incident, the White House released a statement saying it will work with all agencies to make sure the president is safe. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: All right, Pete. Thank you so much.

New video shows a plane crashing into the water on a popular beach in Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Look at this. The video shows the banner plane as it hits the water. You saw that big splash there, flipped over. The pilot was the only person on board. They did not appear to have any life- threatening injuries.

And so far, it's unclear what caused that crash. The FAA and the NTSB, they are handling the investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Still ahead, a fake football player is accused of using dating apps and social media to scam dozens of women out of more than a million dollars. We will hear from one of the women who says she nearly fell for that scheme.

Also, if you're heading out, remember you can stream our show from anywhere in the U.S. right now from the CNN app, or go to cnn.com/watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:41:56]

A man accused of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player is charged now with swindling dozens of women out of more than a million dollars in this alleged romance investment scheme.

Federal prosecutors say Daejon Love used this Instagram profile to lure in and convince women of wealth and fame that he did not have.

One image on Love's profile shows him with a 49ers headband while sitting in the seat of a car with a Lamborghini logo. I don't know if it's a Lamborghini, but there is a logo on the headrest.

Prosecutors say many of Love's victims believe they were in a relationship with him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DOMINIQUE DUBOSE, TARGETED BY ACCUSED 49ers Scammer: I believe that he played a good role. He played a good part, and he knew how to play each woman and each woman's weakness to the best of his ability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Another man who posed as an investment advisor is also charged in that case.

A potential legal loophole is opening a window for teenagers to place big money bets in America's booming prediction market economy. Now, more than 40 states across the country are pushing back.

CNN's Marshall Cohen explains.

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: $5 billion. That is the estimate for the trading volume on Kalshi from users 18, 19, and 20. And I'll tell you why that is such an important cohort. It's because most people don't realize that prediction markets aren't treated as gambling under the law as it stands right now. They are treated more like the stock market and other financial markets that are 18 plus, while sportsbooks and casinos in most states are 21 plus.

Critics call that a loophole. Public health experts have spoken out about this and said that they believe it puts younger adults at risk for addiction and to take riskier behaviors that could lose them their money.

So, here are the numbers: $5.4 billion in estimated trading volume this year so far on Kalshi for these 18 to 21 users, and $4 billion of that is from sports and parlays, which are incredibly popular with sports.

And everyone I spoke to has said that is going to explode in the coming weeks and months because the NFL season is right around the corner.

So, for its part, Kalshi insists that it takes this very seriously and that it is always looking out for its younger users. They say that they have safeguards that they impose voluntarily on the platform to make sure that those traders are protected. Things like deposit limits and warnings on the app, if the system identifies problematic trading patterns.

Kalshi also donated $2 million to a group that combats addiction on gambling and trading platforms.

However, the states just are not buying it. Look at this map. 44 states across the country have banded together to push for more regulation in these prediction markets.

[07:45:04]

Like I said, they are currently regulated by the federal government, and that means they are 18 plus. The states want this to be treated like gambling, like casinos, subject to state laws, state taxes, and that would be 21 plus. And these are blue states, red states, battleground states. It really spans the entire political landscape.

By the way, CNN has a partnership with Kalshi. We use its data to cover some major events, but editorial employees like myself and others are not allowed to use prediction sites. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: All right. Marshall Cohen, thank you very much.

Still ahead, it's the day that football fans are waiting for the start of the college football season. Andy Scholes has your sports.

Also, watch the final episode of "DECADES IN SPORTS", tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CNN and next day on the CNN app.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:50:22]

BLACKWELL: President Trump signed an executive order Friday to create a U.S. Space Academy. The president wants the academy to attract, train, and graduate the very best of our nation. The graduates moving on to serve in the Space Force, NASA, and the civilian space flight industry.

A former White House teleprompter operator has been ordered to pay $172,000 for allegedly using insider information to make bets on Kalshi. The statement also banned Gabriel Perez from trading for three years. He reportedly used his position to make bets on what President Trump would say in his speeches.

