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Most Popular Beer in America is No Longer Bud Light; Outlook for Wildfires this Summer has Changed; Report Indicates Wildfire Threats Shown in Midwest and Northeast; Jill Biden Increases Her Participation in the 2024 Campaign; A.I. Used to Produce "Final" Beatles Song; Thanks to A.I., McCartney Teases New Beatles Song; Interview with Axios Senior Media Reporter Sara Fischer; Modelo Especial Surpassed Bud Light as Preferred Beer; After His Arrest and Arraignment on 37 Charges, Trump Remained Defiant; In a New Jersey Fundraiser, Trump Rants After Being Arraigned. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired June 14, 2023 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: The brief filed in response to a motion to dismiss the indictment said that witnesses will testify Gutierrez was drinking heavily and smoking marijuana in the evening during the shooting of "Rust." Gutierrez-Reed has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

The Newport News, Virginia, teacher who was shot by one of her students in January will not be teaching in the school district in fall. The school district says, Abby Zwerner told the H.R. department of Newport News public schools that she was resigning from her position on March 13th. According to the district, the last day of her contract was June 12th. But Zwerner's attorney says that she was fired and that she has not been compensated in recent months after her sick leave was exhausted following that shooting in the classroom.

And an emotional moment for President Biden at the White House Juneteenth celebration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER HUDSON, SINGER: Oh, yes it will. Then I go to my brother. And I say, "Brother, help me please."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: That will tug at your heart every time. The president was moved to tears as icon Jennifer Hudson sang her rendition of Sam Cooke's hit "A Change Is Going to Come." In his remarks, Biden told hundreds in the audience that his administration remains committed to the promise of equal rights for all Americans.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: So, this morning, after two decades, a new top-selling beer in the U.S. Mexican lager, Modelo Especial, was the top selling beer last month, overthrowing Bud Light. There are a couple of things at play here, including flat-out changing tastes but also the backlash from a social media post by transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

CNN Chief Business Correspondent Christine Romans here with the details. Romans?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CHIEF CORRESPONDENT AND CNN ANCHOR, EARLY START: Hi there, John. Well, yes, Modelo prevails, pardon the pun, over the king of beers dethroned here. Bud Light in the most recent month, a Bud Light's share of the market was less than Modelo. So, it lost its top standing there, 8.4 percent of beer sales in May belonged to Modelo, only 7.3 percent, Bud Light. So, that is a big shift.

Now, you're right, there are some changing tastes happening, and also, this is the month of May. There's Cinco de Mayo, there's also a really clever advertising promotion campaign from Modelo and changing tastes. Analysts tell us that already there's been an affinity, a growing affinity for Mexican beer and spirits for some time now. So, that's sort of a tipping point that you're seeing here.

When you look at overall sales though, sales for Bud Light down more than 24 percent in the month, that is kind of a staggering number here. And for Modelo, sales up 12.2 percent. So, these numbers are telling a story. You mentioned the transgender influencer who had one can, one customized can of Bud Light and did an Instagram post and conservative media and conservative social media went on a very full, full, forceful boycott of the beer. And so, that is one other kind of factor here at play.

So, you've got two things happening. You've got change in taste, you've got several months, actually, years of declining tastes for light beer, in particular, and then you have this social media fail, quite frankly from Bud Light. I mean, a lot of corporate directors are watching what Bud Light did in this whole situation and finding a lot of fault with how it managed and behaved in the situation from a corporate and P.R. standpoint.

BERMAN: Christine Romans, thank you very much for that.

Rahel.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: All right. John, thank you.

A cool spring and wet winter that brought flooded roads, swollen rivers and a sky-high snow pack in the California mountains are now being credited for suppressing wildfire activity across much of the west coast. In fact, a new national wildfire outlook shows that this summer's hot spots are not in the west, but in some unusual spots. I mean, take a look at this map. So, the red that you see here, so this is all areas that show where experts say there's going to be an uptick in the danger.

CNN Chief Climate -- Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir joins us now. So, Bill, as we show that map, highlighting areas like the Great Lakes, New England, what's behind the change?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's just not enough water in those places. We're used to saying that about California. I mean, look at that map. It's rare to see California's green and Vermont and Maine as red. The Upper Midwest you've got there, almost all of Michigan now is in wildfire threat there, the Pacific Northwest as well. This is the result of drought. And we saw what the droughts in Canada are doing up to their forests now, like, five times the normal amount of wildfires burned up there.

And so, what we have seen, just in strange places like Rhode Island, there were two back-to-back wildfires in April, the biggest since 1942, that never happens.

