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Two TX Cheerleaders Shot After Getting Into Wrong Car In Parking Lot; Anti-Vaccine Activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Launching 2024 Bid; New Study: Black Women Should Start Screenings Earlier. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired April 19, 2023 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:30:00]

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SARA SIDNER, CNN NEWS CENTRAL HOST: Now, to a pair of disturbing back- to-back shootings involving teenagers who made innocent mistakes. One involves a wrong address. The other, a wrong car. Let's start with what happened with the car.

Elite cheerleader Payton Washington is recovering this morning just outside of Austin, Texas after police say a man open fire on her and a car full of her teammates after practice. Police say one of them had accidentally gone into his car. CNN's Ed Lavandera joins us now live with more on what happened. What a disturbing scenario.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Oh, no question. Trying to make sense of the senselessness is really difficult for all of the people very close to these four cheerleaders. We are told by the cheerleading coach that these four girls would travel from the Austin area to the Houston area where their team practice. It's a 300-mile round trip.

They would do this three times a week. They would go together. And that's why they were coming back so late at night.

They're arriving at this parking lot of a grocery store in the town of Elgin, Texas, just outside of Austin, when one of the girls got out of the car to get into her own car. But by mistake, she says she got into the wrong car. When she noticed that there was someone else in it, she got out and got back in her car.

But that man got out of the car, came around to where the four girls were. The young woman said she started trying to apologize for making that mistake. And then the man opened fire on them.

One of the girls was not very severely wounded. She was treated and released. However, the young woman by the name of Payton Washington, who was a senior in high school is in critical condition.

And her coach shared some stunning details about what an impressive young woman, it says Payton Washington was born with only one lung. And despite that obstacle, she says -- her coach says she has rise to -- risen to the top of her sport here. In fact, she had committed to perform with the Baylor Acrobatics and Tumbling team next year in college. Her coach says she's an inspiration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNNE SHEARER, OWNER, WOODLANDS CHEER: She's really a huge face in the All-Star cheerleading world. She's a mentor and a role model to so many kids in this industry. She's an amazing athlete. Amazing kid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Elgin police say they have arrested 25-year-old Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr. They have charged him with deadly conduct which is a third-degree felony. Police there in Elgin, Sara, say that they can enhance or add additional criminal charges. And we're expecting an update on this case from Elgin police in just a few hours, Sara.

SIDNER: Let us hope and pray that Payton Washington makes it out of the status of critical condition. Ed Lavandera, thank you so much live there from South Padre Island for us. Kate?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL HOST: Yes. So, that in Texas but now there is new hope this morning for the Kansas City teenager who was shot when he simply made the mistake of going to the wrong house to pick up his brothers. Ralph Yarl's attorney posted this new photo. We're showing you right here. This photo of Ralph Yarl and Lee Merritt sitting -- just sitting on a bench in the sun together after Yarl returned home from the hospital.

[11:35:03]

According to the family's attorney, Yarl still has a very long road ahead. But he can walk and communicate. The 84-year-old man charged with shooting him, Andrew Lester, he'll be arraigned on two felony charges in just a few hours. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in jail. This morning, the mayor of Kansas City voiced his frustration over Lester being released on bail. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUINTON LUCAS, MAYOR OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: It is shameful in some ways that he gets to live this very normal life. But I understand it's part of this system that we have, which needs real tweaks. And I think that this has everything to do with race.

The defendants fear of black people, black men, black boys, and I think that's why we are all discussing this now for some reason, right? Because it is something that is tragic. And I think that if the young man wasn't black, we wouldn't be here today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Now, some folks in Kansas City, they're now calling on federal officials to conduct a hate crimes investigation into the shooting. And we'll stand by to see if that happens, John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL HOST: It is great to see him out and about. BOLDUAN: It's amazing -- it's amazing.

BERMAN: That picture really is nice to see.

Attorneys are expected to announce a civil lawsuit today against the city of Memphis for the death of Tyre Nichols. The suit will also include the Memphis Police Department and the individual officers involved with Nichols' death. The 29-year-old black man was brutally beaten by officers during a traffic stop earlier this year.