Walmart is paying $50 million to settle claims that it pharmacies -- its pharmacies, contributed to the country's opioid epidemic. The government attorneys first alleged in 2020 that the retail giant failed to detect and report suspicious orders to the DEA or the Justice Department.

It says that some Walmart workers reportedly had questionable transactions but were ignored.

College football season is set to kick off today with games all day, but still not clear who is eligible to play.

CNN Sports Anchor Andy Scholes is with me now. Have we seen something like this before?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Never seen anything like this, Victor.

It was another day, another temporary restraining order. Seems like you get one of this every single day now. But a Louisiana judge signed a temporary order yesterday saying the SEC and Commissioner Greg Sankey are not allowed to punish a school if they play a player who returns from the pros. Now, this comes after the SEC, along with the Big 10, Big 12, and ACC, all announced they were banning pro players from returning to college. And just to catch you up, this all stems from a Colorado judge back in July, signing an order that allowed all Division One athletes who began their careers in 2022 to get a fifth year of eligibility.

By then, though, a bunch of players had already left college, thinking they had exhausted all their chances to play. So, now, many are suing to try to get back in.

Every day, new wrinkle to this. It's going to be very interesting over the next two weeks as players get cut from NFL training camps and want to go back into college.

All right. In the meantime, though, the season is really going to kick off today in Dublin, Ireland. Bill Belichick in North Carolina set to take on TCU. Last year, the Horned Frogs blew out the Tar Heels in Belichick's UNC debut.

You got games all day long in this first Saturday of college football. TCU and UNC going to kick things off at noon Eastern. Fourth-ranked USC takes on San Jose State at 3:00. And then, tonight you got Florida State playing New Mexico State at 7:00.

All right. Now, we had a wild finish at the FCS level last night between Villanova and William & Mary.

The Wildcats were up 32 to 22 with under a minute left. The tribe kicked a field goal to make it a seven-point game. Then, they get this onside kick, and then two plays later, Winston Watkins back to pass. He is going to find Kai Austin for a 37-yard touchdown. Villanova just stunned as William & Mary tied it sat 32 with 22 seconds left.

But this game did not go to overtime. Wildcats quarterback Pat McQuaide picked off Kai Dallas (PH) brings it back to the Wildcats' 28-yard line with five seconds left. And then Max Lipinski buries a 45-yard field goal to win it as time expires.

An incredible comeback for William & Mary as they get the win, 35 to 32.

All right. Baseball, meanwhile, Tarik Skubal making his return to Detroit last night after being traded to the Dodgers last month. The two-time reigning Cy Young, award winner wiping away tears. They played a tribute video for him before the game.

Skubal getting a lot of tears from Tigers fans. Got a little -- got some booze as well. But he was typical Skubal. Gave up one run in six innings while striking out seven. The Dodgers defeat the Tigers in that one by a final 2-1.

In the WNBA, meanwhile, Caitlin Clark just continues to dominate. She poured in 34 points last night against the Sun.

Her teammate Kelsey Mitchell, she also scored 34 points in this one. It was the first time in WNBA history the same teammate scored at least 30 in consecutive games. And Clark also had 12 assists. She is the first WNBA player ever to have 30 plus points and 10 plus assists in consecutive games as well.

Fieber won big over the sun in that one, 111 to 91.

And Victor, it seems like every week now, I'm saying, first time in WNBA history. Caitlin Clark's name is attached to it. I mean, she is having one heck of a second half of the season right now.

BLACKWELL: Making history. Andy Scholes, thanks so much.

All right. "FIRST OF ALL", is coming up at the top of the hour. I'll speak to the son of an American man missing after the devastating flooding on the border of Nepal in China. He is asking the government for any information on the search for his father and the hiking group he was with.

[07:55:04]

Plus, a minority business owner in New York City joins us to talk about why he and other immigrant store owners are supporting a lawsuit against the mayor's plan to create these city-run grocery stores.

And look at this: Do you find this painting very woke, esthetically terrifying?

Well, a Trump administration official says she does. So, now, wait until you hear what the state department wants to do with this work of art, which has been on display at a U.S. embassy.

Those stories and conversations, you know, you are not going to see anywhere else, are coming up after a short break on "FIRST OF ALL".

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