if you have one, that can be a very powerful thing. my number one most important thing is my family at home. my wife is an absolute rock star. >> you know her job is way harder than yours. >> i do. she's not allowed to walk away. >> reporter: wanted to make sure we were clear on that. dads often don't feel like they can. i wonder what you say about prioritizing kids. >> that's a great, great question. there will always be time down the road to make up for your personal time lost, but there's not going to be time to make up for their time with you. there's times when i am tired, am exhausted, and all i want to do is just sit down and not think about football or anything like i it, but then it's time to play football in the basement. that's their super bowl. that's what matters. it's their time with dad. i don't ever want to get to a place -- the moment i ever get to where i don't have the energy and the focus to give them everything that they need, i won't do the job anymore.

>> reporter: you'd walk away. >> yeah. >> from one great dad to another great dad. >> i told you earlier that last point is, like, it's gold. >> everything. powerful to hear from him. very grateful. next year is our year, by the way. "cnn this morning" continues right now. this is cnn breaking news. >> breaking news at the top of the hour. the international court of justice has just imposed provisional measures on israel over its military operation in gaza. that court says israel must take measures to prevent acts of genocide in gaza, to allow in more humanitarian aid, and to make measures, more measures to protect civilians. this ruling is legally binding, but it's important to note in practice, there is no way of it being enforced. >> the international court of justice has also called for the release of all hostages held by hamas in gaza. our clarissa ward is following this story.

she'll join us live from jerusalem in moments. we're following the defamation lawsuit of donald trump. at any minute, he is set to head back to the courthouse in new york city for closing arguments. this is a live look at trump tower, his motorcade about to leave. a jury will decide how much he needs to pay in damages r e. je calling her a liar. remember, a jury already found trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. >> today's closing arguments come after trump briefly took the stand yesterday, testified for only a few minutes, telling the court he was trying to defend himself and the presidency against carroll's accusations and did not intend to harm her. trump was strictly limited on what he could say on the stand, but just after midnight, he lashed out in a short video he posted on social media. >> i have no idea who she is, where she came from. this is another scam. it's a political witch-hunt.

and somehow we're going to have to fight this. we cannot let our country go into this abyss. this is disgraceful. you have somebody running for office. the whole thing is a scam, and it's a shame, and it's a disgrace to our country. >> we're live outside the courthouse. a fascinating day yesterday. what are we expecting today? >> reporter: good morning. we're expecting closing arguments to get under way in just a little over an hour from now. that will be the party's chance to give the jury their best arguments about why carroll was harmed and why trump should pay her millions of dollars. this trial began with her testifying. she told the jury she was scared after donald trump made his statements, denying he attacked her, saying she made up the story to boost sales of her book, that she received and was inundated by threatening emails, mean emails, emails that scared her enough that she bought

bullets far gun she had by her bed. trump's lawyers will argue because carroll made these accusations, she may have invited some of thetwets she re and that they have not linked donald trump's statements to the harm she suffered, including harm to her career. both sides giving their best case. i did follow donald trump's testimony yesterday, the last witness on the stand for three minutes, much shorter than the time it took them to figure out what questions they would ask him. and trump answering only a handful of questions, one of them posed by his attorney, asking thisif he instructed any to harm carroll. he said no, he was defending himself, his family, and the presidency. trump is expected to arrive in the court shortly. we'll be hear for the closing arguments. >> do we know how soon a verdict could come?

closings are today. are we talking about a matter of days? >> reporter: what's interesting, in the trial last year, the jury had to evaluate whether trump had sexually abused carroll, defamed her, and come up with a dollar amount. they did all that in less than three hours. this time, the jury just have to decide if carroll suffered harm and, if so, how much trump should pay her. they're expected to get it by lunchtime. a verdict coming up for us as soon as today. joining us now is trump's defense lawyer for his second impeachment trial and steve bannon's attorney. if you're giving the closing statement today as trump's lawyer, what do you say? >> i think this one has to be focused, and the judge has made clear he'll keep it focused, so he has to say certainly didn't intend any harm. their theme has been he didn't know her and didn't defame her and so on. i think a key issue in this case for appeal is going to be the judge's ruling, which i think is

