Well, hello and happy Monday. Hope you
had an awesome weekend. I'm Cooy Wire
here with your CNN 10 minutes of news.
We have driverless cars mysteriously
taking over a neighborhood. We have a
brand new CNN 10 tradition you'll hear
about where we're going to be honoring
some of your heroes in uniform. But we
start today with an emotional
homecoming. Uh after one of the Navy's
longest deployments in decades after
nearly 11 months at sea, thousands of
sailors are finally back in the arms of
loved ones. The USS Gerald R. Ford and
two other ships returning home to
Norfol, Virginia after a globe spanning
mission that stretched 326 days, making
it the longest deployment for a US
aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War.
It's America's largest and newest
aircraft carrier. It participated in the
capture of Venezuela's former leader in
the ongoing conflict in Iran as well.
Our Brian Todd has more on what this
deployment meant for the sailors and
their families. This is the end of an
exhausting deployment. The USS Gerald R.
Ford, the aircraft carrier pulled into
Norfolk here a short time ago after the
longest deployment of an aircraft
carrier strike group since the Vietnam
War, 11 months out at sea. Uh during
that time, they had some issues on
board. There was a fire that tore
through the laundry area on board the
ship that required 30 hours for crew
members to put it out and keep it from
reigniting. Then they flew sordies just
2 days after that. Uh but also they had
plumbing issues on board. The toilets
didn't work and they had to be fixed. So
a lot of that uh had to go in for
repairs at port. Uh but you know family
members told us about just kind of the
nature of this deployment and the pure
length of it. Two different times this
deployment was extended. So we talked to
family members about what it was like to
go through that. What was the toughest
part of this deployment?
>> Uh, one, him being gone for 11 months
and him getting extended over and over
and over and then the pregnancy doing it
all by myself cuz, you know, obviously
he had to go and the labor and delivery
by myself. That was very emotional for
me having to deliver him.
>> I think any anybody that's been on a
deployment on a ship, it feels the same.
It's like, ah, you know, that's a
bummer, but we got to do what we got to
do, you know, like
just
>> we'll be home eventually. They got we
got to come home eventually.
>> Can you tell us Sarah what the toughest
part of the deployment was for you?
>> Um just my husband missing everything.
Uh missing his first steps, missing his
first birthday.
>> So family members telling us they missed
important events that their spouses on
board here missed important events like
first steps, uh birthdays, but also
actual births. One Navy official told us
they believe that about 57 babies were
born among the families of those
deployed. uh during this 11-month
deployment.
>> All right, exciting stuff. Today, we are
launching something brand new on CNN 10
called the honor role. It's our chance
to salute the troops, the brave women
and men who serve. You have a family
member, a friend in the military, send
us a photo, a few lines about why you're
proud of them, maybe even a fun fact
that makes them uniquely awesome. Send
it to CNN10@cn.com
because behind every uniform is a story
worth honoring. Health officials are
working to contain an outbreak of Ebola
virus in parts of the Democratic
Republic of Congo and Uganda. As of this
taping, at least 80 people have died and
nearly 250 suspected cases have been
reported. Officials fear those numbers
could be higher than what's been
reported so far. Ebola is an often fatal
hemorrhagic virus which causes fever,
bodyaches, and vomiting. And this
specific strain of the virus currently
has no approved vaccines or
therapeutics. While the virus is
extremely infectious, it's not extremely
contagious. It typically spreads through
direct contact with bodily fluids of
infected people or animals. The DRC's
dense rainforests provide a natural
reservoir for the virus. This marks the
17th documented outbreak since the virus
was first identified there in 1976.
The World Health Organization has
declared the outbreak a public health
emergency of international concern.
