Today's CNN 10 Transcript

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COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September. What's up, sunshine? I'm Coy Wire, and a brand-new month means 30 new chances to learn something, try something, and treat someone with kindness. 10 minutes, big world, let's start this month strong.

September 1st marks the beginning of meteorological fall in the northern hemisphere and meteorological spring in the southern hemisphere. So, depending on where you're watching us, either grab the pumpkin spice or start smelling the flowers, and let's get to the news.

All right, we begin at one of Earth's greatest natural wonders, where nature has given us another reminder of just how quickly beauty can become dangerous. A devastating flash flood tore through parts of the Grand Canyon National Park Saturday.

Dozens of hikers and campers were evacuated, many by helicopter. Approximately 15 people were still missing as of this taping. At least one person had died. One hiker described a wall of debris rushing toward their group, waterfalls suddenly appearing, boulders tumbling, and landslides erupting around them.

The flooding struck the Bright Angel Creek corridor after intense thunderstorms. Popular hiking and camping areas have been closed.

The Grand Canyon plunges more than a mile deep in places and exposes rocks approaching two billion years old. More than 4.4 million people visited last year. And the disaster is another reminder that flash floods can happen quickly, especially in narrow canyons where water has nowhere else to go.

Now to an update on the conflict in the Middle East. U.S. Central Command says American forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers in Lurik Island Sunday. The U.S. military says Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces were preparing to use rockets to deploy sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

Just days before, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran against placing new mines in the Strait, and the U.S. military said it had just finished clearing mines from international shipping lanes there. Roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply has historically traveled through this narrow passage.

Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles toward two U.S. bases in Jordan. Iran's Revolutionary Guard called the Americans strike a, quote, "strategic and deadly mistake," unquote. This was the first publicly confirmed direct exchange of fire between U.S. and Iranian forces in about a month.

Pop quiz hot shot about what percentage of the world's population has naturally red hair?

Two percent, eight percent, 15, or 25?

If you said two percent, you're red hot. Natural red hair is one of the world's rarest hair colors. It's most common among people with Northern and Northwestern European ancestry.

Once a year, thousands of redheads from more than 80 countries come together in the city of Tilburg, Netherlands, to celebrate their uniqueness at the Dutch Redhead Days Festival. And get this, in 2005, Dutch artist Bart Ruvenhorst put on an advertisement looking for a handful of red-haired models.

Instead, hundreds responded. So, rather than tell most of them no, he invited them all, and an international festival was born. Our Ben Hunte has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Seeing red? That is the beauty of the Redhead Days Festival in the Netherlands. It's estimated that less than two percent of the world's population has naturally red hair, and attendees say it's a rare chance to be surrounded by people with similar roots.

JONI VIITALA, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: I feel of course, connected to the Redhead community and I don't see that many redheads in Finland. So, it's good to see all the one, all the -- all of the people here right -- right now.

HUNTE: Every year, the Dutch city of Tilburg turns into a sea of ginger, copper, and strawberry. The three-day event draws thousands of redheads from all around the world for a chance to show off their locks.

MATILDA HOLBOROUGH, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: It's just a really cool thing, seeing so many people like, it's just really cool.

HUNTE: And enjoy music, food, and specialized workshops that cover everything from skin cancer prevention to makeup tips.

EVA RENG-ANDERSEN, "HEY REDHEAD" MASCARA: I was inspired to create a product for redheads because we can't find redhead mascaras and for brows, so we made a little makeup booth.

HUNTE: Though red is the star of this show, organizers say everyone is invited. Because the camaraderie and positive energy of the event is enough to make anyone blend in.

SOFIE DE BEIJER, FESTIVAL ORGANIZING TEAM: You don't have to be a redhead to be welcome, because we just celebrate the humanness and like the unique points of a human being. We just celebrate it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: From people standing out in a crowd to students preparing to stand out in the sky. Birds flying high, you know how they feel, because one New York City high school is helping students explore careers in the aviation industry, learning everything from airplane mechanics to air traffic control, and after graduating, they are fully equipped to take flight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY SUMBA, STUDENT AT AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL: There's a lot of opportunity in this aviation that a lot of high schools don't have.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, you can tell me how this purchase works.