a very dangerous and probably wrong ruling. that is, as you'll recall, the original jury found in president trump's favor on the specific rape claim, found that she didn't prove rape. she's proved sexual assault. i think that the judge, by finding that trump is barred from arguing that he didn't rape her and therefore wasn't lying when he said he wasn't defaming her when he said she was lying, is a tough call. the judge said in common parlance, he really did rape her. but that's not what the elements were that the jury was asked to find. i don't think he'll let them get into it in closing arguments. >> an interesting legal point, and i don't want to relitigate what that jury of his peers decided, bus when the judge made that statement and explanation, he cited both the department of justice guidance in 2012, which was expanded in terms of defining rape, and cited the american psychological association. there are those as well. if you look at this for trump, he's going there as a campaign

stop also, but you have some issues with how his legal team, his legal representation handled this case in the courtroom. >> well, i mean, a lot of people had issues with that, but, you know, they feel they're up against it. president trump feels strongly this was politically motivatedns for it. i think how i might have handled it differently, once the judge made these rulings, i think the record was set. if a client wants to understand and he or she understands the risks and all of that, it's the client's decision. in this case, he's a communicator. he wanted to testify. once we knew the testimony would be limited to a certain amount of questions and yes-or-no answers, i thought the better course would have been for a lawyer to make a proffer as to what his testimony would have been point by point and how that testimony was barred by the court's rulings, and then have the record for the appeal. i also thought, frankly, on the other side, i was shocked, if these are travel time lawyers, they didn't make more hay with the cross-examination.

once president trump endorsed fully his deposition, i think a trial lawyer would have taken it point by point through that deposition. but anyway, that's sort of trial tactics, and i guess that's what makes horse racing. why do you think they took a pass on it? >> i really don't know. i'm not sure -- you know, they're very aggressive lawyers, but i'm not sure that, you know, this is exactly their field. cross-examination is both a science and an art. i think they missed an opportunity. but in any event, i think that, you know, because of the judge's rulings, this is more of that situation where much of the public sees it as unfair, and he goes up in the polls. >> i want to turn now to a case you've been following, a lot of people have been closely, peter navarro, former trump adviser, was sentenced yesterday to jail. he denied subpoenas from the house g house january 6th committee. it was fascinating to see the

language of the judge, you wrote about it in your book, talked about it with "vanity fair," but wouldn't agree to testify. why do you think 1/2 row has had this outcome? and do you think he prerailvail appeal? >> he has a different case on appeal. you're 100% right. the same statute steve bannon was convicted under. but the judge found that navarro, despite being asked repeatedly to prove it, never proofed when or where or how executive privilege was invoked. that's the key to steve bannon's case, a key to his case. steve bannon's lawyer told him he was not permitted as a matter of law to respond to the subpoena for a number of reasons. but i think that the -- ultimately, the main underlying issue is the question of willfully under this contempt of

congress statute, and as the judge in steve bannon's case said, he said he believes that conviction will be overturned because he thinks previous law on that issue is simply mistaken and steve bannon was entitled to put the issue before the injury. i think navarro has a different case. >> he said it's not imagine cat incantations or a get get-out-of-jail-free card. david, thank you. breaking news this hour. the u.n.'s top court said israel must take more measures to prevent a genocide in gaza. this ruling is legally binding, but it is not enforceable. we'll take you live to jerusalem with much more on this. donald trump's senators likely to reject a border bill.

breaking news this morning. the international court of justice has just ruled that israel must do more immediately to prevent genocide in gaza. in a series of provisional measures, the court also says israel must do more to prevent the killing and harm of civilians and allow more humanitarian aid to enter gaza. it's also called for the release of all hostages being held by hamas. the court did not order a cease-fire as requested by south africa. the ruling is legally binding, but in practice, there are no means of enforcement. >> let's bring in our chief

international correspondent, clarissa ward, who joins us from jerusalem. obviously, israel argued vehemently against this during the three weeks of proceedings, but what does this mean on the ground given it lacks enforcement teeth? >> reporter: in terms of what we will see on the ground, i would not expect any major imminent changes, poppy, but certainly this is important symbolically. as you mentioned, israel had pushed very hard to have the case thrown out entirely. the fact that the president of the court came back today and said that they will hear the case, that they do have jurisdiction over the case, and that they believed based on the evidence that south africa supplied to the court that there is at least evidence of possible scenarios of some cases where israel may have violated the genocide convention. she did, of course, emphasize that this is not a ruling or a verdict, that it will take them

