Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Former Officers Plead Guilty to Torture-Related Charges; Trump Pleads Not Guilty to New Charges in Docs Case; Putin Critic Navalny Sentenced to 19 Additional Years; FDA Expected to Approve Postpartum Depression Pill; Simone Biles Set to Return to Competition Tomorrow; HGTV Hosts Start Nonprofit to Keep Kids Off Social Media. Aired 3:30- 4p ET

Aired August 04, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was premeditated and done so under the banner of law. Accord to a federal complaint, these men had a name for themselves. Calling themselves "The Goon Squad," because of their willingness to use excessive force and to not reported. Listen to one of the victims describe exactly what we went through earlier this year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDDIE PARKER, PLAINTIFF: I crawl here to this spot and they started beating me here and tasing me. And you see, you know, blood spots and all my blood spots there. Justice is what it all boils down to. I'm just like them, you know, whether they in uniform or not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: This is really shocking to so many people, including the Attorney General in Mississippi.

This is a statement I want to read in part, which says: This brutal attack caused more than physical harm to these two individual victims. It severed that vital trust with people. This abuse of power will not be tolerated.

The individuals who pleaded guilty are facing varying sentences, but some, Boris, could face life in prison if they're sent sentenced that way in November -- Boris.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Nick Valencia, thank you so much for the details.

We do want to share a programming note with you. The two victims in this case are going to join CNN chief legal analyst lawyer Laura Coates tonight in the 10:00 p.m. hour right here on CNN. You do not want to miss that -- Jim.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: The first ever pill for postpartum depression is now up for FDA approval, and it could help improve symptoms in as little as a few days. What you need to know. That's coming up. [15:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: We are following breaking news just in to CNN. Former President Donald Trump has just pleaded not guilty to new federal charges special counsel Jack Smith brought last week in the classified documents case -- of course separate from the January 6th case. CNN's senior crime and justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz covering this us. And in this case, unlike yesterday, when he appeared in court to enter his plea, in this case he had his lawyers file them from afar in effect?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Right, Jim. So this is a pretty straight forward, one page filed in court today. And it's in response to the what's called a superseding indictment, so rewritten expanded set of charges in the southern district of Florida in the Mar-a-Lago documents case.

The charges that originally were accusing him of retaining national defense secrets and then trying to hide them from the federal government. He was reindicted last week on that. And whenever he was reindicted, every time you are reindicted you have to be arraigned. You have to enter your pleading. And so that's what this is. This document came in today to the court.

I've received a copy of the indictment. The plea is not guilty to the charged offenses. It's quite clearly signed by Donald Trump in his notable, really thick sharpie signature there. And really, it's not even 24 hours since he pleaded guilty in federal court in the January 6th case.

So, Jim, just a staggering number of moving parts in these two federal criminal cases that Donald Trump is facing now. At the same time there's going to be lot of court filings going forward. But really notable just as a moment in history to have a former president pleading not guilty twice just days after one another after he was indicted again last week and then indicted in the January 6th case on Tuesday.

SCIUTTO: So, with a superseding indictment it's somewhat unique circumstances and that he had already pled not guilty to the original indictment of the classified documents case. So this one you could do with a piece of paper. But presumably if there's, for instance, an indictment in the Fulton County case, he would have to show up in court again to enter his plea.

POLANTZ: Right, first time you're in front of the judge you go in in person. It looks bad if you don't go in person to the judge. But in this case, he's not going to have to go to court every single time there's some sort of appearance on the calendar. And he was supposed to be rearraigned in this case in the southern district of Florida next week. What this does, is it means Donald Trump physically doesn't have to be present there even though his lawyers potentially could be there -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: Two not guilty pleas in 24 hours. Katelyn Polantz thanks very much -- Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has just been sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison for creating a, quote, extremist community. The Kremlin critic was already serving an 11 1/2-year sentence in a maximum-security prison. But he just issued a statement explaining that he has accepted he will be serving now a life sentence. And the numbers, he said, are merely to intimidate others from standing up to Vladimir Putin -- the length of the sentence that is. Bianna Golodryga is covering this next hour extensively on "THE LEAD." Bianna, do you think, to Alexey Navalny's point here, that this latest sentence is going to have a chilling effect for Putin critics?

