goli, taste your goals. right now on "early start," we begin with breaking news. the u.s. secretary of state on the ground in the ukraine warzone. we'll take you live to kyiv. plus the court hearing just

hours from now that could determine how quickly the fulton county election subversion case moves forward. and mitch mcconnell meeting today with republicans behind closed doors. what will he say about his health after freezing in front of cameras twice this summer. to those of you in the united states and around the world, we welcome you to "early start." i'm david culver. secretary of state antony blinken just arriving in kyiv for a previously unannounced visit to ukraine. this is his third time visiting the ukrainian capital since the russian invasion. and you are looking at pictures from a previous trip. kyiv we should remind you is still very much an active warzone this morning. and in fact just hours before the secretary arrived, ukraine says it fended off a russian missile attack on the city. let's get you live to melissa bell, she is on the ground in

kyiv. what exactly do we know about the secretary's visit and what he plans to do there? >> reporter: this is a visit that comes at a critical time in ukraine's counteroffensive. what we understand is that sect blinken is here to hear from the oo ukrainian themselves how the counteroffensive has been goingm the ukrainian themselves how the counteroffensive has been going. american assessment is impressive gains have been made, but he is here to hear from ukrainians themselves. and this of course is also coming as it does less than a month after president biden asked congress for an extra $24 billion in aid for ukraine, about finding out what is needed and taking the message of what is happening here back to the american people to convince them at a time when polls are showing that that support for american funding of this war is softening. it is also of course -- this

also comes as you say, david, at a critical time more broadly for the country. we saw in kyiv this morning a series of ballistic missile attack, cruise missile attacks as well, all dependsed off by ukraine's air defense system. but still some of the debris causing damage here in the oourkioourk i ukrainian capital. so is this is at a critical tim and it is about hearing what ukraine has to say about its ongoing fight against corruption and more broadly -- the video of the damage, sorry, that shows some of the damage being done at the ukrainian capital, but this who just laid a wreath at a military cemetery to remind everyone and to pay tribute to all of those who lost their lives. this is also about taking back the ukrainian message that they will be carrying to the united nations later this month about how they see this war going forward, the need to hold together this alliance of some

50 countries and we're now 19 months into a war that the entire world not least the ukrainians are getting extremely tired of. >> and just incredibly frightening to think of what was happening there and now the secretary on the ground. so clearly security concern and of course timing with the u.n. general assembly here in new york as you point out, that of course will be an effort to sustain the global support. really appreciate the report. stay safe. back here in the u.s., a hearing set for today in the fulton county, georgia election subversion case. on the agenda, trial scheduling and motions by pro trump lawyers kenneth cheesebro and sydney powell who want to sever their cases from those of trump and the other 16 defendants. powell and chesebro want faster trials. trump wants his delayed. fulton county prosecutor fani willis want all 19 to be tried together. paula reid breaks down the latest developments.

>> reporter: all of the 19 defendants charged in the georgia election interference case, including former president trump, have now entered pleas of not guilty. >> we did nothing wrong. i did nothing wrong. >> reporter: tuesday former white house chief of staff mark meadows along with six other defendants all pleaded not guilty and waived their right to an arraignment in fulton county, georgia. this as cnn has learned that special counsel jack smith is widening his federal investigation. >> our investigation of other individuals continues. >> reporter: focusing on fundraising and efforts to breach voting equipment raising the possibility of additional charges after the special counsel indicted trump last month. >> since the attack on our capitol, the department of justice has remained committed to ensuring accountability for those criminally responsible for what happened that day. this case is brought consistent with that commitment.

