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> what we saw was likely the largest natural disaster in hawaii's state history. >> deadl">
the world. i'm kim brunhuber, ahead on "cnn newsroom." >> what we saw was likely the largest natural disaster in hawaii's state history. >> deadly wildfires tear through maui. entire neighborhoods wiped out. we write you the harrowing stories of those who escaped the fast-moving flames. plus, the big event that has them racing to see the iowa fair. in zaporizhzhia, as president biden asks congress for more assistance for ukraine. we'll have the live report from the latest. >> live from cnn center, this is "cnn newsroom" with kim brunhuber. >> tremendous devastation, a sense of deep loss and a scramble to save whatever can still be saved. that's all happening on the hawaiian island of maui, where 53 people have been killed by wildfires described as apocalyptic. the death toll is likely to go even higher as emergency crews sift through countless properties, now in ashes. the wildfire is now the second deadliest in the u.s. in a century, and the governor says it's likely the largest natural disaster ever in hawaiian history. much of the historic town of lahaina has been destroyed. tens of thousands of people, tourists and locals have been evacuated from the island. >> it looks like a war zone out there. it really looks like somebody came along and bombed the whole town. it's completely devastated. it's burned down to the ground. it's sad. >> the wildfire that tore through lahaina is now 80% contained. derek van dam shows us more of the damage and how authorities are responding. >> reporter: tonight, fires on the island of maui continuing to burn as new federal help is now being dispatched amid unprecedented widespread destruction. scenes like this becoming more common. businesses melted. historical sites gone. homes reduced to ash and smoke. hospitals are overwhelmed. officials say hundreds of families are displaced. >> everybody in our neighborhood lost everything. >> reporter: mark's home in lahaina is gone, as is much of the tourist destination and economic hub. steffel making a harrowing heartbreaking escape. >> we ran downstairs and grabbed the dogs and cats. and we lost the cat and the dog because of just confusion. and the fire just engulfed our house. >> reporter: officials say winds associated with hurricane dora helped fuel the fires. these before and after images near lahaina shores beach resort are staggering. same with this stretch of beach, where a number of buildings are simply gone. today president joe biden approving a disaster declaration for hawaii, providing federal financial assistance. and the pentagon now activating more than 100 national guardsmen to help in the response. >> anyone who has lost a loved one whose home has been damaged or destroyed is going to get help immediately. >> reporter: assistance meant to help maui county residents like lafina davis. >> everything that we own in all my 50 years of life is completely burn odd the ground. >> reporter: today residents and tourists alike finding refuge in a honolulu convention center. >> the gas station blew up at 3:00. and since then, we've just been trying to outrun a fire. >> reporter: as firefighters work to contain the deadly blaze, residents look at the monumental task ahead. >> it's not just a loss of our home, it's a loss of our entire community, our town that we've known it to be for generations. and it's completely devastating. we're shook to our core. >> reporter: derek van dam, cnn. >> my next guest was caught up in the lahaina fire but managed to escape. steven potter is on the line from maui's northern shore. thank you so much for being here with us. i understand you were sort of setting up your life there in hawaii when you were caught up in this fire. just describe what happened, what you saw. >> well, we were trying to go through front street to make it to the north side of the island to kawahui. but trees blocked the road and nobody was getting in or out. it was a horseshoe of fire. and the winds were pushing us, pushing it towards us, towards the ocean. and the only thing we could do is jump in the ocean and spend about eight hours there. and that's when the car started exploding. and it just became apocalyptic, like you had said. just pure tragedy. there is about 60 to 100 people in the water with me. and they kept on asking me, is this it? i kept telling them no, no, no. in the back of my head, i was thinking maybe. >> oh, my gosh. you describe a horseshoe of fire and cars exploding. were you injured in any of this? >> just speckled from the wind pushing ashes on me. i made it out pretty lucky. but then you would get the waves crashing your face into the rocks. yeah, it was just absolutely crazy. we lost a baby, in the evacuation. it got separated from its parents. and then it was lost in the two or three evacuations that we went through. i haven't heard anything about it getting reunited with its family. it was just pure tragedy. >> oh my george bush. and you literally thought you were going the lose your life? >> yeah. it got that bad. because being educated in smoke inhalation and car batteries and gasoline and fumes from thor into you, dashes, that's all we could breathe. there for about an hour, when the fires were at their peak, all that black smoke just being pushed down into you. and when you breathe in, it burned. just absolutely burned. even with a t-shirt over our heads. it was absolutely horrible. our eyes were swollen shut the next day, a lot of us. >> and you were one of the lucky ones. unfortunately, you