Police body camera footage revealed the violent encounter while Nichols was already restrained. CNN's Nick Valencia is covering this. Nick, what do we expect to happen today?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Hey, good morning, John. This has been called a landmark lawsuit by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and it's expected to happen in just under two hours from now, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Civil rights attorney Crump will be joined by his co-counsel Antonio Romanucci, as well as a retired magistrate judge from the city of Memphis. And all three attorneys cite intentional infliction of emotional distress for lying to Tyre Nichols' mother.

If you remember it was shortly after Nichols was taken into custody that officers showed up at Nichols's mother's home to say that he was a suspect in a DUI arrest despite there being no evidence to back up that claim. If you remember, in fact, the police report was riddled with inconsistencies and misleading information. Those five officers involved in Nichols' deadly arrest had been charged with second-degree murder. All of them have pleaded not guilty.

There's been so much fallout from Nichol's arrest, including the disbanding of the so-called Scorpion unit. That specialized crime unit. There's also been multiple police reforms passed by the city of Memphis.

This press conference is expected to happen at 1:00 p.m. Eastern with this lawsuit now announced. No word yet -- just yet, John, on just how much money the family is seeking. John.

BERMAN: Nick Valencia for us. Keep us posted, Nick. Thank you. Sara?

VALENCIA: You bet.

SIDNER: Another Kennedy sets his eyes on the White House but much of his famous family is not behind his bid. We're waiting to hear from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Coming up next.

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[11:42:23]

BOLDUAN: On our radar this morning, a 13-year-old in Ohio is dead after participating in a dangerous TikTok challenge. Jacob Stevens, his family says that he took a large amount of Benadryl. It's part of the online trend. He was reportedly on a ventilator for almost a week before he passed. TikTok says they are working to remove this type of dangerous content. And the maker of Benadryl is calling for people to stop this immediately and understandably.

The former Chief Financial Officer for the Trump Organization is expected to be released from Rikers today. Allen Weisselberg was serving time for his role in a decades-long tax scheme. He was sentenced back in January to five months. As part of a plea deal, he pleaded guilty to 15 felonies and testified against his former employer.

Production is beginning again for the movie Rust. Filming is expected to start tomorrow at a new location in Montana after a cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on set. Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. He was holding the gun that fired. And according to producers, he will return to finish the project. John?

BERMAN: All right, Kate. Happening now. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is about to officially announce his challenge to President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic nomination. It's happening on this stage. You can see right behind me. Of course, we should note that Biden has not yet officially launched his reelection campaign.

Robert Kennedy hails from one of America's most well-known political families. He is the son of former attorney general, senator, and presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy. The nephew of President John F. Kennedy.

It is worth noting though, that Robert Kennedy has not received resounding support from his family. And that's partly due to his history of controversial statements. He has long promoted vaccine skepticism. He authored a book he called "The Real Anthony Fauci." And he came under fire last year for invoking Nazi Germany in an anti- vaccine speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., ANTI-VACCINE ACTIVIST: Even in Hitler's Germany, you could -- you could cross the Alps in Switzerland. You can hide in an attic like Anne Frank did. Today, the mechanisms are being put in place. I will make it a none of us can run and none of us can hide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: He also insisted that the man convicted of assassinating his father did not actually fire the shot that killed him. Most of his family seems frustrated with this campaign. Siblings Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy, along with cousins Bobby Shriver and Patrick Kennedy, have already thrown support behind President Biden for 2024.

[11:45:01]

His sister, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend did not want to talk about her brother's presidential run, but her position seems clear. In 2019, she co-wrote an article that criticized her brother's anti-vaccine rhetoric. With me now is CNN political director, David Chalian. David, this announcement we were just looking at right there is in Boston. Robert Kennedy trying to perhaps rekindle some of that Kennedy magic in Massachusetts. But how should we be looking at this, especially when one of the people promoting this candidacy, or at least talking about it the most is Steve Bannon.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes. Steve Bannon, you're right. Donald Trump's former senior strategist. He was saying that if Kennedy was running in the Republican primary, he'd probably be third in the polls in the Republican primary with Trump and DeSantis. I don't know if that's the kind of endorsement he was looking for.

You noted some of his siblings, John. I would just also note, his cousin, Caroline Kennedy is serving as a Biden ambassador, as is his aunt, Vicki Kennedy, Ted Kennedy's widow is serving as an ambassador in this administration. And Joe Kennedy III was -- we just saw a went over to Ireland with President Biden.