>> reporter: in recent weeks investigators have asked multiple witnesses about former trump 2020 election lawyer sydney powell. >> we have evidence of different numbers of votes being in-jeblgsed into the system. >> reporter: she was identified as a co-conspirator in the federal indictment and faces criminal charges in georgia for allegedly helping to coordinate and fund a multistate plot to illegally access voting systems after the election. >> there should never be another election conducted in this country, i don't care if it is for local dog catcher, using dominion machine. >> reporter: witnesses have been asked about whether powell was able to provide any evidence of her conspiracy theories and about powell's nonprofit, defending the republic, which raised money off election lies. according to invoices obtained by cnn, defending the republic hired forensic firms that ultimately accessed voting equipment in four swing states won by biden. georgia, pennsylvania, michigan

and arizona. it is unclear if powell or anyone else will be charged in the special counsel's investigation. a grand jury that smith is currently using here in d.c. expires on september 15th. but it can be extended. paula reid, cnn, washington. coming up here, mitch mcconnell set to address his health, that will happen in a closed door meeting today. plus alex murdaugh's lawyers pushing for a new trial claiming a court clerk messed the first one up. and a thirsty bear busts into a mini fridge and chugs three white claws. sounds like a setup of some sort of joke except for it is real and on video. we'll explain how it went down.

think hairspray's stuck in o dimension? think again. flex any style... with hairspray that flexewith you. new tresemmé hairspray. at pnc bank, you can find us in big cities and small towns across the us,

where our focus is to always support the people who live and work there. because you call these communities home, and we do too. pnc bank. rsv is in for a surprise. meet arexvy. ( ♪ ) the first fda-approved rsv vaccine. arexvy is used to prevent lower respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can severely affect the lungs and lower airways. arexvy is proven to be over 82% effective in preventing lower respiratory disease from rsv and over 94% effective in those with these health conditions. ( ♪ ) arexvy does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients. those with weakened immune systems may have a lower response to the vaccine. the most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain.

rsv can be serious. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about arexvy today. rsv? make it arexvy. my brain. so i choose new neuriva ultra. unlike some others, it supports 7 brain health indicators, including mental alertness from one serving. to help keep me sharp. try new neuriva ultra. think bigger. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health versus 16 grams in ensure® high protein. boost® high protein. now available in cinnabon® bakery-inspired flavor. learn more at boost.com/tv (psst psst) ahhhh... with flonase, allergies don't have to be scary. spray flonase sensimist daily for non-drowsy, long lasting relief in a scent-free, gentle mist. (psst psst) flonase. all good. [music plays] if your instinct is to help. ♪

then clearly you care. ♪ you have what it takes to be a care professional. home instead. apply now. being middle class right now, it's tough making ends meet for sure. republicans in congress say if we just cut taxes even more for the biggest corporations the money will eventually someday trickle trickle down to you. right. joe biden would rather just stop those corporations from charging so damn much. capping the cost of drugs like insulin. cracking down on surprise medical bills and all those crazy junk fees. there's more work to do. tell the president to keep lowering costs for middle class families. okay everyone, our mission is complete balanced nutrition. together we provide nutrients to support immune,

muscle, bone, and heart health. yaaay! woo hoo! ensure with 25 vitamins and minerals and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. ♪ later today mitch mcconnell is expected to address his recent health scares in a closed door meeting with republican senators. mcconnell froze in front of cameras last week for the second time this summer. the attending physician released a new letter addressed to mcconnell and it says that there is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, tia or movement disorder such as parkinson's disease. tia refers to a mini stroke. here is mcconnell on the senate floor tuesday briefly mentioning the recent incident albeit in-doci

indi indirectly. >> one particular moment of my time back home has received its fair share of attention in the press over the past week, but i assure you august was a busy is and productive month for me and my staff back in the commonwealth. >> still though there are some questions and concerns among republicans. >> there is going to be a lot of things that leader will have to really be on top of and can he do it. i mean, it is like being a quarterback. i hope he can. >> but you don't know if he can do it. >> no, i mean, i'm anxious to hear tomorrow him talk and -- but you know, i've seen him, he struggled. we all would have. if you fall and hit your head and have a bad concussion, i've seen kids in my profession of football really struggle for a long time after a concussion. that is a reason that you don't play them after that. they don't go back into the game until you are completely well. it is obvious he is not completely well. >> let's bring in political