[10:35:00]

There have been 1,500 acres burned in Massachusetts, over 800 fires there. And that seems small in comparison to the big, mega fires we see out west. But in tight, you know, residential areas, there's a lot more population density in the northeast. So, you have to worry about these in places where people just aren't used to dealing with smoke and fires.

And then another thing, Rahel is this as summer after summer is dryer than usual, that brings a lot of stress on the trees, both with pests, the kind of insects that can make these trees vulnerable, especially the ones that have sap and then there's -- turned into, sort of, like, kindling as well. There's a couple different invasive species that are working their way across the Midwest, so adding to this as well.

But another symptom of a strange time that we're living in where a past is no longer prolonged (ph) and these weather patterns are changing in freaky ways that we're just now coming to grips with, including mutual aid needed to worry about wildfires in the Upper Midwest. Very strange.

SOLOMON: Very strange. In fact, something we've already, I think, have to come to terms with after, as you pointed out, those California wildfires and the smog that so many states, including us here in New York have -- you know, had to deal with. Bill Weir, great to have you. Thank you.

WEIR: You bet.

SOLOMON: Yes. Sara.

SIDNER: Bill Weir also coming up with the best lines. Changing in freaky ways.

All right. Coming up, Jill Biden is on the campaign trail. She is taking aim at the ever-growing GOP field. Her message, voters have a choice, stability or chaos and corruption.

Also awake at her own wake? The remarkable story of a woman who was presumed dead until she started knocking from inside her own coffin. That's ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. At least two people were killed, another injured in a shooting at a Japanese military training center. Officials say that a teenage cadet allegedly opened fire on members of his own unit during a live fire exercise. The cadet was arrested. The motive of the suspect is still unclear.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be traveling to Beijing this weekend. The trip comes as the Biden administration navigates its complicated relationship with China. The top U.S. diplomat was originally slated to travel to the Chinese capital in early February, remember this, but he rescheduled his trip due to the surveillance balloon incident.

Now, to an absolutely jaw-dropping discovery. This happened in Ecuador. A 76-year-old woman who was declared dead at a hospital was actually found to be alive and knocking on her coffin during her own wake. In the video, people could be seen waiting and supporting Bella Montoya. As emergency services arrived at the scene, a state investigation is now underway.

John, apparently, her son said it was five hours into the wake when she started knocking on her coffin. I mean, nightmare?

BERMAN: It's one of the main requirements, I think, to actually be dead. I mean, I'm so glad she's OK.

SOLOMON: A lot of questions.

BERMAN: But it's, like, it's very odd. It's like a bad Monty Python sketch there.

SOLOMON: Yes.

BERMAN: A lot of questions about that.

Som new this morning, we are told that President Biden is maintaining strategic silence regarding the indictment against Former President Trump. But that strategy might not extend to other members of the Biden family, namely the First Lady, Jill Biden. She's opening up some as she prepares a swing through New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

CNN's Arlette -- excuse me, Arlette Saenz at the White House this morning. Arlette, what are you hearing?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, First Lady Jill Biden has really shown this willing to take on Former President Trump and Republicans even as the White House is maintaining this silent approach when it comes to the former president's indictment. Over the course of the past two days, the first lady has been speaking at these fundraisers, which are off-camera and oftentimes offer politicians and surrogates a chance to speak a bit more freely. And she expressed some shock over the fact that many Republicans are continuing to support the former president despite his indictment. That's really the lone comment we've heard from this administration so far relating to the president's legal issues. But the president -- the first lady also went on to criticize the former president and framing this election as a choice between the stability -- she believes is offered by her husband and what she described as corruption and chaos from the Trump administration.

The first lady said in those fundraisers out in the bay area last night, "We cannot go back to those dark days. You know what's in store if these MAGA Republicans win. We know it because we lived it. Remember how hard it was last time? This time it's going to be even harder."

Now, the first lady has never really shied away from taking on Republicans, but you are seeing her do this in the early stages of the campaign. These fundraisers that she's participating in are really her first solo appearances that she's made since her husband has launched re-election. She's expected to be a very frequent presence out on the campaign trail. But what these fundraisers are doing is offering a little bit of insight into how her role could play out as she's trying to draw this contrast between her husband and the policies and proposals and the administration of the former president.

[10:45:00]

This certainly is unlikely to be the last time we will hear from the first lady. But she is the most prominent voice that is currently out there amidst this indictment news taking on the former president and Republicans.