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well we're already hearing from some prominent critics. Some are already sitting behind bars. Opposition leaders and politicians, Illya Yashin for one, who has been a close aide and ally of Navalny's for years issued this statement.

And he said: Navalny's sentence is Putin's decision. He revels in his revenge. Vladimir Kara-Murza has also been retweeting a lot of posts in support of Navalny.

[15:40:00]

And Navalny, as you noted, issued a statement today. I reached out to his team to say if there was anything additional, they wanted to add. And they said, no, just please reiterate what he had noted. So if we could put up his tweet.

He said: The sentencing figure is not for me. It is for you. You, not me, are being frightened and deprived of the will to resist. You're being forced to surrender your country of Russia without a fight to the gang of traitors, thieves and scoundrels who had seized power. Putin must not achieve his goal. Do not lose the will to resist.

And what's notable, Brianna, I mean, Russia has nearly a 100 percent conviction rate. About what's notable is that his team today, of all days, decided to open up a new YouTube channel -- they have a very popular YouTube channel in Russia with some 6 million subscribers. They now launched a new one in English. And I asked his team, why do it today? What message are they sending? This is the quote I got from the director of his anticorruption foundation.

He said: Navalny's fight is not only a fight for Russia. What happens in Russia is important for global stability in more way than one, as we painfully learned over the last year and a half. Our team makes the effort to increase international publicity for Navalny's situation and our struggle, hence the English language YouTube channel.

Brianna, it was also notable, as you referenced earlier, that despite everything, his ailments, his illnesses, his treatment and the amount of shocking weight loss we've seen in Alexey Navalny, they can take a lot away from him. They can't take away his wit and his ability to still find reason for smiles and humor and even in the video we saw today, he did just that. He was joking with his attorneys and smiling with them in what was a very somber, somber day. Another 20-year sentence for the man.

KEILAR: Yes, we saw humanity in that as he was shaking hands with people and you couldn't ignore that. Bianna Golodryga we'll be looking forward to the program here in just under 20 minutes. Thank you -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: So there's new hope for moms experiencing postpartum depression. Today the FDA is expected to decide whether to approve a new medication to treat the condition. The daily pill is taken over the course of two weeks and if it's approved, it would be the first medication of its kind in the United States. CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard joins us now with more. So Jacqueline, you're waiting for this decision from the FDA to be announced. How is this drug different from other anti-depressants?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: What appears to stand out here, Boris, in clinical trials, this drug is called Zuranolone. It appeared to work very quickly. In one trial, this was among about 196 women with severe postpartum depression. Half of them were given Zuranolone, the other half were given a placebo. Those given Zuranolone, 57 percent a them said they saw huge improvements in their depressive symptoms. Improvements of about 50 percent or more.

But also among some of those women they said they started to notice these improvements within just three days. And that three-day window, Boris, is what stands out in comparison with other commonly used antidepressants. And if the FDA today does decide to approve this drug, it will be the first drug specifically indicated for postpartum depression that's administered as an oral pill. So that's why this is really getting a lot of attention, and we'll have to wait to see what the FDA does decide -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: And Jacqueline, were there any side effects with this drug?

HOWARD: There were. Some women said they experienced a lot of drowsiness, some had dizziness, but there were no severe adverse reactions to the drug. I think if it does get improved, the next question will be, how much will it cost? We know that among women, about 1 in 7 experienced postpartum depression after giving birth. So this is a large population that could potentially benefit from this other option as a treatment. So that price tag will definitely be an important conversation to have.

SANCHEZ: Jacqueline Howard, thanks so much for the reporting -- Brianna.