analyst and washington bureau chief for the "boston globe" jackie compa jackie kucinich. how do you think republicans feel about mcconnell's health right now? >> you are hearing some concern, some republicans speaking out. but i think by and large mcconnell made some calls after the first time when this initially happened, he made calls to his leadership team, to other senate republicans, trying to assure them of his health, and i think that that is why you have seen not one but two letters from the capitol physician released to the public he made the comments on the senate floor yesterday really to assure them that he is in fact fine and we'll see what happens during this meeting. but you are not seeing anyone challenge his authority. you are seeing some, particularly those who aren't mcconnell's biggest fans, his

r rival, raising concerns. but those on his leadership team really have his back and i think the vast majority of senate republicans have stood up for him during this time. but i think that we'll all be watching what he says to his colleagues this even aafternoon looking for a readout of that meeting. >> and i want to get your take on new cnn polling that came out yesterday. unsurprisingly trump has maintained his lead over the rest of the gop field. polls also asked about the charges against trump. the views split heavily along party lines. we look at how strong he is polling and it is quite significant. what motivation if any does the trump campaign have to do more than just keeping the course? it feels like he is keeping traction without any need for any strategy shift. >> i don't think that they are shifting their strategy. every time there has been one of these indictment, they used it

to raise money and galvanize their support. and it seems to be working. this is a national poll, which is not particularly in a republican primary how things are done. they are done state by state. but this is not that far afield from what we've seen in places like iowa and new hampshire. he really is far ahead of any of his competitors. and i think that you need to look no further than those competitors when you think about whether or not he is popular among the gop base. because most of them, with the exception of chris christie and asa hutchinson, aren't really taking trump on at this point. we'll see if their strategy shifts because they want to rise in the polls and if that will work for them. >> jackie kucinich, thank you for the political insight. appreciate your time. just ahead, opening statements set to begin in the trial of former trump aid peter navarro. plus climate change and a deadly disease.

>>s s as temperatures warm, scientists are concerned about malaria breeeeding in new place. . here, i'll take that! woohoo! ensure max protein, 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar. enenter the $10,000 powered by protein max challenge. ♪ ♪ the virus th causes shingles is sleeping... in 99% of people over 50. it's lying dormant, waiting... and could reactivate. shingles strikes as a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. and it could wake at any time. think you're not at risk for shingles? it's time to wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist

about shingles prevention. at pnc bank, you can find us in big cities and small towns across the us, where our focus is to always support the people who live and work there. because you call these communities home, and we do too. pnc bank. the best advice i ever got was to invest with vanguard for my retirement. the second best? stay healthy enough to enjoy it. so i started preparing physically and financially. then you came along and made every mile worth it. hi mom. at vanguard you're more than just an investor, you're an owner. helping you prepare for today's longer retirement.

that's the value of ownership. icy hot. ice works fast. ♪ heat makes it last. feel the power of contrast therapy. ♪ so you can rise from pain. icy hot.

a report released by u.n. and european union climate agencies just in the last hour says the summer of 2023 was by far the hottest summer on record for planet earth. rising temperatures are having sdifri differing effects. and in africa, global warming is leading to the spread of malaria. larry madowo is in my rnairobi.

what is the connection between these rising temperatures and malaria outbreaks? >> reporter: david, simple connection is that warmer temperatures mean more mosquitos in more places and that should concern everybody around the world. there is already mounting evidence about increased malaria incidences related to rainfall and humidity and temperatures, but we're seeing now mosquitos this places that previously didn't have malaria, we're seeing mosquitos moving from asia for instance to sub saharan africa. and 96% of people that die in fr malaria are here in africa, these are some of the people affected by the mosquito-borne disease. mary and both her sons are in hospital for malaria. 4-year-old mark says he is doing better and so is his big brother joseph who is 12. they keep getting malaria mary says and she can barely afford the treatment. there are malaria has hit my family hard.