BERMAN: Yes, it'll be very interesting to see if they let that continue or perhaps the White House tries to rein that in a bit. We'll be watching. Arlette Saenz, thank you very much.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right. This is wild. The Beatles have come together once again to release their final song. How? With the help of A.I.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THE BEATLES, ROCK BAND: Help, I need somebody. Help, not just anybody. Help, you know I need someone. Help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

SIDNER: The final Beatles song will soon be released with all the original band members? How? Artificial intelligence. Paul McCartney told "BBC Radio" that A.I. was able to pull John Lennon's voice from a demo track he recorded before his death in 1980. The song will be released later this year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL MCCARTNEY, MUSICIAN: We were able to take John's voice and get it pure through this A.I. So, then we could mix the record as you would normally do. You know, so it gives you -- it gives you some sort of leeway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Axios Senior Media Reporter and Analyst Sara Fischer is joining us now. So, Lennon was murdered in 1980. What about George Harrison? Is he also on this?

SARA FISCHER, SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER, AXIOS: Well, this is just a demo track for Lennon. But the thing that's so notable is that if their other tracks or cassettes that are to be found, we now have the technology where we could separate out someone's voice, use it to re- create new songs.

Now, Paul McCartney has made it clear this is going to be the last album, so I don't necessarily expect that to happen. But the fact that we have this tech to make it happen, Sara, is a huge game changer. Think about all of your favorite bands in which members have passed or that they've broken up, we now, if the tech is used with the right permissions, have the opportunity to do great things.

SIDNER: Those permissions are a very big deal. You have to get a lot of things signed to make sure that it goes forward and wors and that you don't get sued. I do want to talk to you about what Paul McCartney's reaction was. Because it wasn't all, like, yay, this is amazing, right?

FISCHER: He was very clear-eyed about it. He said, look, this opportunity is great but the tech could be used for bad. I mean, he understands that. And I think he's looking at fellow artists. If you think about people, like, what happened with Drake and The Weeknd who are having to, you know, go about figuring out how they're going to -- with lawsuits or whatever. Make sure that their I.P. is protected.

He understands that this could be a huge risk for the industry. But I think it's smart of him to come out himself, give interviews, talk about the thought process, talk about how they came to do this. So, that way other artists can be inspired and not scared by the tech.

SIDNER: Can you talk about, though, that the impact that it could have on singers, songwriters. I mean, people can basically create the voice they want to hear.

FISCHER: It's a huge problem in terms of copyright, Sara. Right now, copyright law protects human works. We don't quite understand how to apply it to works that are created by A.I. Now, there have been instances like I spoke to you about Drake and The Weeknd in which some of the streaming services will pull it down. But they didn't pull it down because it was created by A.I. They pulled it down because they illegally used samples. We don't actually have a lot of examples right now of famous people's works being replicated and then mass produced going viral and then need to be taken down. I think that's something that a lot of courts are going to have to go and litigate as these examples become more frequent.

SIDNER: Do you think that that will -- that sort of litigation is going to push legislation, because at some point this is going to get really, really messy.

FISCHER: It's a great question. I think that what it will do is it'll help us interpret our current laws and, you know, modernize them.

SIDNER: Yes.

FISCHER: So, that way we can have them adhere to a new A.I. driven future. But I do think Congress is more clear-eyed about what's going on with A.I. than they ever were about social media. The fact that the Senate today is having educational hearings about informing themselves about A.I. kind of tells you everything you need to know, Sara. That was not the case when we first started out decade ago with social media.

SIDNER: A lot of jobs will be affected.

FISCHER: Yes.

SIDNER: And potentially, a lot of problems for people who are performers and are copied, which happens in other ways, but there are remedies that are out there right now. Thank you so much, Sara Fisher. I appreciate it. It is cool, although a bit scary.

John.

BERMAN: A legal twilight, too.

So, we have new details on what is next for Donald Trump, both legally and politically.

And we are keeping an eye on the Federal Reserve which will announce today whether it, once again, is going to raise interest rates or take a break. Details on how new data released this morning may factor into that decision.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, the world's news network.

SIDNER: Former President Donald Trump back on the campaign trail and doubling down on his rhetoric just hours after his historic arrest and arraignment. So, what's next, legally speaking, for the twice indicted, twice-impeached president?

BERMAN: Investigators say, she was drinking heavily and smoking marijuana during the filming of "Rust." What are attorneys for the movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is saying this morning?

SOLOMON: And it was a miracle in the Amazon. Four children rescued alive after spending more than a month in the Colombian jungle. How their artwork from the hospital is giving new clues to how they survived.

This is "CNN News Central."

SIDNER: New sign this morning that Donald Trump's 2024 playbook is not changing a bit. This, despite his new title as the first-ever former president to now face federal charges. And if he goes to trial and he's convicted, potentially life behind bars. Just minutes after appearing in court on 37 counts, Trump wasted no time hopping back on the campaign trail to spread familiar falsehoods about the very serious charges against him.

[11:00:00]