many months, potentially years, to actually hear and arrive at a verdict on the entire case. but it is still significant and a blow to israel, poppy, that she did say that they will hear the case, that there is at least enough merit on the face of it for it to proceed. now, as you mentioned, phil, as well, they did not say that there needs to be an immediate cessation of hostilities, but they did order these provisional measures, so-called provisional measures, urging israel's soldiers and also its citizens to adhere to the genocide convention, ordering israel not to destroy any evidence that may be pertd ininent to the case, ordering israel to improve the situation on the ground in terms of the humanitarian situation, allowing more aid in, and also, as you mentioned, ordering hamas to release those hostages immediately. we haven't had any official

reaction here yet. it is likely to be one of indignance. israelis see this as a perversion of justice. palestinians, on the other hand, feel they have seen a glimpse of justice, and there is a sense that on the global stage, given that this is the u.n.'s highest court, this is a stain for israel. and even though this isn't, as i said before, a continueclusive verdict, it does, by proceeding forward with this case and hearing this case, give somehow credibility or legitimacy to south africa's contention that israel has violated the genocide convention. >> clarissa, to that point, as poppy knows, because of the lack of an enforcement mechanism, that perception, world opinion, would seem to be the most critical part of this and i think also underscores why israel so vigorously denied it, defended themselves, and have disputed this. is that fair? >> reporter: i think that's

fair, and i think it will be very interesting to see not just what israel's reaction is but what america's reaction is. you may remember we heard from the white house when this case was first announced that they thought south africa's case was without merit. now, having heard the judge's vs' provisional measures today, what will the u.s. say? what will they recommend to israel? will they push israel to adhere to those provisional measures? we of course have heard the u.s. taking a much stronger tone with israel in recent days and even months, 112 days into this war, really urging a dramatic need for a reduction in civilian casualties and improvement in the humanitarian situation. >> clarissa, along with this breaking news, i want to point everyone to the piece you wrote in "the washington post," and the headline is, "israel needs to let journalists freely report news in gaza."

here's an excerpt. "journalists must be able to exercise our duty to bear witness, no matter how difficult or dangerous that may be." you had two hours on the ground, as i believe the only western journalist allowed in gaza, and all our viewers will remember the images and the horror that your report displayed. talk about why you wrote this. >> reporter: we thought it was very important to underscore the fact that, while journalists in gaza had been doing heroic work at an absolutely horrifying -- in terms of the scope of the loss of life, more journalists killed in gaza than the entire second world war, the journalists in gaza can dnot do this job alone, and they should not have to. there need to be international journalists inside as well, who can add to the work they're doing, who can provide a different perspective, especially in this age of

misinformation, of claim and counterclaim. it becomes all the more important to have people who are one step removed from the conflict on the ground to see with our eyes and ears ourselves what is going on. now, a handful of journalists have been allowed to go into the gaza strip, but they've had to do that with an idf escort under a sort of idf embed. it's really important to allow journalists in to report independently, to do the work that we do. and i think everything that we're seeing happening now with the icj really underscores that. >> right. >> reporter: there is a huge amount of information out there on social media, amazing reporting from gaza's journalists, but there need to be international journalists on the ground, as well, to sift through and make sense of it all. >> your petition along with europe letter to cnn to israel and egypt and authorities to request that access that is not supervised by the idf, has that

been answered? >> reporter: we haven't received a reply, not from israeli authorities, not from egyptian authorities. when i pushed egyptian authorities, i think it's important to underscore that their attitude has been, listen, this isn't about whether we would let you in or not. the reality is nothing goes across that border into gaza without explicit permission from the idf, from israel. so, if you want to get in, it's the israelis who are the only ones who can grant you that access. >> and that should be granted. ward warpd, thanks so much, as always. the united states how v now assisting ecuador in its war on criminal gangs. cnn rode along with security forces carrying out raids on suspected gang members.