know, more than 50 people didn't make it out of the fire. >> yeah. yeah. and that number is still going up. >> people compare -- i mean, we're seeing the pictures now. just utter devastation. i mean trying to picture how all this would be built back up. it looks like a ghost town. how long do you think it will take to get back on its feet? >> it's probably going to take years to rebuild it. i mean, with the cost of housing here and people being displaced with the housing market being tough to get into a place already. it's, you know, it's going to take a long time. the cleanup is going to, you know -- i'd hate to be down there for sure. >> yeah. what happens to you now? you were just about to sort of set up your life there, set up your family. what happens to your plans? >> luckily, we haven't let go of our house on the mainland. so i'll be flying out saturday to return home with my family. >> in the meantime you must be thinking of all those people who have just lost everything. >> everything, yeah. i was with them in the evacuation centers, and the stories and, you know, just the despair on people's faces. it's sad. yeah, you're absolutely right. i made it out very lucky. >> we are hearing from the governor that so many hawaiians are coming together, are sending in supplies, are trying to help each other in these circumstances we often see the best of humanity. what are you seeing? >> absolutely. when we got to the war memorial gym, you couldn't walk two feet without somebody asking if you wanted food or water, if you need anything, if you're okay. and they're doing an absolute bang-up job down there. >> yeah. it's just horrific to see again. we're seeing these pictures from the air. i've been to lahaina. it's so beautiful, and just tragic to think not only of all those who have lost their lives, but everything that's been lost there. listen, we wish you all the best in getting back up on your feet and everybody in the community. steven potter, thank you so much for speaking with us. and we want to say if you would like any information on how you can help those impacted by the hawaii wildfire, please go to cnn.com/impact, or you can text hawaii to 707070 to donate. lawyers for donald trump are set to make their first appearance before the u.s. district judge tanya chutkan today. she has scheduled a hearing on the handling of the evidence in the case for trump plotting to overturn the 2020 election. the counsel is asking for evidence in the trial with the trial set to begin january 2nd next year. trump's attorneys are expected to push back with all the other entanglements including fraud, hush money cases in new york plus charges that trump mishandled classified documents after he left the white house. judge chutkan could have something to say about recent attacks on special counsel jack smith. the former president has repeatedly called him deranged. on thursday he lashed out at the january trial date posting on social media, quote, only an out-of-touch lunatic would ask for such a date one day into the new year. the trial should only happen, if at all, after the election. meanwhile, in florida, trump's co-defendants in the mar-a-lago case, walt nauta and carlos doleira appeared in court. nauta pleaded not guilty, but oliveira's arraignment was postponed. and in michigan, all 16 people charged in the fake electors scheme have pleaded not guilty. they each face eight felony charges including multiple counts of forgery. well, trump's legal problems notwithstanding, donald trump will campaign at the iowa state fair on saturday. and so will almost everybody else. the fair offers gop candidates a chance to make a strong impression ahead of the first debate later this months and the caucuses in january. but if any of them hope to catch trump, they still have a listening way to go. we get more from cnn's jeff zeleny. >> reporter: the annual iowa state fair is unfolding with a hearty side of politics as fearly every republican presidential candidate is descending on the state in the coming days to make their case to iowans about their presidential hopes. now of course the iowa caucuses open the 2024 republican nominating contest on january 15th. leaving these candidates less than six months to make their case. now there is no doubt that donald trump is the front-runner in this campaign. he will be here at the state fair on saturday. but several others are as well. but his former vice president mike pence was visiting the fair on thursday, was asked a very pointed question about his actions on january 6th. he defended them like this. >> there is almost no idea more un-american than the notion that any one person could pick the american president. i mean, the american presidency belongs to the american people and the american people alone. people deserve to know that on that day, the former president asked me to choose him over my oath to the constitution. i chose the constitution, and i always will. >> reporter: and from that crowd at least, he received applause. of course, this is still an uphill challenge for the former vice president to make his way through this very crowded primary, with so many other candidates. now of course the iowa caucuses are less than six months away, but before that, critically, is the first republican presidential debate that takes place in less than two weeks in milwaukee. now four candidates have already signed the loyalty pledge that requires them to sign to support the nominee to get on stage. former president donald trump has not said if he will compete in the debate or not. but clearly, the republican campaign is heating