in a month i use about $35 on drugs and the following month one of them falls sick again. >> reporter: mary lives in western kenya, a hot region where residents have an especially high risk of malaria. more than 10,000 people die each year from the mosquito-borne disease in this east african nation. but kids are especially vulnerable. researchers are collecting mosquitos here to study how they are evolving. rising temperatures let them grow faster and live longer. why do you collect mosquitos here specifically? >> there are mosquito density here very high. >> reporter: they are tracking the full lifecycle of mosquitos to get ahead of this tiny insect but it does even more damage. this is a typical high made hair i can't zone. it is hot and humid, swampy.hai i can't zone. it is hot and humid, swampy. a lot of water where people live. but as temperatures warm, scientists are concerned about malaria causes mosquitos

breeding in new places. >> mosquitos are the deadliest animals on earth. >> reporter: and this one has made it her life's work to neutralize the insect that causes malaria after her brother died of the disease. her team of scientists at kenya's largest research institute are studying to guide the response to malaria and how to beat it. are we any closer to eradicating malaria? >> we were, about you with the change of now climate, we're seeing more mosquitos than there were before. we're seeing new species. we're seeing it go into places where we didn't expect before. and then we're taken back to zero. >> reporter: climate change is helping mosquitos responsible for transmitting malaria reach colder parts of the continent. scientists at georgetown university medical center found drawing on data going back 120 years, but heat is also helping mosquitos live longer and to become infectious sooner

worrying public health officials. are you concerned about a resurgence of malaria in your work across the continent? >> we are concerned that areas that had no are now having malaria and now the public health system is not prepared. >> reporter: malaria is having devastating effects on more people suffering from serious cases. and this man was sick for nearly three months. it was very serious. >> very, very serious. >> reporter: were you afraid that you could die? >> of course yes. because by the time i reached the hospital, i couldn't manage to move my head. >> reporter: 96% of people who die from malaria are in africa. the world health organization says that as the continent warms faster than the rest of the world, malaria persists and experts warn that it risks spreading as a global threat. >> what is happening in africa will be seen elsewhere because with a warming climate, with the

changing temperatures, malaria mosquitos are migrating toduciv. >> reporter: malaria is one of the most climate sensitive diseases and one of the topics here at the first africa climate summit has been about the nexus between health and climate change and for instance mobility. people moving because their homes are unlivable are crossing into europe. and this could be a global threat. people travel all around the world and as long akg as malari not eradicated here, it could be a problem everywhere. >> and as you point out, it is an unfair burden that the african continent is dealing with. we appreciate that report. thank, larry. this morning police are

trying to stress an escaped killer in pennsylvania hoping he makes a mistake as their manhunt enters a seventh day. and florida mingos flying to tex texas, kentucky and even higigh. we'll explain why. easy-to-use tools anand paper trading to help sharpen your skills, you can stay on top of thehe market from wherever you are. e*trade from morgan stanley. power e*trade's easy-to-use tools make complex trading less complicated. custom scans help you find new trading opportunities, while an earnings tool helps you plan your trades and stay on top of the market. e*trade from morgan stanley.

at pnc bank, you can find us in big cities and small towns across the us, where our focus is to always support the people who live and work there. because you call these communities home, and we do too. pnc bank. with 30 grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks!

uuuhhhh... here, i'll take that! woohoo! ensure max protein, 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar. enter the $10,000 powered by protein max challenge. ♪ ♪ works hard at hour one and twice as hard when you take it again the next day. so betty can be the... barcode beat conductor. let's be more than our allergies! and for fast, allergy relief with a powerful decongestant, try zyrtec-d. i'm not just accomplished. i am accomplishing. so i'm doing all i can to help lower my risk

of breaking a bone. for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture taking calcium and vitamin d may not be enough. adding prolia® is proven to help strengthen bones and reduce spine fracture risk by 68% with 1 shot every 6 months. do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions like low blood pressure, trouble breathing, throat tightness, face, lip or tongue swelling, rash, itching or hives have happened. tell your doctor about dental problems as severe jaw bone problems may happen with prolia®, or about pain in your hip, groin, or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. talk to your doctor before stopping, skipping, or delaying prolia®, as spine and other fractures have occurred. serious side effects, like low blood calcium, serious infections which could need hospitalization, skin problems, and severe bone, joint, or muscle pain have occurred. i have so much more to accomplish. talk to your doctor about prolia®. [it's the final game, folks. this one wins the series.] struck out with the cheap seats? important things aren't worth compromising.