They're urging bordering nations to
activate emergency protocols like
crossber health screenings in an effort
to limit the spread. Okay. What in the
robot rodeo is going on here? Residents
in one Atlanta neighborhood say dozens
of empty Whimo vehicles have been
circling their culdeac for weeks like
they're stuck in an endless group
project with GPS issues. Neighbors even
tried using street signs and cones to
block the cars, but that only made
things worse, creating what looked like
a robot traffic jam straight out of a
sci-fi comedy. Whimo issued a statement
saying that it has quote already
addressed this routing behavior. Some
residents counted nearly 50 driverless
cars rolling through in a single hour.
Pop quiz hot shot. What is the oldest
operating public university in the
United States? University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. Harvard
University, College of William and Mary,
or University of Georgia.
If you said UNCC Chapel Hill, I see you.
The school first opened its doors to
students in 1795 and graduated its first
class in 1798, making it the only US
public institution to confer degrees in
the 18th century. It's being called one
of the best commencement addresses we've
ever heard. Country music star Eric
Church going viral for his graduation
speech to new grads last weekend at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. The North Carolina native strummed
his guitar and used its strings as a
metaphor for living a complete life.
Here's part of the speech that's
striking a chord online. This is the
thinnest string. It's the highest note,
the one that carries the melody, that
single line above the chord that
everyone in this room recognizes and
takes with them on the way home.
It's also the one bent most easily by
outside pressure.
Social media is going to show you a
thousand versions of a life that looks
better than yours. The comparison will
be relentless, curated, and a lie
dressed up in really good lighting.
Someone's comments, someone's criticism,
someone's cold opinion is going to try
to convince you to retune yourself to
match what they think you should sound
like. Do not let them touch your string.
You were made uniquely, wonderfully,
distinctly. There's a sound only you can
make. A voice that has never existed
before you and will never exist again. A
contribution only you can bring. A way
of seeing that belongs to only you. The
world does not need another another
cover song. It needs an original.
Today's story getting a 10 out of 10. A
graduation for students at Spellelman
College. The historically black women's
college in Atlanta has not one, not two,
but seven validictorians. Our Victor
Blackwell has their story.
>> Each with a different major, but the
same GPA, a perfect 4.0.
And this morning, I'm introducing the
Spellman 7.
>> This moment feels very surreal. I think
it was something that was written
exactly how it was supposed to be. My
sister Corana, she said something very
powerful in our first interview. She
said, "Seven is the number of
completion." And I feel like that is
just so perfect. It brings me back to a
biblical meeting and I think about how
God created the earth in six days and on
the seventh day he rested. It's
>> been a long long journey for me
personally getting um here to
graduation.
>> It was so late at night. There was
nobody awake for me to tell. So, I
called my mom super late and luckily she
was awake and we had a conversation
about it and she was so happy for me. I
actually lit up. I was very excited
about it.
>> What does this image mean right now in
our country
>> for young women to see women that are
thriving and that are educated and that
are um showing that yes, you know, we
can do this.
>> We can always overcome and be excellent
and that's what some women do.
>> My dream is to be a corporate attorney.
I'll be going to Columbia Law and
starting in the fall of 2026 to get my
masters um and fail my MBA and my MFA.
I'll be working as a parallegal.
>> A word that I would use to describe how
I feel about the future is just pure
hope.
>> I would say grateful and empowered.
>> First blessed, second fulfilled. We are
only just going to continue to break
down walls and break down barriers. I
love these girls so much and it's just
really been a ride and we're going to be
sisters for life. All
right, let's start this week with some
epic shoutouts. This first one goes to
Mr. Shambball and friends at Redland
High School in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
I know you have been showing the show
for years, Mr. Shambball, and we are so
grateful that you make us a part of your
day. I see you, Georgia. And speaking of
Georgia, we're showing some love to the
Lions, Miss Middleman and crew at Davis
Academy in Atlanta. Joey and Alyssa, it
was so nice to meet you recently. Rise
up. And this shout out goes to Mrs. is
Mallaloy at Tiverton Middle School in
Tiverton, Rhode Island. Thank you for
subscribing and leaving such kind
comments on our YouTube channel. You are
more powerful than you know. Make it an
awesome Monday, everyone. I'm Ky Wire
and we are CNN 10.