up as many of these other candidates are trying to catch the front-runner as they define themselves and introduce themselves to iowa voters. jeff zeleny, cnn, des moines. >> so what would a republican debate look like without donald trump? well, cnn's senior political analyst ron brownstein. here he is. >> i would think most people would be surprised to see him at the first debate and maybe the second if fox is hosting at the reagan library in september. but i do think that once the debates move to the early caucus and primary states, the calculation will be different. people might remember that back right before the 2016 caucus in iowa, he skipped a fox debate in iowa and held a counter programing event. he said he was raising money for veterans that never seemed to pan out. but he ended up losing the caucus, somewhat surprisingly. i think he will feel more pressure to participate in the debates in the early states for which absence could be seen as a slight not only to the sponsors but to the voters. but on the early debates, i believe most people believe he is going to make his point, keep his marbles and go home, as ron desantis said. ukrainian officials call it a miracle which saved children's lives during a russian missile strike. still ahead, a stroke of good luck that made children leave the site of the take just in time. plus, russian media coverage versus the reality on the ground in ukraine. and later in the show, the u.s. strikes a deal with iran. a group of americans released from one of the country's most notorious prisons. what iran is getting in exchange. we'll have that coming up. please stay with us. ♪ get odor-free eight hohour protection from mosquitoes and ticks without the ick. zevo on-n-body repellent. people love it. bugs hate it. try killing bugs the worry-free way. not the other way. zevo traps use light to attract and trap flying insects with no odor and no mess. they work continuously, so you don't have to. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. hi, i'm stacey, and i've lost 60 pounds on golo. 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(announcer) change your life at golo.com. that's golo.com. the u.n. humanitarian official says she's appalled by a russian strike on a hotel frequently used by the organization in various ngos in ukraine. the missile attack happened on thursday in the city of zaporizhzhia. ukraine says one person was killed and 16 others were wounded. the building also serves as a children's day camp, which closed for the day just an hour before the strike. ukrainian officials call the timing a miracle that likely saved many children's lives. meanwhile, the front lines are largely holding, despite reports of heavy fighting among ukraine's counteroffensive in the south. officials say moscow is now rushing reinforcements from crimea while pulling back a lot of damaged military equipment. and in washington, president biden is asking congress for another $24 billion in aid for ukraine and other international needs. but he'll be up against some republicans who are skeptical of providing more help. more on all this, join selma abdulaziz joins us from london. what more are we learning about the horrific hotel attack? >> let me start with breaking news that we've only received just in the last few minutes. this is coming from kyiv city, local officials that say hypersonic missiles have been fired. these are kienzle missiles. they are calling on all families to take shelters. terror and fear in the capital this morning. but straight to those front lines, kim, of course, where ukrainian officials say that russian troops are making an attempt to pull them, to distract them from that southern front, which of course has been key for kyiv's fight in this counteroffensive towards the north, towards kharkiv. in fact, so intense has the russian assault been towards the kharkiv region that one city has had to order mandatory evacuations for all residents. officials there saying that the city has been struck by air assaults dozens of times a day. kyiv's troops saying that russia has sent in troop reinforcement, airborne division reinforcements, trying again to pull ukraine's focus towards the north. and that's really what we're seeing throughout this conflict, of course. yet again presents that issue of these very long front line, hundreds of miles of active fighting where the ukrainian forces are stretched very thin and consistently trying to reacted to russian air superiority, which has continued to hold ukraine back in certain areas. and that means there is very few gains that we've seen in recent months since the launch of this counteroffensive, while at the same time with very few successes in hand again, president biden going to congress, asking for more help, more support, $24 billion in additional aid. that includes humanitarian sent assistance. >> he is set for a showdown this fall. >> and not only seeing resistance from republican politicians, but from more americans at large. i just want to show you a poll here recently. cnn found 55% of americans say congress shouldn't authorize more funding for ukraine. so we're seeing u.s. support for ukraine slowly fading, which in the context of ukraine's offensive, which you were just talking about adds some political pressure on top of the obvious military and strategic drivers here. >> absolutely. i mean, kyiv's fight, kyiv's needs on the frontlines are absolutely linked to the u.s. election next year. mentioning that poll again. just to give you a pint of comparison, last february when a similar poll was conducted, 62% of americans said they believed