at farmers, we offer both quality insurance and great savings. (crowd cheers) here, take mine. (farmers mnemonic) here is today's fast forward look ahead. minority leader mitch mcconnell will address his health in a closed door meeting with gop senators today. he has frozen up twice while talking to reporters in two months. opening statements begin today in peter navarro's contempt of congress case. prosecutors will call three witnesses and the defense will call just one. a hearing set in a georgia election interference case today. fulton county judge scott mcafee will address questions about trial scheduling and possibly splitting up the case. it is set to be a big day in atlanta. and there is a lot to digest.

so let's bring in areva martin. thanks for being with us. so scheduling going to be the focus today which sounds pretty routine, but it has a lot of implications in this case in particular because you've got certain defendants like trump seeking separate trials. how do you see this playing out? >> yeah, this is a big day in the fulton county court because you have the judge asking the prosecutor fani willis to tell the court how many days she expects this trial to last, how many witnesses she expects to call. and if she continues to assert that she wants to try all 19 of these defendants together. we know five or six of the defendants have asked for their cases to be removed to federal court. some have asked for their cases to be severed from the rest of the defendants. and some of the defendants have even asked for a speedy trial. so you have these 19 defendants all of which, or at least some

of them have already indicated a preference to have their cases either removed to federal court, have them tried on a different calendar, or to have them severed from the rest of the defendants. so this is going to be a big day as the judge tries to make sense of how to move forward with the scheduling of this case. >> and trump's former lawyer and fixer michael cohen spoke with abby phillips last night. and i want you to listen to this, he had this recommendation for those indicted in the georgia case. >> my recommendation for them would be speak now because as soon as the guy next to you or the woman next to you starts speaking and spilling the beans, your information is not as important, it is not at significant. so the person really who starts to speak first is the one that will get the benefit. >> so you hear his recommendation there. i guess the question with so much co-defendant, do you think it is likely that some are already trying to think of

different ways to cut deals? >> undoubtedly so. when you have a case with this many defendants primarily so many what we call low level defendants, it is not uncommon for some of them to start seeking some kind of plea deals to try to separate themselves from the individual that is in this case donald trump who is alleged to be the ringleader. we see this happening, many of these defendants are already pointing the finger at donald trump saying that he is responsible for what happened. jenna ellis for example, one of the lawyers that has been indicted, she has been very vocal about this case. she is even supporting ron desantis, has made statements about supporting him who we know is trump's rival in the presidential nomination campaign happening now. so i would not be surprised that we didn't see many of these defendants try to get plea deals before this case actually moves into the trial phase. >> and while we have you, i want

to switch to the federal 2020 election subversion case. and you have special counsel jack smith who says that trump has made, quote, daily extra judicial statements that threaten to prejudice the jury. does this essentially draw a legal line in the sand when it comes to trump expressing his opinions on the case? >> we know that this judge, judge chutkan, in the d.c. federal court has said that she set this trial, the federal trial, involving the case where trump trying to overcome the 2020 election, they set it in march because she had concerns about trump's completed statements, attacks on the judiciary, attacks on the prosecutor, attacks that she believed could have a negative impact on the jury, make it difficult to have an impartial jury for this case. i think this judge is listening to the prosecutor, she is listening to the repeated comments made by trump on a daily basis and i would not be surprised if this judge didn't