STEVEN R. JACKSON, PRINCIPAL AT AVIATION SCHOOL: Aviation High School is a public New York City high school that is also a federal aviation administration regulated aviation maintenance school. We are one of the largest in the country, all the traditional high school coursework, plus hands-on work that can get them a job in the aviation industry right after high school.

WIRE: At aviation, students learn every aspect of the plane. They specialize in certifications that allow them to succeed in careers in aircraft management and manufacturing, taking on roles as airplane mechanics, air traffic controllers, and flight dispatchers as soon as they graduate.

JACKSON: We want to make sure that they're in class every day, that they're studying every day, that they're getting all their jobs done properly, because again, there's people's lives at stake when they get into the workforce to work on the airplanes that we all fly on.

JAMES DASCAOU, STUDENT AT AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL: You know, there's like so many different parts of the plane that you really need to have some idea of each section, and really every single class prepares you somewhat for that for that road into the aviation field.

WIRE: Like other career and technical high schools, Aviation High struggles with recruiting women. In fact, women make up less than 10 percent of all skilled trade jobs across the country.

ALEXIS CONNOR, STUDENT AT AVIATION HIGH SCHOOL: I think in any class I'm in, there's less than 10 girls in that class. Every day, I feel like I have to prove myself, and that's hard, but it's very rewarding when I finish at the same pace that the boys do.

WIRE: Getting into Aviation High isn't easy. In 2023, just over 4,000 applicants competed for only 500 seats at the school. Students travel by train, bus, and ferry from all over New York City, commuting up to two and a half hours to attend the school.

SUMBA: So, it's very early mornings. Sometimes, like currently, I have to be here about like 6:30, because I'm coming to practice in for my licensing. I mean, it's worth the commute to come here to do what I'm doing right now, but it is sometimes very lengthy.

JACKSON: Vocational programs are definitely now getting a lot more focus, and schools like ours that are aligned in the industry that has huge need, of course, is creating another major focus for education systems across the country. The numbers they're predicting, the desire for airlines to find technicians yesterday is already felt, so it's something that we're dealing with. They're putting together packages to try and lure technicians to their company, because the need is so huge.

CONNOR: You can see the world, and you're not locked down at a desk. You're always doing something different. It makes college an option for you instead of a necessity. You know, college isn't the only route to success at aviation, while in other schools, it's pushed in its course.

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WIRE: Today's story, getting a 10 out of 10 above the rim and half a million bucks for some of the most electrifying few seconds of basketball. Welcome to Dunk Man. NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal figured, if everybody loves the dunks, why wait for the rest of the game? The first pro league dedicated entirely to competitive dunking. The best dunkers on the planet came together in Atlanta for the inaugural Dunk Man World Championship. With $500,000 on the line, our Andy Scholes was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, FOUNDER & COMMISSIONER, DUNKMAN: I wanted to bring all the best dunkers, give them their own professional platform. You know, everybody has their internet platform. I wanted to bring these guys, because listen, our professional guys are not stepping up for the fans. I wanted to do something great for the fans.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: And the dunks in the final were unbelievable. We saw guys jump over motorcycles, jump over cars. We had a dunker even do the high jump, and in the end, it was 21-year-old high flyer Cam Hazzard from Texas that was named the first ever Dunk Man World Champion, bringing home a cool half a million-dollar prize.

CAM HAZZARD, 2026 DUNKMAN WINNER: This is my first dunk contest, and I just came out on top. So, a lot of people aren't going to believe that, but I just started posting it two years ago. Never thought it would go anywhere, and now I'm on top.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: All right, friends. New month means new opportunities for us to share your 10 out of 10 moments. Send us something good to cnn10@cnn.com. Your wins, milestones, highlights, hidden talents, or achievements, and you just might be featured in our September 10th episode of CNN 10.

All right, I've got time for one shout out today. Mr. Sam at the Transition Education Center in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The advisory class made this custom cutting board. This is for chopping or knocking if I need good luck.

Happy first day of school, and thank you so much. Be curious, be kind, and if life puts a rim in front of you, rise up and throw down.

I'm Coy Wire, and we are CNN 10.

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CNN 10's Weekly News Quiz

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