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Suspect in Custody in Gilgo Beach Murder Case; Kushner and Hicks Testify Before Grand Jury; Harry Litman is Interviewed about Kushner and Hicks Testifying; Another Try for Student Debt Relief; Heat Alerts Across 15 States. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired July 14, 2023 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:34:02]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: New information for you now. Sources tell CNN that a suspect is in custody in the case of the Long Island serial killer. This is the first arrest in over a decade. This unsolved case tied to at least 10 sets of human remains found across two Long Island counties.

CNN national correspondent Brynn Gingras is following this story for us.

This is a huge break. What more are you learning about this?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Sara, this is one of those cases, particularly in this area of New York, on Long Island, were if you talk to some of those old-time detectives, they're like, this is the one they wanted to solve. It was somewhat of a mystery. Mythical in some ways. And this is a huge development in this case, particularly for that area.

Let me walk through the timeline just a bit for you.

So, back in 2010 authorities were actually conducting a missing persons investigation. And while that investigation was going on, they came across the body of a 24-year-old woman. And then within days they actually found multiple women along a stretch of beach on Long Island called Gilgo Beach.

[09:35:06]

And then, within the next year, there was about 10 bodies at least that were sort of being connected to this same investigation. So it became known as the Gilgo Beach murders, or the Long Island serial killer. Again, it just had all these names tied to it as authorities were trying to solve this case.

Now, we have learned from sources that someone is in custody in connection with these homicides. The details of that unclear as authorities on the record are not confirming that someone is in custody. But we are getting word from authorities on the record that there is going to be a significant development in this investigation. And we should learn more later today.

But, again, there's a lot of interest around this case, particularly in this area, and this is one we're going to follow for you, give you more updates.

SIDNER: This is a really important development, and we will definitely be checking back with you for any new details that you have for us.

Thank you, Brynn.

GINGRAS: All right.

SIDNER: Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: We also have new reporting on the investigations of former President Donald Trump. Lawyers for Walt Nauta, the aide who was criminally charged alongside Trump, have now taken steps to apply for the security clearance required in order to handle the classified document case in court before them.

And on the other special counsel investigation, CNN has learned that Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and also Trump's former close aide, Hope Hicks, have testified before a grand jury investigating the 2020 election interference.

CNN's Katelyn Polantz is covering both special investigations for us right now. She's joining us.

Katelyn, what more are you learning first about Kushner and Hope Hicks, what they've - what they've talked to the grand jury about?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Yes, well, Kate, we don't have a full idea of exactly what went on in those secret proceedings, but we do know a couple crucial things. They took place in June. So really recently. And that some of the focus of what these two witnesses and others that were close to Trump in the White House have been asked about is that how - they're - they've been asked about how much Trump was aware he lost the election and how people were telling him one-on-one this - there's no election fraud. You have lost the election. And having some sort of understanding that Trump knew he lost, that he didn't win, even though he was publicly saying he won the election. And so that in and of itself is pretty significant.

It's also very significant just that Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks are going into the grand jury. We have seen so many different aspects of this investigation, Kate. We've seen the fake electors. We've heard about interviews with officials in battleground states who ran elections. We've heard about Mike Pence and his top advisers going into the grand jury. The top White House council people. And now coming into that real inner circle of Donald Trump. The grand jury is hearing from them. We know Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, has always been close to the former president in his time in the White House. Also was working with the campaign. And Hope Hicks was one of the long-time top advisers who notably really deeply disagreed with what Donald Trump was doing after the election. Was quite vocal about it and really was unhappy with what happened on January 6th as well.

BOLDUAN: And, Katelyn, on the classified document investigation, and how quickly they may or may not start the trial, there is some new moves on this one as well. What are you learning in these new court filings?

POLANTZ: Yes, a lot of moving parts here on this Mar-a-Lago documents case that's charged in Florida and headed to trial. So, what we have now is the defense teams. Walt Nauta's defense team. Donald Trump's team. They have a lot of the information that is not classified, that would be evidence in this case that they are allowed to be getting. The Justice Department just confirmed that in a filing last night. And now they're going to be able to start seeing the classified information in this case because the lawyers for both Trump and Walt Nauta have confirmed to the court that they've taken the steps needed to be taken in order for them to get security clearances to have access to some of the classified materials here. So that part's going to be moving forward.