that the united states should do more to help ukraine. so a huge shift there over the course of the last year and a half or so. and that's being reflected, of course, in congress where there is skepticism rather among the republican party. that's not to say that all republicans are against additional funding to ukraine. in fact, some of course have continued to call for additional assistance, saying it's absolutely imperative for the safety and security and future of nato to counter russian aggression on the ground. joe biden, of course, president biden of course already trying to sell this new aid package. a white house spokesperson saying, look, just think of the cost of this. we are fighting, providing help for the fight for ukraine at the same time this gives nato what it needs on that ground against russian aggression. it's all really going to play out this fall. but it's going to be a tough battle, especially, again, kim, few successes in hand so far. >> yeah, absolutely right. salma abdelaziz, thank you so much. as ukraine tries to make a breakthrough in this counteroffensive, russian state media are making their own push on the airwaves. their take on the ukrainian offensive is that it's already dead in the water. matthew chance reports. >> reporter: this is how the russians say they're taking advantage of ukraine's flagging counteroffensive. the latest defense ministry pitches showing russian forces advancing on land and in the air. we can't independently verify russian claims, but officials here insist they're now making daily military gains on the battlefield. >> translator: during the day, seven counterattacks from armed forces of ukraine were successfully repelled in kharkiv region. >> reporter: on the country's flagship news show, they're already branding ukraine's counteroffensive a bust. looping videos of ukrainian troops in western supplied kit getting bogged down, ridiculing what they say are western excuses for ukraine's failure. at first westerners justified ukrainian failures with the weather. general frost, the anchor says. later it was general mud, and now it's the term of general thistle. now aided by the greenery. this insurmountable is why the ukrainian army is failing to push forward, supposed by, she says. in fact, ukraine says it is making progress, albeit slow. without the weapons it says it desperately needs to overcome heavily defended russian lines. and it's going on the offense, stepping up drone attacks on russian shipping and other targets to pressure moscow and disrupt supply lines. bringing home russia's special military operation like never before. "we're all shocked that it's happening here," says this woman in moscow, but we're not politicians, so we don't want the comment, she told local media. "i've got two kids. i want to stop being ashamed. they were born in this time," says another, her face blurred to protect her identity. but on the battlefield, ukraine's slow progress is fueling kremlin hopes that a turning point may soon be reached and the patience with ukraine in the west may eventually run out. matthew chance, cnn, moscow. the severe winds that pushed the deadly wildfires in hawaii have eased off significantly. cnn's chad myers will tell us if that will continue after the break. plus, bankrolled by billionaires. the new report into the lavish lifestyle of supreme court justice clarence thomas. we'll have more on the luxury gifts he's been receiving. that's when we come back. please stay with us. welcome back to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada, and all around the world. i'm kim brunhuber, this is "cnn newsroom." i want to get back to one of our top stories this hour, the catastrophic wildfires scorching the hawaiian island of maui have now killed at least 55 people, and it's feared that death toll will keep rising as emergency crews reach more areas turned to ash. power and cell service are still out in western maui. and in the main tourist district of lahaina, which is making it difficult to determine how many people are still missing. the iowa governor estimates upwards of 1700 buildings there were destroyed, and the mayor says the heart of the town has been completely wiped out. >> until you see the devastation that we all witnessed maybe through photographs before this morning but in person today, it's difficult to describe, but there are lot of people that will need a lot of help. >> one bit of good news, officials say the wildfires are now about 80% contained, and the winds that fueled the flames are gradually decreasing as cnn meteorologist chad myers reports. >> the severe winds from a couple of days ago have finally eased. dora has moved away. the high pressure is still, there and you still see the east to northeast winds here coming in on the really the windward side of the island. so this is just a regular trade wind type of event here now. 15, 20 miles an hour. a little bit less on the lee sides of the island. here is where the fires look like as we worked our way into the firefighting effort. compared to where they were in the heat of the battle, and there is lahaina, with all of the fire hot spots picked up by satellite. here is where we are now. much, much better, saying now 80% containment for these fires. still, severe drought especially in this orange area. that's downwind of haleakala on the east side of maui. 16% in drought, severe drought. that was only 5% last week. an these numbers are tallied week by week by week and put out every thursday. so here is how it works here. a little science class. all the wind and all the rain and humidity come in and bump up