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Friend of Trump Accuser Testifying In Battery, Defamation Trial; UC Davis Community On High Alert After 3rd Stabbing Near Campus; 7 Bodies Found In Search For 2 Missing Oklahoma Teens; Senate Panel Holds Hearings On Supreme Court Ethical Issues; Alleged Drunk Driver Hits Golf Cart Carrying Wedding Party; Study: 5,000 Tons Of Dangerous Chemicals Escape From Consumer Products. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired May 02, 2023 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, so Carroll called her friend, Lisa Birnbach, to collaborate her story. Under testimony and direct examination, Birnbach did just that.

She said she recalled getting the call from Carroll within five to seven minutes after Carroll left the Bergdorf Department Store. She recalled it was around 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. in 1996, because she was feeding her small children dinner in the kitchen.

She said Carroll called her and recounted everything that happened, the same allegations Carroll testified to in the case.

One of the things she said she remembered is that Carroll was breathless, hyperventilating, emotional. Her voice was all kinds of things. She said it sounded like she had a surge of adrenaline.

She said, after Carroll described the alleged rape, that Birnbach stepped out of the kitchen where her kids were at, she whispered, "You were raped, you need to go to the police." She said Carroll told her, no, no, no. It was a fight and they promised to never speak of it again.

And then they also called, after Birnbach's testimony, Jessica Leeds. She is a woman who said she was sitting in first class, next to Donald Trump, who introduced himself to her. They shook hands.

She said that, seemingly out of nowhere, he started groping at her. She said it was like he had 40 zillion hands. Then when his hand went up her skirt, she testified, that's when she got out of her seat and bolted to the coach section of the plane.

Now on cross-examination, Trump's attorneys were really pressing Birnbach's many, many negative public statements around Trump, suggesting that she just hated him and this was all political.

And for Leeds, you know, they are going to get into cross-examination just after the lunch break -- Jim?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Listen, that testimony from a friend who said she got the call from her friend moments after it happened, that's something that the legal system looks at with credibility, and it's within the statute of limitations. Crucial testimony.

Kara Scannell, in New York, thank you so much.

Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Right now, a manhunt is underway and students at the University of California, Davis, are on high alert after a stunning third stabbing near campus in just one week.

This was the crime scene overnight. Authorities now say a woman is in critical condition after being stabbed multiple times.

It comes after, last week, two other people were stabbed to death. First, a 50-year-old man at nearby Central Park on Thursday, and a U.C. Davis student at Sycamore Park on Saturday night. Police have not made an arrest or named any suspects.

CNN national correspondent, Nick Watt, is on this for us.

Nick, walk us through the evidence that police are looking through. Do they have any leads?

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, the Davis police tell us they are looking through, quote, "hundreds of tips and leads." But as you said, they still have not identified a potential suspect.

Meantime, U.C. Davis college officials are mulling over whether to reschedule evening classes. Students are obviously scared to go out after dark.

After that stabbing last night, students were actually told to shelter in place while police tried and failed to find a man who was seen running from the scene. He is described as a young, thin man, light skinned, wearing black Adidas pants.

That one woman is still in critical condition. Two men murdered within the past week.

Take a listen to the deputy chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD HENRY, DEPUTY CHIEF, DAVIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: It's very obvious the manner and the brutality of these crimes are very similar. That's concerning to us. But at this stage, we can't definitively link them yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Tragic ironies in the back stories of the two men murdered. One man was known around town to preaching his message of compassion. And a 20-year-old, they moved -- his family moved to California from Lebanon in 2018 looking, says his father, for safety -- Boris?

SANCHEZ: Yes. A very different profile of each victim. You have to imagine police are looking at all possible suspects.

Nick Watt, from Los Angeles, thank you so much.

Jessica?

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: All right, from that sad and terrifying situation to a gruesome discovery in eastern Oklahoma.

Authorities say two missing teenage girls are believed to be among the seven bodies found at a convicted sex offender's home in the small town of Henryetta.

The body of the 39-year-old sex offender was also found on the property.

All seven bodies were discovered after Jesse McFadden missed a court date on Monday where he was set to stand trial on several charges of solicitation of a minor.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov is following the details.

Lucy, this is truly horrific. What are you learning?

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are still waiting on critical pieces of information, Jessica, including the identities of the other four victims. The sheriff did say the other victims were part of one family, but the names were not released.

As for those two teenage girls you mentioned, here's what we know. Oklahoma Highway Patrol pushed a missing persons alert for the 14- year-old Ivy Webster and 16-year-old Brittney Brewer on early Monday afternoon.

They were last seen in Henryetta, which is about 90 miles east of Oklahoma City, and possibly with that 39-year old male, Jesse McFadden, who was also included in the alert.

[13:35:07]

And he has been convicted of sexual assault. He's also listed on the Oklahoma Sex Offender Registry.