SCIUTTO: Coming up, the goat is back. When you can see Simone Biles' next performance, her first time since the Olympics.

[15:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We could see a big come back performance this weekend from the most decorate gymnast of all time, the Goat. Simone Biles is set to compete for the first time since bowing out of the all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics because of a spatial affliction known as the twisties. Joining us now is Christine Brennan. She's a CNN sports analyst and sport columnist for USA today. Christine, it's been almost two years since we saw Simone Biles in competition. What are you going to be watching for?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Absolutely, to see how fresh she is. See if she's got, of course, the twisties -- will be the first thing we're looking for. And that's that mental block which she said she really couldn't tell the difference between the ceiling and floor. For anyone that would be terrible. For someone doing the incredible feats that Simone Biles, the greatest both time is going to do, that becomes downright dangerous.

That's what was the problem two years ago when she withdrew from the Olympic games, and then came back and very heroically won the bronze medal with a watered-down program. And of course, she's probably the only one on earth who can win a bronze medal with a watered-down program. She's 26. She'll be 27 for the Paris Olympics. So we're looking to see how fresh she looks, how sharp she looks. But I fully expect that she will do well enough in this qualifying competition to move on to the U.S. nationals in a few weeks. And then we'll have perhaps later in the fall the world championships gearing up for Paris next year.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and this is apparently video of her arriving. There was video of her practicing before. She does look pretty fresh. So we're hoping for a big performance this weekend from her.

We're also going to be closely watching the potential for another big comeback. The United States women's soccer team at the World Cup right now. A draw last time they played. But now they're going up against the team they have had trouble with in the past.

BRENNAN: Absolutely, Sweden, the old nemesis Sweden knocked the U.S. out of the Olympics in 2016, Boris. The only time the U.S. women at the Olympics or the worlds have not been in the top three. Amazing, and they're going all the way back to the '90s. So Sweden is the one that did that. Will Sweden be the one that does it here? Where again, this is the round of 16. So there's no medals awarded if you lose here.

And I think the U.S. needs to play so much better. I'm sure many people watching have been throwing things at their TV sets -- what's wrong with the United States, right? Why are they cohesive? Why don't they look like they're old stuff? Where's the emotion? Where's the energy? Where's the leadership? And the U.S. has had almost a week now, with five, six days, to get ready for this game. They know Sweden well. They actually can be faster than Sweden. So watch it, if they put the right people in. The speed for the U.S. might be there. But they have to get right off the -- you know, right off the bat they have to hit the ground running in a way they just have not so far in this tournament.

SANCHEZ: And we should point out, they're trying to do something unprecedented, a three-peat at the World Cup. BRENNAN: That is correct. No men's or women's team has ever won three

in a row. U.S. has won four in all. This would be five. But three in a row, no one's ever done it. And the world has caught up. So if you're watching there, we see Morocco make it through, Germany goes home, Canada goes home, Brazil goes home. We're seeing the world finally invest in women's sports. And in the situation where you see that, then these teams are rising up. And this is the way the world is going to be from now on in women's sports, and it's a wonderful thing, even if means the U.S. has more competition.

SANCHEZ: Competition is a wonderful thing. We hope the U.S. moves forward. Christine, great to see you in person.

You too, thanks Boris.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much -- Brianna?

[15:50:00]

KEILAR: Mental health experts published several studies this year about how damaging social media can be for children and teens. It can be hard though for parents to monitor. So what about shutting down their access to it all together? Ahead, how two HGTV stars are stepping in to help with some ideas.

But first, the ocean's unprecedented high temperatures have devastated coral reefs in Florida. This this week's CNN hero is committed to doing something about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE GOLDBERG, FOUNDER NONPROFIT, I.CARE (voice-over): Coral reefs, without them, nothing is here. Simply put, they are what it is that brings the ecosystem together. Sadly, I've watched us lose that coral reef and the disappearance of that diverse marine ecosystem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right there, are we ready? All right, let's go down.

