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At Least 55 People Killed In Devastating Maui Wildfires; Secretive Company Buying Land Near Key Air Force Base; Supreme Court Blocks Oxycontin Maker's $6B Settlement; Study: Football May Increase Parkinson's Disease Risk. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired August 11, 2023 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:33:04]

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JOHN SINGER, MAUI RESIDENT: I sat on top of the roof and I battled the fire for about three hours. I couldn't do it anymore. Then I said I have to move. I ran to the ocean and just I gave in.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So you literally saved yourself by jumping into the ocean?

SINGER: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When you turned around and looked back, what did you see?

SINGER: Devastation.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Devastation.

SINGER: Everything gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Everything gone. Hawaii's second-deadliest blaze at least as of right now, possibly the largest natural disaster in the state's history.

There are 55 people officially dead at this point. That, yes, is a staggering number, but it's expected to keep climbing. And it could climb considerably.

Right now, search-and-rescue teams from California and Washington are using cadaver dogs to assist in recovery efforts that are really only just starting here.

Maui's mayor says the death toll is just the number of people who have been found outside of buildings. They're waiting for FEMA, which is equipped to handle hazmat conditions, before they search inside of buildings that have been burned.

The mayor was also asked if the island's famous warning siren system failed. And he called it an impossible situation. Here's what he said.

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MAYOR RICK BISSEN (I-MAUI COUNTY): So everybody happened so quickly, I can't comment on whether or not the sirens sounded or not, but I know the fires came up so quickly and they spread so fast.

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KEILAR: Officials say thousands of Maui residents have been displaced. There's around 1,700 buildings destroyed. Nearly 11,000 people are without power, and it could be weeks before cell service is restored.

We have chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, is in Lahaina for us, where the governor says 80 percent of the historic former capital is now gone.

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[13:35:01]

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: This is the historic banyan tree, 150-year-old majestic tree at the center of Lahaina town. It looks like it may have survived. It needs water desperately to survive right now.

But for the locals who are coming down and looking at the damage, this is such a sign of hope that maybe their iconic tree will have lived when so much else is gone here.

But the history can never be replaced. Right here, this is the first hotel in Hawaii, the Pioneer Hotel, Pioneer Theater. It's completely gone.

Right over here was the library. It's just now a stone shell of scorched blocks.

Around Front Street there, Fleetwood's, Mick Fleetwood, of the band Fleetwood Mac, his place is gutted out with flames.

It's just unrecognizable. One of the most charming, beloved port cities anywhere in the world is just scorched like a bomb went off.

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KEILAR: It is unbelievable to witness there.

Bill Weir, thank you for that report.

Alex?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN HOST: Just ahead, the Supreme Court has delivered a major blow to the family behind the maker of Oxycontin. Why the justices just blocked a $6 billion dollar settlement that would have prevented that family, the Sacklers, from more opioid-related lawsuits. That's coming up. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:51]

MARQUARDT: A national security mystery is unfolding in California. A secretive company raising eyebrows after buying hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of land right next to a key Air Force base.

Now the company is registered in Delaware, and according to state law, they're not required to publicly list the owners of the company.

Now a special committee that is being led by the Treasury Department is investigating that land purchase.

Joining us now is national security reporter, Natasha Bertrand.

Natasha, you broke this story. What more can you tell us about this mystery?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Alex, lawmakers, national security officials are all very concerned about this.

To the point that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which as you said is an interagency panel shared by the Treasury Department, is examining all the of the transactions that this mysterious company has made over the last five years in this part of California.

As you said, this has been happening for quite some time now.

The problem is that the land they have been purchasing is coming right up to the fence of Travis Air Force Base in California.

A key base that not only is used for sustainment efforts for the Indo- Pacific, but also used to move munitions and other equipment to Poland for use in the war in Ukraine. A key Air Force base.

Importantly, lawmakers don't know who is behind this company, Flannery Associates. They don't know the ownership, because that company is not required to disclose that, because it is registered in Delaware.

These lawmakers, according to Representative John Garamendi and Representative Mike Thompson, they asked the FBI and the Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States to look into it.