We know that Ivy Webster went with a friend on Saturday to a McAllister area, according to the sheriff's office from a Facebook post. She was supposed to return home by 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Nobody was able to reach her.

We understand law enforcement arrived to the property yesterday with a search warrant at about 3:00 p.m. They discovered the seven bodies, not in the residence but just on the property, according to the sheriff.

And although the bodies have not yet been identified by the medical examiner, officials said they believed they found, quote, "everything they were seeking." They said there's no threat to the community or suspect at large and no threat to the community -- Jessica? DEAN: Lucy Kafanov for us with those gruesome details. Thanks so much.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: Still to come, ethics concerns, big ones, at the Supreme Court. The Senate Judiciary Committee now tackling the controversy. They have critics, including a key conservative judge demanding a code of ethics.

Plus, a bride is killed by a drunk driver just hours after her wedding. The groom is in critical condition. We will have the latest.

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[13:40:42]

DEAN: Right now, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding hearings as ethics concern at the Supreme Court pileup.

The high court has been embroiled in controversies, including a draft week about abortion opinion that set off a wave of protests across the county.

And then, in the last month, new questions have been raised about Justice Clarence Thomas and the luxury trips he has taken over the decades, paid for by a Republican mega donor. That same donor reported bough Thomas' mother's home in 2014 along with other family owned properties.

Now new reports, Justice Neil Gorsuch sold a property he owned to a lawyer at a major firm that had business before the court.

Today, a prominent former federal judge called on the court to enact a new code of conduct.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY FOGEL, FORMER FEDERAL JUDGE: In this fraught environment, I believe the absence of a former structure for defining and validating the ethical rules governing the Supreme Court justices is unattainable.

Adoption of such a framework would not make the controversies about the court or its decisions disappear. But it would be a statement to the American people that their faith in the court's adherence to core ethical principles matters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Now today's hearing comes as confidence in the Supreme Court has plummeted to a new low. Look at these numbers. A recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll showing 37 of Americans are confident in the high court, and that's down from 59 percent back in 2018.

Joining me now is Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics and now a senior ethics fellow at the Project on Government Oversight.

Walter, great to see you. Thanks for coming to the table here.

In a written statement before today's hearing, a conservative former appeals court judge told the committee that changes have to be made.

I want to read what he said. He said, "The court should enact a code of conduct that would," quote, "subject itself to the highest professional and ethical standards that would render the court beyond reproach."

It's worth reminding everyone, they don't currently have an ethics code. Do you think we can rely on the court to do this?

WALTER SHAUB, SENIOR ETHICS FELLOW, PROJECT ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT & FORMER DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS: Justice Roberts indicated he doesn't want to do that, but I do think, if they set one up, we could count on them.

Some people have talked about that there should not be a code of ethics because it would not necessarily be enforceable.

But I think having a yardstick against which to measure the conduct of the justices would be a very useful tool for the public. And I think it would create a pressure on the justices to comply or at least be transparent about their noncompliance.

DEAN: It's interesting because the lower courts do have this sort of thing, right?

SHAUB: Yes.

DEAN: But then you have the highest court in the land that doesn't, and I think, to a lot of Americans, it's kind of confusing?

SHAUB: People are often surprised to hear there is no code of ethics for the Supreme Court.

We have a theme running through government ethics in our country where the highest officials with the most power to affect our lives have the least accountability.

The president and the Supreme Court justices, even, to an extent, the Congress members are held to a lower standard than your average federal worker. That simply doesn't make sense. It's ethics standing on its head.

DEAN: Right. Just to look at those numbers, the public trust is eroding. You could assume it's, in part, because of that.

We know the chief justice, John Roberts, turned down an invitation to appear at today's hearing. He declined that invitation.

But he did release a statement on ethics and principles and it was signed by all of the members of the court, and they are hoping to provide clarity. Again, more of a letter than anything else. What do you think the court can do to restore the public trust?

SHAUB: I think Chief Justice Roberts struck another blow to the integrity of the court when he refused to show up at the hearing today.

Because there's a culture of exceptionalism in this court where the justices seem to behave like they're monarchs, like they're rulers, that they're above the rule of law.

I think, if he had shown up and answered questions, and afforded legitimate oversight, that would have gone a long way.

Having failed to do that, I think there's nothing stopping him right now from meeting with the other justices and creating their own ethics code to preempt congressional action.

[13:44:59]

Congress should not have to act. The Supreme Court could act on its own. It could do it today. They could see this hearing, consider the public fallout, and decide to get together and get our act together and show the public we will be more ethical.

DEAN: All right. Walter, great to see you. Thank you so much for being here.

Boris?

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we are watching for this hour.

Interstate 55, south of Springfield, Illinois, is finally reopened today following a massive pileup caused by a dust storm that left at least six people dead on Monday.