against the east sides of these volcanos. and it rains up here. but then all of the sudden when that comes back down the hill, it dries out. and it has been very dry for very long. that's why we're in drought. and that's the wind that caused all of these fires here across maui county. we could see some showers in some spots, but usually, the rain at this time of year falls on the east side of the island. and for the most part fires are on the west side. >> and we're getting more harrowing and heartbreaking stories from the wildfires. one california dad recounts how he and his wife and five children fought to survive by clinging to a clinging board in the seawall while being pelted by debris from the fire. >> my daughter, daddy, you okay, daddy? my other, we are going to be okay. they're exhausted. and so far the ocean almost swept my kids away a few times. yeah, here we are. we stuck together. we held on. and we're not going to die this morning, no. and then we're here. we're alive. >> again, if you would like information on how to help those impacted by the maui fires go, to cnn.com/impact or text hawaii to 707070 to donate. a free luxury vacations, private jet rides and yacht cruises, these are some of the lavish gifts received by justice clarence thomas while serving in the u.s. supreme court. that's according to a new report by propublica. the revelations have propelled calls to implement tougher ethics standards on justices. cnn's tom foreman reports. >> reporter: the most complete accounting yet of the high life of supreme court justice clarence thomas shows much, much more than previously known. more private jets, more fancy vacations, more sporting events, all gifts from mega rich businessmen and documented through public and private records, plus interviews by propublica. >> justice thomas has been living a life of extreme luxury for 30 years underwritten by at least four different ultra wealthy ben factors. >> reporter: earlier reports have revealed lavish gifts to thomas, including a house for his mother, and this nine-day vacation in indonesia from conservative billionaire harlan crow. >> i come from regular stock. >> reporter: who also underwrote a film about thomas' humble tastes. >> i prefer the rv parks. >> reporter: now the list of benefactors includes three more names, david soakle, wayne huizenga and tony novelly. the four collectively treated thomas to 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the bahamas. 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter. a dozen vip passes to professional and college sporting events, two stays at luxury resorts in florida and jamaica, and one standing invitation to an uber exclusive golf club. the dollar value likely in the millions, little of which appeared in required financial disclosures according to propublica. thomas has previously said he didn't feel the need to disclose some gifts, and that worries jeremy fogel, an expert on judicial ethics and a former judge. >> i simply couldn't have done this. and even if the people involved didn't have interest before the court, it's just the idea that you are receiving gifts of this magnitude. >> reporter: associate justices make about $285,000 a year. in 2001, when they made about $100,000 less, thomas spoke up. >> the job is not worth doing for what they pay. it's not worth doing for the grief. but it is worth doing for the principle. >> reporter: now he bristles as questions about his principles. he calls crow merely a friend. crow says they never talk about thomas' work, and new report found none of these wealthy pals seem to have had cases before the court. still -- >> which one of these new benefactors, just like harlan you came into his life after he was appointed to the supreme court. that's why it's so problematic from an ethics standpoint. >> reporter: there is no evidence that these rich friends broke any rules or laws with their extravagant gifts. in fact, it's not even clear technically if clarence thomas did anything wrong. so some defenders are calling this a smear job. nonetheless, earlier revelations spurred a great public outcry for more strict and clear rules about what supreme court justices can accept. and with this new report, that drumbeat will likely get louder. tom foreman, cnn, washington. all right. still ahead this hour, from prison to house arrest, there is new hope that americans detained for years in iran could be heading back to the u.s. stay with us. there is new hope today that five americans detained in iran could be heading home to the u.s. in a matter of weeks. all five have been released from an iranian prison and are under house arrest. we know the identities of three of the men declared by the state department to be wrongfully detained. the deal calls for the u.s. to release $6 billion of iranian funds frozen in south korea, but that money can only be used for nonsanctionable trade including food and medicine. antony blinken met with his counterpart in washington saying the state department has spoken with all five americans. here he is. >> this is a positive step. but i don't want to get ahead of its conclusion because there is more work to be done to actually bring them home. my belief is that this is the beginning of the end of their nightmare. and the nightmare that their families have experienced. >> more now from cnn's chief international anchor christiane amanpour, who broke the news of the americans' release. >> it was a heartfelt plea heard around the world. >> honestly, the other hostages and i desperately need president biden to finally hear us out, to finally hear our cry for help and