the border is a very important issue for donald trump, and the fact he would communicate to republican senators and congress people that he doesn't want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame biden for it is really appalling. >> on capitol hill, there is growing outrage, a lot of frustration against some senate republicans that donald trump may have killed or be in the process of killing their best chance in decades to s ss to se southern border. they've been lobbying republicans to stop a border compromise. it's being hashed out between a group of senators now. why? he wants to campaign in november. >> trump is saying out loud in

no uncertain terms -- listen to what he wrote on truth social yesterday. "what is being worked out in the senate will be meaningless. if you want tuch a really secure border your only hope is to vote for trump in '24." scott jennings is with us, our political commentator, a close friend of mitch mcconnell. no love lost between mitch mcconnell and trump especially on an issue like this. the fact he posted this at a time republicans have gotten more than -- >> i've never seen anything like this policy-wise. >> they're going to stick with him even if he is the reason this sinks? and is he the reason this sinks? >> he certainly has the political capacity to kill it in the u.s. house. he may have the capacity to kill it in the senate. i think it's really 50/50 right now whether this package moves

forward. i think what the senate republicans are facing, even if you could pass this deal, immigration, ukraine, the whole thing, the prospect of failing in the house is high. then you have to come back and say what's our next play. the political reality here is that donald trump is the most influential policy person, i say policy in air quotes, in the republican party, and a lot of republicans will listen to him on it. he could never get this deal. no one could -- this is a unique moment to get everything republicans are going to get in this. and there are parole and asylum changes trump asked for when he was there. they've got joe biden on hiss knees on an issue that is the most important issue to republican voters. we told republicans, the party has, this is an invasion at the southern border. what trump is arguing is, well, yes, but we can wait a year and i may or may not be president then. these are not statements that

are similar. >> and if he becomes president, there's no chance of it. >> no way. >> this all underscores something that i think you and i, if we were being candid, and we always are, scott jennings, with another one, this is a surprising moment for a lot of people because of things like what your former boss told jonathan martin, friend of the show, for his book with alex burns, about trump, where in the wake of january 6th, he's quoted in the book saying, "i feel xil rated by the fact this fellow totally discredited himself when asked about his feelings on the violence about trump. he put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. couldn't happen at a better time." yet mitch mcconnell, the leader of republicans in the senate, is once again dealing with the same exact stuff he dealt with for four years in the u.s. senate, and it seems like there's more people in his conference that are listening to trump now than ever before. >> oh, no question. look at the last election. he traded out rob foreman in

ohio for jd vance, closer to donald trump. we lost pennsylvania. we traded blunt in missouri for josh holley. the conference got closer to donald trump in the last election. the house has been steadily moving that direction as well. so, when it comes to policy influence and overall political influence, there's no question that donald trump has the upper hand and can probably enforce anything that he wants to do. my question for republican voters, though, is do you believe this is an invasion or not? do you believe that we can stand another year of the southern border being in total chaos and crisis or not? i think republicans have come to believe this situation needs to be dealt with now. and then to be told, well, we can put it off, that's significant whiplash. what my political concern is that joe biden's going to use this as a weapon against republicans in the fall and say, i came all the way to their side, i wanted to give them everything they wanted, and they still wouldn't do it. it makes us look not serious about governing. i think the ship has sailed for

biden on immigration. he can't fix himself on it now. for republicans to solve it would make them look like a responsible governing party. >> he could at least a couple months at record highs like december was. chris murphy, democratic senator, said the legislative text is 95% there. when they put it out and people can actually see, then, scott, how much is, according to those writing it, on the republican side here, will that change anything? >> maybe for some people, but i think for a lot of these republicans, especially in the house, they fear trump more than they fear not passing a bill. also, remember, the conference has a very, very maul majority over there. it's complicated issues of ukraine as well, which they really don't want to do. it's a complex situation. i mean, there's a world here where somehow the congress winds up doing ukraine and not the border, and the people who are arguing against this deal,

without having seen the text, are going to have a lot of explaining to do at that point. so, my advice to the republicans, take it all, take the win. you have joe biden on his knees. and i think the american public will reward republicans, including donald trump, if something gets done on immigration right now. >> scott jennings, thank you. have a great weekend. >> thank you. also this, alabama carrying out a first-of-its-kind execution of a convicted murderer. we have details from those who witnessed it. >> an unbelievable evil was unleashed tonight in alabama. i've never seen anything like that. that was torture. that was absolute torture. and torture is evil.