GOLDBERG (voice-over): But then, I said, you know what, I'm going to do something. I truly believe we're going to be successful with this restoration work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's amazing how fast this coral is growing.

GOLDBERG (voice-over): I see things every time I go in the water that give me hope. I love being a part of it. I wake up every day and say look what I get to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: As schools open across the country, many parents again grapple with the tough question. What is the right age for their children to use social media? Research has shown that the links between these apps and potentially harmful effects. But that won't stop kids from asking to use them. Just ask any parent. Well now a new group is aiming to support parents who just want to say no to their children using these social media apps. This is initiative called "Osprey" which stands for old school parents raising engaged youth.

And joining us now are Erin and Ben Napier who launched Osprey this week with their friends. The Napiers you probably recognize. They host the "Home Town" shows on HGTV and a note that HGTV and CNN are of course, both owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Welcome to both of you. I am so glad to have you on the program to talk about something that is on the minds of so many parents. Erin, I think theoretically a lot of parents agree with this concept. But it is a tricky one to implement. So what is the pitch here as you were hoping to make this more prevalent?

ERIN NAPIER, CO-FOUNDER, OSPREY, (OLD SCHOOL PARENTS RAISING ENGAGED YOUTH): So thank you so much for having us on first of all.

BEN NAPIER, CO-FOUNDER, OSPREY, (OLD SCHOOL PARENTS RAISING ENGAGED YOUTH): Yes.

E. NAPIER: So, osprey is a grassroots initiative that is elementary age kids and their families fostering social lives without social media. I think that's really key to what we hope our movement becomes. Is that it starts in elementary school, before our kids have exposure to devices or have any need for them.

B. NAPIER: Which is something that we've caught a lot of criticism about because we don't have teenagers yet and all of that.

E. NAPIER: That is the point. You have to begin now. Because thumbs become ubiquitous in about 5th grade learning. Like 80 percent of kids who are 10 years old have a smartphone. If you begin when your children are in kindergarten through 5th grade, and you start finding other families who have this same plan and belief in your kids could rely on each other, then they have social lives without social media and that is the goal.

B. NAPIER: Yes, and the whole point of Osprey and building your nest is that it eliminates the, you know, discussion of, oh, well I'm the only kid that doesn't have it. No, you're not. We know for a fact that your friends don't have it.

E. NAPIER: None of your friends have it.

B. NAPIER: Yes.

KEILAR: To your point, ben -- yes, and to your point, it's such an interesting point. Because it is so much easier to set the expectation going on than to pull back on the social media once you're already in it. I think any parent could agree with that. Your promo talks about kids living their best lives. Which I think we all want for their kids. And you did another video with a friend's daughter who's taking part in this no social media pledge. I want to take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

E. NAPIER: What are you going to do when your teenager and you're not glued to your phone on social media all of the time?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could be shopping. You could be --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did not say this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: All right, maybe the best life -- maybe even your best life isn't shopping. That is an expensive habit. How do you sell this, you guys? And we have about one minute left. How do you sell this to kids?

B. NAPIER: I think that with kids, it's, you know, kids are going to do whatever -- like if you let them have social media, sure, they're going to -- we all struggle with it. It's not just a kid problem. It's a human problem. And so I think with kids, it's easy. You just --

E. NAPIER: They don't think they fit in. They want to fit in.

B. NAPIER: Think about when we were growing up, we didn't have them and we loved it. Life was amazing, and we were happy and we didn't miss them either.

[16:00:00]

E. NAPIER: So we could build communities of kids who are all doing this together and they could do it all the way through high school graduation. They're going to be so enriched. They are going to have their best adolescents. I really believe that.

KEILAR: Yes, you need your battle buddy in this and I think that's key here. Ben and Erin, I think this is wonderful. I think it's going to resonate with a lot of parents who are looking for an alternative. Thank you so much for being with us today.

B. NAPIER: Thank you for having us.

KEILAR: Thank you.

And "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.