take some more aggressive and immediate action with respect to trump 's conduct. this judge has made it clear she will not tolerate the kind of conduct trump has engaged injud will not tolerate the kind of conduct trump has engaged in with his daily attacks on herself, the court and the prosecution. jack smith in this case has made it clear that he is going to call out or his office is going to call out trump's conduct. so i think that we should look closely at this because this might be the case where a judge enters some kind of contempt order against donald trump if he continues to engage in the kind of conduct that he has been engaging in with respect to attacking the judiciary. >> i guess if that order goes ahead, we'll see how president trump responds if at all. i want to get you on this case as well because it has gotten an increasing amount of attention and a lot of folks are following it closely, the developments with alex murdaugh. this is the south carolina man

convicted earlier this year of murdering his wife and son. his lawyers filed a motion seeking a new trial. what they are alleging is that there was jury tampering by a county clerk. so what do you think the chances of a retrial happening are? >> these are shocking allegations. and again, this is not a clerk that, worked for the judge, this is a clerk that was elected by the people in this particular county in south carolina. so this is an elected official and the allegations are that this elected official engaged in essentially jury tampering. that she had inappropriate conversations with the jury foreperson, that she gave instructions to the jury that could have led this jury to come back in just three hours with respect to its deliberations. and that she did this conduct -- that she engaged in this conduct for the sole purpose of writing a book about the trial. so i don't think that the state's attorney general that is now considering these motions

will be able to dismiss the allegations made in the motions by murdaugh's attorney. primarily because there are two or three affidavits signed by jurors attesting to this conduct by the clerk. so this is really shocking development in this case and could result not only in a new trial for alex murdaugh, but also potential criminal charges against this clerk. >> areva martin up early, up late, however you look at it from l.a., we really appreciate your time and legal insight this morning. have a good one. >> thank you, david. staying on the legal theme here, a lawyer for ex-proud boys leader enrique tarrio signalsing that he plans to appeal 292 year federal prison sentence, by far the longest for any defendant in the january 6 attacks. the judge called the former

proud boys chairman the ultimate organizer of the attacks who has not shown, quote, any remorse. tarrio hung his head as sentencing was handed down on tuesday and his lawyer said that the court's decision caught them off guard. >> the sentence we respectfully disagree and there will be a day and a time fwhere an appeal wil come and we expect that to come soon. >> tarrio was not at the capitol on the day of the attacks. he had been arrested days earlier and banned from entering washington, d.c. we'll get to you this breaking news this morning. secretary of state antony blinken seen here, this is new video just coming into cnn on the ground in kyiv where the secretary has just arrived for an unannounced visit to ukraine. kyiv we should remind you is an active warzone. proof of that was overnight as ukraine says it blocked russian cruise and ballistic missile

attacks on the capital and that happened just hours before the sec secretary arrived. salma abdelaziz is following this. the secretary is there to hear the latest obviously on the counteroffensive. what is he likely to be listening in on and what is he likely do as he is making this visit? >> reporter: absolutely. and he will be meeting with president zelenskyy later on to get that battlefield update directly. you have seen and heard from ukrainian officials in recent days this big talk, talking up some gains particularly in the south. and that is exactly what the secretary of state will listen to, the major updates that ukraine has along the zap access primarily the win, the success of getting a small village. but ukraine's military says that this is significant because it has allowed ukrainian forces to pierce through the first line of defense, the first line of

russia defensive positions considered to be among the if not the most heavily fortified. the word i think that he will hear over and over again is consolidate, consolidate, consolidate. that is what ukraine says it is doing on the ground trying to expand and deepen those gains on the ground as it pushes further south. remember the ultimate goal here, the big prize here, is to push further south toward the black seacoast and ultimately disrupt or sever russia supply lines from the coast and from crimea. but ukraine is still very far from that goal and that is exactly why he is there on the ground expressing those concerns that the counteroffensive is going slowly. you will hear from president zelenskyy who will say to him, yes, but slow and steady wins the race. >> salma following this from london, we appreciate it. quick hits across america