And then, Kate, we've got a hearing on Tuesday, the first appearance before Federal Judge Ailene Cannon. That trial date, there's been a lot of back and forth. The Justice Department really wants it to be early. Trump's team doesn't even want a date to be set. And so they have made their arguments to the judge. We're going to be watching and seeing if she says this is when the date will be when Donald Trump goes to trial or if she'll pick it down the road a bit more.

BOLDUAN: All right, Katelyn, thanks for being on top of it all.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, with me now to discuss all this is former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman. He is the "L.A. Times" legal affairs columnist and former deputy assistant attorney general.

Thank you so much for being here.

HARRY LITMAN, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY: It's good to be here.

SIDNER: Let's start with, you know, Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks testifying. What does that signal to you? This is the inner circle now that they are bearing down on.

LITMAN: You don't get much more inner than that. That's exactly right. And we've - and we've already known about Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani. So, this shows - you know, this was a month ago.

[09:40:01]

We get flashes and little dispatches. But Smith is building a big mural. He's leaving no stone unturned. That's the first big point.

The second is in - Katelyn talked about what he might have testified about. Giuliani was also very involved in the fundraising efforts that Smith is separably pursuing. And you know who else was, Newt Gingrich, who also testified a month ago. So, you can bet that that's what he asked about.

But basically this is no stone unturned. Apparently, Kushner said that Trump actually thought maybe he had -- the election had been stolen. Others say different things.

SIDNER: Can I ask you about that?

LITMAN: Yes.

SIDNER: Because I think that point's important.

You know, there are questions being asked about, you know, whether or not Trump actually believed that he had lost this because it was stolen. Does that matter in this prosecution what he believed if people were telling him that he lost?

LITMAN: It's a great point. The short answer is, yes, at least for a jury. Legally he's guilty. Even if he believed he lost that doesn't mean you can insight an insurrection or tell Mike Pence to violate the Constitution. But for a jury to hear -- and they will hear. They want to hear from Kushner. They'll hear from Alyssa Griffin. They'll hear from Mark Milley, he understood he lost. That's going to matter to them. It's going to make the whole schemes that went forward seem all the more intentional, nefarious and not accidental.

SIDNER: But is there any legal thing that the defense can stand on to say, well, he just thought that was it, that's why he kept going.

LITMAN: They can try to proffer it. But here's axiom number one in any case involving Trump, he won't testify. He cannot testify. He'd be murdered on cross examination. So, it's a little bit of an inside prosecutorial point. But I don't see how they're going to present this point.

SIDNER: I want to just mention, you talked about Alyssa Farrah Griffin. And here's exactly what she said. She said that privately he admitted he lost the election and said - he blurted out watching Joe Biden on television say, can you believe I lost to this guy?

LITMAN: Right.

SIDNER: So there are going to be differing accounts of what people say he did or did not believe. But, ultimately, the jury has to make that decision.

Let me ask you about this - this big fight over the timing of the classified document case. It's already going to head to trial. There's already supposed to be a date set by the judge coming up. And the prosecution is saying we can go - we need to go forward. We are ready for a speedy trial. But isn't a speedy trial something that the defendant, it's their right to a speedy trial, and they can say, we don't want one.

LITMAN: Well, it's -- no, they cannot say we don't want one. It is their right under the Constitution. It's also the public's right. But right now you're exactly right, it's about setting the schedule.

And they do a kind of cheeky move when the - when the prosecution says let's go in December. You might have expected them to say March and split the difference. They just say, we don't even have to set one now. If Judge Cannon acquiesces in that kind of real delayed strategy, it's a bad sign for the timeliness of the whole trial.

SIDNER: Can you give me some sense of whether you believe this case is - it's a big case.

LITMAN: Yes.

SIDNER: There's a lot of classified documents. People have to get security clearances. Does the defense have a point here that many of the other cases that have been tried with classified documents have gone on for a very long times before trial.

LITMAN: So, we don't know yet. Everything that they've talked about in their emotion, the United States parried (ph) effectively. So, the things they have to bring, that - that can be done in good time. And the discussion they're going to have about classified procedures.

SIDNER: Yes.

LITMAN: But then, will the procedures take a long time? We'll know later.

SIDNER: Harry Litman, thank you so much for coming on.

LITMAN: Thank you, Sara.

SIDNER: Kate.

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, the Supreme Court struck down President Biden's first attempt at student loan forgiveness. Just this morning, the administration announced its next attempt. We have that coming up.

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[09:48:08]

BOLDUAN: New this morning, the Biden administration is trying once again when it comes to student loan debt relief, just announcing this morning that $39 billion worth of student debt will be wiped out. That likely affects more than 800,000 borrows.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is tracking this for us. She's at the White House for us at this hour.