The dust blinded drives almost instantly and caused more than 70 vehicles to pileup. Dozens of people are still recovering. The images of the aftermath show mangled cars, piles of semi-trucks and some vehicles and cargo on fire.

Meantime, the hunt in the United States and Mexico continues for a suspect accused of killing five people, including this 9-year-old boy and his mother.

He's accused of a bloody rampage inside his neighbor's home near Houston, Texas, on Friday night. There's an $80,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest.

Backpacks are being banned at public schools in Flint, Michigan. The Flint Board of Education voting to enforce the policy through the rest of the school year over concerns about firearms, weapons and other threats.

They believe that backpacks make it easier for students to hide weapons. And they say clear backpacks simply do not fix the issue. Jim?

SCIUTTO: The fact we have to do that.

This next story will break your heart. In South Carolina, where a wedding celebration turned to stunned grief in a matter of hours.

The bride was driving in a golf cart with her husband and others, and that golf cart struck by a suspected drunk driver and she was killed hours after saying "I do."

CNN's Ryan Young is here with more details.

Ryan, my goodness, we are seeing videos of the happy moment just hours before she lost her life. What do we know about the circumstances of this, and also now the condition of her husband?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He's still in recovery, Jim. You can imagine the physical toll the crash has taken on him. But the all-out mental and heartbreak he must be feeling.

This golf court was thrown more than 75 feet after it was hit, according to police, at 65 miles per hour. The cart was on the side of the road and they were coming back from the wedding.

The members of the wedding party could hear the sirens in the distance at the Airbnb they were staying in and they had a gut feeling and knew something was wrong.

When you see pictures of the family and the folks all gathered, you can feel their joy in that moment. This was something they were looking for.

Sam Miller, just 34 years old, and had a long life hopefully ahead of her, but at this point, she was killed in her wedding dress, still.

The woman arrested is a 25-year-old. Her name is Jamie Komoroski. Police are waiting for the toxicology to come back but she has been charged with homicide and DUI counts.

But listen to the family members of Miller who are just heartbroken, as you can understand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the moment she woke up that day until she left the venue, she told Eric, on the golf cart, that she wanted this day to last forever. He told us that at the hospital today when we saw him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: They wanted the moment to last forever.

Jim, of course, a lot of questions of if the golf cart should have been on the road? Yes, this is a section of the town where you can have that golf cart. It's a larger-than-normal golf cart.

But they said the woman apparently was driving, slammed into the back of the car.

There's a GoFundMe account set up and there are people around the world donating to the family.

A woman with a beautiful smile who obviously lost her life in a way that so many people in this country can understand -- Jim?

SCIUTTO: It raises big questions about golf carts in that situation. They, of course, have none of the protections of a car would have, airbags, et cetera.

Ryan Young, thanks so much for covering what is a horrible story.

DEAN: Yes, that's achingly sad.

[13:49:04]

All right, coming up next, everyday products inside your home that could be releasing harmful chemicals linked to asthma, cancer and reproductive harm. What you can do to reduce your exposure to these types of chemicals, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Right now, you may be breathing toxic fumes in your home or workplace. A new study found an alarming amount of dangerous chemicals escape from everyday products.

We're talking about things like shampoo, lotion, household cleaners, deodorizers, soap. Some of these things have been linked to asthma, organ damage and cancer.

CNN health reporter, Jacqueline Howard, is joining us now.

Jacqueline, this is one of those things that makes you go, oh, where it's stress inducing to think it's floating around out there. Explain the risks to us.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Well, Jessica, you are right. It's stress-inducing. This study looks at chemicals like formaldehyde and methylene chloride. And it found, in the state of California, in 2020, more than 5,000 tons of these chemicals were released from everyday products that we use, like household cleaners, shampoos, body Lotions.

And we do know the risks here. It's associated with asthma, for instance. And you mentioned earlier, cancer, birth defects, and hormonal disruptions, reproduction harms.

[13:54:05]

And the takeaway here, Jessica, is, because we see exposures to a lot of the chemicals, this study puts a number on it, 5,000 tons number, and that's what is eye-opening here -- Jessica.

DEAN: Can we do anything to make this better or to protect ourselves? It almost feels hopeless. Is there something we can do?

HOWARD: Right. Well, in California, they have Prop 65, which we know requires businesses to warn consumers when they are exposed to these kinds of chemicals.

What we can do every day, maybe look for green cleaning products. This study shows the highest amounts of chemicals are in art supplies, all- purpose cleaners and laundry detergents.

So if we think about those supplies, maybe we could make an effort to find alternatives as well, while this conversation continues about the health implications here -- Jessica?

DEAN: Yes, that's good advice.

All right, Jacqueline Howard, for us, thanks so much.

Boris?

SANCHEZ: Coming up, President Biden sending an additional 1,500 active-duty personnel to the southern border ahead of a possible flood of migrants. The latest in the next hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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