bring us home. and i suppose desperate times call for desperate measures. so this is a desperate measure. i'm clearly nervous. >> siamak namazi was america's longest held prisoner. he was arrested in 2015 while on a business trip, and then sentenced for ten years for, quote, collaborating with a hostile state. namazi, a dual citizen always denied the charge. this is the desperate appeal he made to us from inside evin president in our unprecedented conversation. >> i think the very fact that i've chosen to take this prison and appear on cnn from evin prison, it should just tell you how dire my situation has become by this point. i spend months caged. i spend months caged in a solitary cell that was the size of a closet, sleeping on the floor, being fed like a dog from under the door. and honestly, that was the least of my troubles. >> siamak's elderly father who is now 86 was lured to iran in 2016 with the promise of seeing his son. instead, he too was arrested, imprisoned for two years, and then barred from leaving the country. he was finally allowed out last october to seek medical treatment abroad. he has never stopped publicly campaigning for his son's release. >> i will never truly be free until siamak is here beside me. i could not be more proud of his courage, but i don't want him to have to -- any more. i want him to be safe. i want him to be free to live life he should have been living for the past seven years. i want him to be home. >> among the other hostages released along with namazi, a businessman emad shargi and morad tahbaz. they were held only as americans to be traded on the geopolitical market. before their release, their families tried to rally support. >> i know that they are desperate, that they are scared, and they feel like they've been forgotten. they have been determined officially by the department of state, by our secretary of state as having been taken, detained by the iranians for one reason, and that is because they are americans. >> my father is an amazing person. he is so calm, so kind, so generous, so noble. and i think just how my siblings and i have been able to carry ourselves through this surreal nightmare is just a testament to him and my mother and everything that they've instilled in us and who they are. >> reporter: former new mexico governor bill richardson who advocates for some of these families puts it bluntly. >> and this has happened in russia, venezuela, iran, north korea. it's a pattern. it's a new hostage diplomacy that we have to start confronting. >> just do what's necessary to end this nightmare and bring us home. thank you. >> we'll get that message out, siamak. these few may finally have been released, but will they be the last american hostages taken by tehran? christiane amanpour, cnn, london. >> for the first time since it began selling tickets more than ten years ago. >> three, two, one, release, release, release. >> virgin galactic spacecraft launched with paying customers on board. the pricey journey is coming up next on "cnn newsroom." stay with us. how can you sleep on such a firm setting? gab, mine is almost the same as yours. almost is just another word for not as good as mine. save 50% on the sleep number lilimited edition smart bed. plus, , 36 month financing on select smart beds. shop now only at sleep number. we planned well for retirement, but i wish we had more cash. you think those two have any idea? that they can sell their life insurance policy for cash? so they're basically sitting on a goldmine? i don't think they have a clue. that's crazy! well, not everyone knows coventry's helped thousands of people sell their policies for cash. even term policies. i can't believe they're just sitting up there! sitting on all this cash. if you own a life insurance policy of $100,000 or more, you can sell all or part of it to coventry. even a term policy. for cash, or a combination of cash and coverage, with no future premiums. someone needs to tell them, that they're sitting on a goldmine, and you have no idea! hey, guys! you're sitting on a goldmine! come on, guys! do you hear that? i don't hear anything anymore. find out if you're sitting on a goldmine. call coventry direct today at the number on your screen, or visit coventrydirect.com. for the first time in 47 years, russia has successfully launched an unmanned spacecraft to the moon. the luna 25 is expected to enter and orbit around the earth before transferring to a lunar orbit and then descend to the service of the moon. the luna and an indian spacecraft launched last month are both expected to land at the moon's south pole on august 23rd. now the race to see which country will land first. and more than a decade after it began selling tickets to space, virgin galactic has finally launched its first tourists to the edge of space. have a look. >> five, three, two, one. release, release, release. >> the spacecraft vss unity traveled almost 50 miles above the earth's surface. the altitude the government considers to be the boundary of space. it carried three customers a former olympian who is the second person with parkinson's disease to travel to space, and a mother and daughter team who won their seats in a fundraising drawing. >> i was flying with my daughter. there is an ad that popped up, would you like to become an astronaut, would you like to go to space? and i said yes. >> now that virgin galactic is up and running again, tackling its lengthy backlog of flights. 800 customers have bought tickets from $250,000 to $450,000 each. i'm kim brunhuber. thank you so much for watching. 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