now as we bring you back to this country, a federal court has blocked a newly drawn alabama congressional map because it did not create a second majority black district as the supreme court had ordered back in june. alabama officials say they will appeal the ruling. georgia's attorney general has indicted 61 activists on racketeering charges alleging the defendants are militant anarchists. this follows a year long protest against the construction of a police and firefighter training center in atlanta dubbed cop city. three legged bear known as tripod broke into a mini fridge on a florida property and had what looked like a party for one. he enjoyed some refreshments but ultimately scared away by of all things the owner's barking dog. coming up on "cnn this morning," minority leader mitch mcconnell addressing concerns about his health when he meets with republicans. that is later today. and next here, just because

former president trump is polling out front in the gop primary does not mean the race is over. we'll look at what some new hampshire voters say they are looking for in a candidate. >> i'm just waiting for someone to step up so i can feel comfortable voting for someone not againsnst someone. (vo) you were diagnosed with thyroid eye disease a long time ago. and year after year, you weatred the storm and just lived witthe damage that was left behind. but even after all this time your thyroid eye dease could still change. restoration is still possible. learn how you could give your eyes a fresh start at tedhelp.com.

at pnc bank, you can find us in big cities and small towns across the us, where our focus is to always support the people who live and work there. because you call these communities home, and we do too. pnc bank.

my brain. so i choose new neuriva ultra. unlike some others, it supports 7 brain health indicators, including mental alertness from one serving. to help keep me sharp. try new neuriva ultra. think bigger. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health versus 16 grams in ensure® high protein. boost® high protein. now available in cinnabon® bakery-inspired flavor. learn more at boost.com/tv

former vice president mike pence is in new hampshire today to deliver a speech warning republicans about the dangers of populism. while painting himself as the only classical conservative in the gop primary. even though former president trump leads the race as jeff zeleny shows us, many voters in this critical state say they are still weighing their options. >> to catch up to trump, it is a big climb. >> reporter: bob tilton has a front row seat to the presidential contest. he likes a few options but he loves former president trump. his wife crystal does not. >> i think that he has had his time and there was enough

controversy over it, it is time to move on. >> reporter: their disagreement brings to life a monumental divide inside the republican party. >> they were attacking him constantly. how could anybody do a good job? i mean, he did, but he was constantly attacked and it was all fake. >> reporter: here in new hampshire home to the first in the nation primprimary, a summee campaign has given way to a fall fight for survival in a race dominated by signs of trump's strength. chris sununu insists the contest is still competitive. you don't believe it is over? >> not even close. was it over when clinton was leading barack obama by 20 points at this point back in 2008? no one could beat the clinton machine, remember? no, not at all. >> reporter: sununu believes that trump will be unable to win back the white house for republicans. he points to the general election in new hampshire where in 2016 trump fell short to hillary clinton by fewer than 3,000 votes. but four years later he lost to joe biden by nearly 60,000.

a big reason he believes is independent voters turned away from trump. >> here in new hampshire i think that lot of independents will come out and vote in the republican primary. >> reporter: at a campaign stop for mike pence, larry introduced himself as one of those independents. >> i was a republican from the first day i could vote. many, many years later i went independent. >> reporter: he later told us that he is looking for a candidate who can turn the page from trump. >> i'm just waiting for someone to step up so i can feel comfortable votes for someone not against someone. are the ar >> reporter: chris christie is staking his candidacy entirely on new hampshire. >> this state can get it rolling. >> reporter: and his challengers are also urging voters to keep their minds open. >> what did indepeiana jones sa? never tell me the odds. >> reporter: lynn came russell

is sizing up the field in hopes of finding a fresh face. >> i want someone that is younger. >> trump is not your first choice? >> he is not. i like -- i think everything was great when he was here, but there is so much baggage with him and people will vote for biden just because they don't want trump and we don't need that again. >> reporter: trump looms large in this race, no question about that. but talking to so many republican voters here this week, they see the contest as far more than a one man race. they are still studying the candidates and listening to what soupd sounds good to them. nikki haley is holding events like this making the case where she believes there should be a new generation of leaders inside the party. the vote here in new hampshire comes right after iowa early next year. the question is what the race looks like then, not now. jeff zeleny, cnn, claremont, new hampshire. this morning a german man has been detained in florence, italy after allegedly damaging a