Priscilla, the Supreme Court stopped the administration's efforts at this, you know, just - just this -- early -- just last month, sorry, forgetting the calendar. What is their - what are they - what is the avenue and the path that they are right now?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: So, this is part of that ongoing effort to try to provide some relief after that Supreme Court decision, which was a blow to this White House and its plans to provide student relief to far more people.

Now, what this amounts to is addressing fixes in the system so that payments that people have made can go toward their relief and then essentially wipe it. So, what does that look like? The administration describes this as addressing historical failures and administrative errors that miscounted qualifying payments made by borrowers. By taking that into account it could have some people see that their debt is now wiped.

Now, in the statement, the education secretary said the following. He said, by fixing past administrative failures we are ensuring everyone gets the forgiveness they deserve just as we have done for public servants. Students who were cheated by their colleges and borrowers with permanent disabilities, including veterans.

Now, of course, Kate, this comes with an eye towards those repayments which are coming in October. That is a date that officials have been keeping an eye on because it can affect the way that borrowers act now when it comes to the economy, and then it can also affect what they do and what those repayments look like come the fall.

So, this is part of ongoing actions by the administration. Of course, President Biden had also announced that they are going through rulemaking to try to use a different law to provide relief.

[09:50:04]

All of that, though, could take time. This would be more immediate, and people will learn about whether it affects them within the next week.

BOLDUAN: OK. Much more to lean on this. Priscilla, thanks for laying it out.

Sara.

SIDNER: Coming up, the dangerous heat wave is blazing across a dozen states, possibly breaking dozens of records as well. Officials warn these extreme temperatures could turn deadly.

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SIDNER: To quote Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Glenn Frey, the heat is on, and it's dangerous. Right now more than 90 million Americans are under extreme heat warnings, posing a serious and dangerous threat. In fact, extreme temperatures could trigger heat illnesses in as little as 20 to 30 minutes for people doing anything strenuous outdoors. The Phoenix area has seen temperatures of at least 100 degrees for two straight weeks.

CNN correspondent Lucy Kafanov is just outside Phoenix in the sweltering air there in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Lucy, give us some sense - I know this is desert heat, I know it gets hot in Arizona, but that is a long stretch of hundred plus temperatures. [09:55:05]

Unusual, correct?

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a long stretch. That's unusual. They're poised to break records. And also at night, Sara, the heat kind of stays out. Like it's still really, really hot and uncomfortable at night, largely because in city areas they're paved, they absorb the heat and then they slowly emit it. And so it's a balmy 95 right now. We're expecting about 115 later. I've got my cooling towel, Gatorade. Hydration, electrolytes, so important in these - in these temperatures and also to stay indoors.

But we spoke to the city's first ever heat czar, and he's talked about how this heat wave could be deadly.

Take a listen.

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DAVID HONDULA, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF HEAT RESPONSE: Unfortunately, in our region, and many thousands more all across the United States, heat is fatal. It is something that the public needs to take seriously. And it can impact everybody. Nobody is immune.

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KAFANOV: And, obviously, things like heat stroke, heat sickness, we're trying to keep that in mind. Folks are aware about that. But we spent the day with officials at Phoenix Children's Health Hospital yesterday who were talking about other dangers that people might not really be thinking about. For example, leaving a kid in the car for just a little bit too long, it could also be fatal.

Take a listen.

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BIANCA VILLASENOR, PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Parents think is that it's never going to happen to me. I would never forget my kid in the vehicle. But that is actually one of the biggest mistakes that parents think, not believing it can happen. It can happen to anybody.

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KAFANOV: That can happen to anybody. Heat stroke can happen to anybody. So, if you're out in these temperature, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, get out of the sun. And if you can't, the Phoenix area has more than 200 cooling centers open for people to escape the heat.

SIDNER: And I will not torture you any longer. I'll let you get out of the sun for just a bit.

Lucy Kafanov, thank you so much for that report.

Kate. BOLDUAN: Still ahead for us, a critical defense bill was passed out of committee with bipartisan support, but overnight that bill is now in serious peril over the culture wars that have erupted once again on Capitol Hill. What is at stake if this now falls apart? We have that.

And also, actors are headed for the picket lines, joining writers on strike and shutting down the entertainment industry. The enormous impact and the role that artificial intelligence is playing in this walk-out.

We'll be right back.

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