So -- and he's part of -- he's a special envoy for the Biden administration. So, there are a lot of Biden's supporters. many more so in the Kennedy clan than there are Robert Kennedy Jr. supporters.

BERMAN: Yes. Actually, watching some of the announcement video that they put together here, he's really leaning into the Kennedy family history here with video of his father, video of his uncle, who was of course president, pretty interesting to see this. All right. Let's talk about the Republican primary right now.

Ron DeSantis, who has not yet announced he is running for president, he went to Washington yesterday. And Donald Trump's supporters today are kind of crowing saying it didn't go well for DeSantis. So, what happened, and what does it mean, David?

CHALIAN: Yes. So, we should always take with just a little bit of caution, how much weight we put into individual endorsements. I'm not sure they amount to the same thing, in fact, I know they don't, of votes and delegates and the way in which you win a nomination. But I do think sort of the inside game is on display of how DeSantis is playing it, and Trump is playing it. And right now, DeSantis is being a bit outplayed by Trump.

So, members of the Florida congressional delegation were endorsing Donald Trump, not their fellow former House member Ron DeSantis -- their current Governor Ron DeSantis, in the days leading up to DeSantis's trip to Washington. The Trump campaign when they were working the phones, they understood they could make some hey, if they could get some Florida Republicans on board with the Trump campaign in advance of this visit, and they did.

Listen. Ron DeSantis is known to have on his to-do-list here getting better at sort of the retail personal politicking, backslapping that goes on here. That's not what he's known for. And when you heard from some of his former fellow House members in this meeting, it's not that he was dazzling. In fact, one, Congressman Gooden came out -- a Republican of Texas, announced his support for Trump after he was sitting through the DeSantis meeting, John. So, it was definitely not the trip DeSantis had planned, but I don't think we should read too much into it in thinking that DeSantis before even gets into this race can't mount a substantial challenge.

BERMAN: Yes. And the DeSantis people whispering behind the scenes when he gets into the race, he'll have all kinds of endorsements. Just wait for that. So, we'll have to wait and see. Interesting days, though. David Chalian, always great to speak with you. Thank you. Sara?

SIDNER: It's good to see you. And Chalian chopping it up once again over politics.

All right. A new study suggests that black women will need to start getting their mammograms earlier. The new age recommendation, when we come back.

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[11:53:15]

SIDNER: Now to an alarming new study on breast cancer suggesting black women should start mammogram screening several years earlier than other women. CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard joins us with more on this new research. What does it tell you -- what does it recommend specifically to black women and why?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Well, Sara, this study suggests -- it's just a study, not a formal recommendation, but it raises the question of whether black women should start mammogram screenings at age 42 rather than age 50. The reason why we already know that black women are less likely than white women to have breast cancer, the incidence rate is four percent lower. But when we do have the disease, the death rate among black women is about 40 percent higher compared with white women. So, when we do have it, we're more likely to die from the disease.

And the researchers behind this new study, it's an international group of researchers. They analyzed more than 400,000 breast cancer deaths in data here in the U.S. And they came to this determination that screening earlier can enhance survival among black women.

Now, with that being said, Sara, the American Cancer Society already recommends that women -- all women should start considering mammograms, and start talking to their doctors at age 40. Here's the American Cancer Society's chief patient officer on that topic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ARIF KAMAL, CHIEF PATIENT OFFICER, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: I think that conversation needs to happen from age 40 onward. And so, you know, for my family members and for the patients I talk to, at 40, I try to find a compelling reason why not to do screening mammogram. But for most women, we don't find a reason not to do it and we get them scheduled to get it done.

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[11:55:00]

HOWARD: So, that means, Sara, the American Cancer Society's recommendations already align with this new study. And while there are risks and benefits to anything, including mammograms, one potential harm with screening earlier is that you could get a false positive result, so that's something for patients to keep in mind and talk to their doctors about.

And for us women, we also should talk to our doctors about our breast tissue density. If you have dense tissue that can lead to or raise your risk, I should say, of a false positive. So, that's another part of the conversation that we should be having with our doctor, Sara.

SIDNER: All right. Jacqueline Howard, good advice there. Thank you so much.

BOLDUAN: And thank you all so much for joining us. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. INSIDE POLITICS is up next.

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