you may know adam schiff's work to protect the rule of law, or to build affordable housing,

or write california's patients bill of rights. but i know adam through the big brother program. we've been brothers since i was seven. he stood by my side as i graduated from yale, and i stood by his side when he married eve, the love of his life. i'm a little biased, but take it from adam's little brother. he'll make us all proud as california senator. i'm adam schiff and i approve this message. not just any whiteboard... ...katie porter's whiteboard is one way she's: [news anchor] ...often seen grilling top executives of banks, big pharma, even top administration officials. katie porter. never taken corporate pac money - never will. leading the fight to ban congressional stock trading. and the only democrat who opposed wasteful “earmarks” that fund politicians' pet projects. katie porter. focused on your challenges - from lowering housing costs to fighting climate change. shake up the senate - with democrat katie porter. i'm katie porter and i approve this message.

it was absolutely horrific. it was the most horrible thing i think i've ever seen. he popped up on the gurney over and over again, shook the whole gurney. i could hear audible gasps behind me coming from the witness areas. >> when the state of alabama executed death row inmate kenneth smith last night with nitrogen gas, it marked a new era in capital punishment because it had never been used to execute anyone in this country. it did spark international outrage. the u.n.'s high commissioner for human rights says he has, quote, serious concerns that this novel and untested method of suffocation by nitrogen gas may be torture, cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment. our reporter has been covering

this. you reported yesterday morning tong on the last-minute plea to the supreme court. they did not intervene. talk to us about the reaction last night. >> reporter: poppy, good morning. let me start with kenneth smith's last words before the nitrogen gas started to flow. here they are in part. "tonight, alabama pauses humanity to take a step backwards." he's talking about the method of execution here. he continues with, "i am leave with love, peace, and light. thank you for supporting me. love all of you." we're also getting a clearer understanding of the time line of events from witnesses and from a statement from the attorney general from the moment that the nitrogen gas started to flow up until his death. that took about 28 minutes. witnesses said he appeared conscious for several minutes. he struggled in the gurney he was strapped to for around two minutes, then his breathing

slowed down. cnn was the first to speak with his spiritual adviser, reverend jeff hood, who was in that execution chamber, and he was shaken and emotional based on what he saw. he called it absolute torture. he said the mask was strapped so tightly on smith's face that there were indentations. he said it was not painless, as state officials would argue -- had argued that it would be, and that smith was struggling against the gurney, struggling against the mask, gasping, and his face turned colors. the state has touted this as a success. governor kay ivey says the execution was lawfully carried out. >> what is the victim's family saying, before we go, isabel? >> reporter: thank you for asking that, poppy. that's very important. the family is worried that their mother, elizabeth senate, will be overshadowed by this being the first death by nitrogen gas. they want their mother to be remembered as a sweet woman, a

preacher's wife, a woman who was caring. >> isabel rosales, we appreciate your reporting throughout. thank you. president biden working urgently to step up assistance to ecuador as they grapple with a new era of violence. the help will remain from equipment to deploying personnel to combat gangs, gunmen, and cartels terrorizing the country. as authorities are cracking down on the violence, armed forces say they're living in fear. david colbert has more. >> reporter: we're the fourth in a convoy of what looks to be about four pickup trucks, all of them unmarked, no lights, no sirens, all the officers in plain clothes. we're with ecuador's national police force as they're dispatched to a house with suspected ties to terror groups. they won't tell us where exactly we're headed, and they ask us to blur their faces.