16th century statue of neptune. he breached a protective barrier, climbed the statue and posed for pictures. you are looking at surveillance video in which you can see the man climbing down. he broke off a piece of red marble attached to neptune's carriage. the city estimates that the damage there is about 5 thousand euros. here is something you don't see every day. flamingos in ohio. since hurricane idalia, an unprecedented number of sightings have been reported in unusual places including ohio, texas, kentucky and more. the birds are native to florida but scientists think that they were flying between cuba and the yucatan and got diverted by the storm. officials are asking folks give them space, flamingos fly thousands of miles over open waters so they should have no trouble getting back home once it is too cold. president biden awarding the

nation's heighest waed medal of honor to larry taylor tuesday. the ceremony biden told the story of in 1968, taylor risked his life to save fellow soldiers caught in a firefight. >> he learned that any attempt to save the men had been called off. rescue helicopter was not coming. instead, lieutenant taylor received a direct order, return to base. his response was just as direct. i'm getting my men out. i'm getting my men out. >> the president went to sprain that taylor decided to extract the four men team using his two-man cobra helicopter, something that had they have been attempted before. taylor says 90% of flying a helicopter in vietnam was making it up as you go along. but he also says it must have worked because they never lost a man. unseeded american ben shelton on to the u.s. open

semifinals after pulling off another upset. andy scholes has the "bleacher report." >> good morning, david. ben shelton only 20 years old, he won the men's singles national title of florida just last year before turning pro. and shelton hands down the biggest american rising star we've got right now in men's tennis. his dad brian a former pro, he was a florida gators men's tennis coach. and he is watching his son battle tiafoe last night. the two splitting the first two sets. that third set goes to a tiebreak and shelton with the incredible return there to save set point. and that was big as he would end up winning the set. this is what he said about that amazing return afterwards. >> sometimes you got to shut off the brain, close your eyes and

just swing. maybe it was a little bit of that down set point, but ended up working out. some may say clutch, but i don't know about all that. >> shelton would end up winning in four sets to become the youngest american man to make it to the u.s. open semifinals since 1992. waiting for him in that semifinal match will be none other than novak djokovic, the 23 time grand slam champ easily beating taylor fritz in three sets yesterday. after the match the joker celebrated by leading the crowd there in new york with a little court side karaoke. >> okay, everybody ready? ♪ you got to fight for your right to party ♪ >> they have been playing that earlier in the match. so on the women's side, coco gauff cruising into his first ever u.s. open semifinals and it

only on took the 19-year-old 68 minutes to win. gauff the first american teen to make it to the semis since se serena williams back in 2001. new york liberty star breanna stewart meanwhile setting a new wnba record for most points scored in a single season, she scored 40 points in last night's win against the wings to give her 885 for the season. that is 25 more than the record in 2006. stewart still has two regular season games to add to that mark. and altuve is on an incredible run. the astros second baseman hitting a home run in the first inning last night and then another in the second and then another in the third. and this all comes after he hit two home runs on monday. so over the last seven innings of ball for the astro, altuve

has five home runs. no other player in baseball history has ever done that. altuve homering in four straight at bats as well. astros ended upbeating the rangers 14-1 now in first place for sole possession of first place for the first time this season in the a.l. west. >> still love that djokovic singing along. thanks for joining us. i'm david culver. "cnn this morning" up next with special counsel jack smith accusing former president trump of making daily statements that threaten to prejudice the jury. how it affects the status of the 2020 election interference case, that is ahead.

okay everyone, our mission is compte balanced nutrition. together we provide nutrient to support immune, muscle, bone, and heart health. yaaay! woo hoo! ensure with 25 vitamins and minerals and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. ♪ at pnc bank, you can find us in big cities and small towns across the us, where our focus is to always support the people who live and work there. because you call these communities home, and we do too. pnc bank.