so we'll coop it vague. we're just outside ecuador's largest city and headed into one of the most violent areas. more than a dozen officers storm what could be mistaken for an abandoned barn, but their intel suggests otherwise. they cuff two men and search the high grass and weeds. on each corner, security cameras strategically positioned. officers hack them down. as they leave here, notice he's carrying some evidence. looks like a gun and several rounds in that baggie. this is just one of thousands of raids across ecuador carried out over the past two weeks. ecuador's military now deployed to neighborhoods. we went with them. over here, wsee guys who

have been detained for now. officials arresting more than 3,000 people so far. ecuador's latest surge in violence sparked by this suspected prison escape of notorious gang leader, jose macias, reported missing from this massive prison compound on january 7th. if you look over here, this is where officials tell us he was being held, possibly is still being held. they really don't know. a top military commander telling me the prison system is rife with mismanagement and heavy gang influence, so much so that he could still be hiding inside. his disappearance led the president to declare a state of emergency, vowing to neutral itz terror groups. a day after his declaration on january 9th, 13 armed men took over a television news studio and put guns to the heads of employees, forcing them to the

ground, and held up what looked to be sticks of dynamite. folks watched it all unfold on live tv. among them, this woman and her husband. feeling the unease, diego decided to pick up their 10-year-old son. but minutes before reaching his school, someone opened fire on the streets. diego stopped messaging his wife, frantically trying to call him. a police colonel eventually answered and told her diego had been shot. chaos rocked ecuador that day, especially here where barricades went up and streechts shut down. this young girl, still in her school uniform, hit by a stray bullet. the hospital said she survived thanks to a security guard who drove her to the emergency room. a family friend was able to get their son to safety, but diego died before he could get to him. [ speaking in global language ]

across town, national police and armed forces stormed the television studio, capturing the gunmen before they could kill any of the hostages. this is the studio where the terror group entered, 13 of them. we saw first hand the damage left behind. this is the studio door. you can see and i can count here one, two, three, four, five, six -- about a half dozen bullet holes. the day after our visit in a brazen strike against the government, suspected gang members assassinated the prosecutor investigating that studio takeover. pulling this car over right now. police and military now stepping up their efforts, setting up random checkpoints. every possible hiding place searched. i just saw one of the soldiers signalling to the other, look at his arm, look at his arm.

they check tattoos for any gang affiliations and even scroll through people's phones. they also board commuter buses to get intel. did they have anything? he says, we're doing this operation for you all. residents here struggle with what's happened to their country over the past few years. they tell me gangs are growing bolder and holding people and their businesses hostages, demanding protection money. what happens if you don't pay the extortion? >> they get a contract killer and kill you. they put explosives outside your store. >> reporter: the military tries to weed out those responsible, raiding homes like this one, holding the suspects at gunpoint as neighbors, including kids, watch. it's a lot to take in.

>> she says she accepts military patrolling the streets. what she doesn't like is they go into people's homes and is pouring onto the street. but this is war. at least that's how the government here sees it. and they're asking the u.s. for support, desperate for tactical equipment, ammo, and intel. why should the u.s. help? people from the u.s. would say that's ecuador's problem. >> i mean, you don't help us, you will see more people trying to cross the border, because these people -- what happened you do? >> reporter: you're not going to stay there. >> no. >> reporter: back on the front lines after executing their raid, we're reminded of the fear instilled by these ghangs, even among law enforcement. this officer putting on a ski mask in 90-degree heat and thick humidity before stepping into frame. and yet, beneath those tactical

layers, a soft spot. this soldier has not been home in a week, telling us the reason he's fighting is for his little girl. she wrote him a letter in english. "i want you to know everyone missing you at home and we want you to return safe and sound. i ask you to help the country to be a better place. your number one." david culver, cnn, ecuador. >> our thanks to david for that reporting. he'll stay on it, of course. back-to-back storms give us a glimpse of the future with climate change. how one stretch of the east coast is now part of the new climate reality. and new this morning, king charles was admitted to a london hospital for a scheduled prostate procedure. the palace said last week he was undergoing treatment and that it was benign.

communities across new england, across the coastline are getting a glimpse of just how climate change could make coastal storms so much more extreme. two pretty rare back-to-back storms brought powerful wind, destructive flooding and record high tides to maine, washing away buildings and the soil, changing a way of life for those who have lived there for centuries. our chief climate correspondent bill weir joins us from portland, maine. good morning, bill. >> reporter: good morning, poppy, and what's really striking is when you consider all of this damage, the result of about 7 1/2 inches of sea level rise over the last century, scientists telling us to prepare for another 11 inches in the next 25 years, and the people feeling it the most are those who work and love the gulf of maine so much. on a planet warmed to record highs by fossil fuel pollution,

the gulf of maine is among those corners of earth overheating the fastest. this is driving lobster and cod further offshore, making it harder to make a living off of the sea. but then, the warming climate brought another devastating blow this month. two of them, actually. back-to-back freakishly wet winter storms that came not from the typical fnor east but from the south. at record high tide, a combination that brought down wharves and docks that have been part of the landscape for generations. so this is what that was there? >> yeah, that whole building. >> no way. that's what's left of it. >> just generations of stuff. there's a lot of memory down there. >> reporter: meanwhile in south portland, the storm surge took three iconic fish shacks built on willard beach 136 years ago.

pretty obvious they're gone, you know, if you've never been here before, you might not have a clue. and they didn't leave an impression up there. >> no trace. >> reporter: there's no trace of them whatsoever, so the only impression we have is an emotional impression. in here, right. the forms buried last high water record, literally. >> down there in the hole is the 1978 blizzard high water mark. >> is that right? >> that's right. it was covered by sand in the most recent storm. >> all of this is what happens after just 7 1/2 inches of sea level rise in the last 100 years and scientists telling maine to brace for much more in the next 25. >> maine is preparing for a foot and a half of sea level rise by 2050 and 4 feet by 2,100. they are people who are experiencing devastating inter-generational loss right now, and almost in the same breath they're recognizing the realities of climate change, and saying how high and how strong do i need to rebuild or do i

rebuild at all. >> reporter: were you insured? >> no, no insurance. it's so expensive for insurance for anything over the water. me and whoever, we just can't afford it. >> reporter: monique coombs advocates for fishermen, which means sounding the alarm of a growing mental health crisis. >> you fish there, your kids learn to fish there, and the storm comes along, and it's completely gone, and that coupled with your community changing because now there is more mansions than there are fish houses, that takes processing. that's a sense of loss and grief and a way of life that's sort of fading, and we're in a precarious position in the industry right now, but fishermen are some of the most resilient people i know. they're stubborn, which is a blessing and a curse. they're really good problem solvers. if anybody can build back after storms, contend with climate

change, i think it's those guys and gals. >> reporter: and alas, another warmer than average winter storm is forecasted this weekend. not enough to bring snow to the ski resorts who desperately need it, so it's not just fishing towns but winter resorts towns, phil and poppy, thinking about intergenerational loss. >> stubborn resilient problem solvers, i like it. bill weir, an important story. thank you. donald trump and e. jean carroll are headed to court for closing arguments in the defamation lawsuit against the former president. a jury could rule on those damageges today, s stay with u . rz

. don't give up hope.

just when you thought nothing -- it's a friday. i have some hope. thanks, bill. don't give up hope again. just when you thought nothing could unite america or that there's something that every american agrees on, and no, it is not harry enten. it's football, right, harry? >> that's exactly right, although i would like to think i bring people together. look, 2023 top tv programs, all top 20 with the nfl. top 50, 49 of the 50 were top 100. if you're wondering if that's continuing now, last week's bills, chiefs divisional playoff game it 50 million viewers. that's the most viewed nonnfl chip game ever and nonnew show sinces 2024 "friends" finale. >> who won that game again? >> not the right time. >> we're going to get to taylor swift in a second. fans of football, 73% of

republicans, 72% of independents, 66% of democrats across partisan lines, despite some people trying to break it down across those lines, they stay steady. everyone's a fan of the nfl. how about female viewership in the 2023, 2024, regular season. it's up 9% to its highest level ever. >> look at those bengals fans. >> look at those bengals fans. >> is that the right team? >> yes, you're much better than anderson cooper at this. >> that would be the only thing i can do better. >> i think there are more. >> taylor swift and travis kelce relationship impact on the nfl, you mentioned it. positive impact, 71% of football fans. 80% of swifties, i'm a fan of taylor swift. i'm a fan of her impact on the game. it's brought more people into it, despite the fact we root for different times, i like her and her impact. >> i love on the back end trying to get in a better place with taylor swift after your attacks last week. you know what really matters, brings people together, jason kelce,rt