Because they were so secured about the national security implications of someone who is basically unidentifiable by the U.S. government purchasing land so close to such a key U.S. military facility.

Here is what Mike Thompson told me regarding the briefings he's gotten in recent weeks and months about this.

He said he's had a ton of these briefings, but still he "doesn't know that we're any closer to figuring out who these folks are or in resolving the problems they're causing for my constitutions and, I believe, the national security of our country."

He says that they're trying to investigate this but it's a lot harder than anyone might imagine here.

We should not that Flannery's attorneys did not return CNN's request for comments. They previously told another media outlet that they're investors are about 97 percent American with the other 3 percent being British and Irish.

However, the lawmakers I spoke to and other officials said they could not actually verify that. So for now, it remains a mystery.

But with the Treasury Department looking into this, they do have the power to subpoena the company. It's unclear if they have taken the step.

But if it came to it and if they did see this as a national security threat, then they could potentially unwind the transaction or prevent this company from purchasing further land near the base and in the area -- Alex?

MARQUARDT: Not just the identity and nationality of the buyers, but any ties they might have to foreign governments.

Natasha Bertrand, terrific reporting, at the Pentagon. Thank you very much.

Brianna?

KEILAR: Now to a new development that is tied to the nation's opioid crisis. The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a huge bankruptcy deal with Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, over objections raised by the Justice Department.

We have CNN senior Supreme Court analyst, Joan Biskupic, joining us on this.

Joan, really interesting. Tell us why the Justice Department is protesting this?

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SENIOR SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Sure. This settlement had been hammered out by the company and by lawyers for victims of the opioid crisis and by the state.

But there was a condition that's problematic. That's that the Sackler family, in return for the $6 billion it was going to turn over to help relieve some of the victims' needs, that the condition was that the Sacklers could not be liable for any future claims, any opioid-related civil claims.

[13:44:57]

And what the solicitor general of the United States said was that that kind of deal was unprecedented, exceptional, and would not conform to U.S. bankruptcy code.

Here is part of what she told the court:

"Allowing the court of appeals decision, which endorsed the bankruptcy judge, to stand, would leave in place a road map for wealthy corporations and individuals to misuse the bankruptcy system to avoid mass tort liability."

Now, Purdue Pharma countered by saying to the justices, hoping they would not intervene:

"The plan at issue will provide billions of dollars and life-saving benefits to the victims of the opioid crisis, but those funds cannot be distributed until the plan is consummated. A stay would waste valuable time, potentially several months."

But, Brianna, the Supreme Court obviously was moved by the arguments by the solicitor general and granted that stay yesterday.

What this means now is there will be an expedited briefing schedule. And oral arguments will be heard in December.

But this whole thing will be in limbo, will be just held in this uncertain condition right now until probably next spring, likely by the end of June when the justices recess to know whether this bankruptcy settlement can go forward.

KEILAR: If it weren't just part of a bankruptcy settlement, if it were just about damages for wrongdoing, would they run into this problem?

BISKUPIC: Oh, well, the whole thing only took place under the structure of bankruptcy law. That's where the federal government is saying there's a problem here.

Because here you have these mass tort claims coming up through the system and there have been ways to have the claims consolidated.

But the federal government right now is saying that as much as claims can be consolidated and sometimes under the bankruptcy code, to have the kind of conditions that would allow the Sackler family, again, to be immune from future claims is not part of the law.

KEILAR: Very interesting. All right, we'll continue to follow this with you.

Joan Biskupic, thank you.

Alex?

MARQUARDT: There are concerning results from a new study today that shows there may be a connection between playing football, tackle football, and Parkinson's disease. We will have more on that, next.

And also ahead, the team that ousted the United States from the women's World Cup is advancing to the semifinals after beating Japan.

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[13:52:02]

MARQUARDT: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour.

Russia just launched a new mission to the moon. A successful unmanned rocket launch attempting to deliver a lunar lander to the surface of the moon. The first time in nearly 50 years.

Russia is now in a race with India to see who could reach the lunar south police first. With a target landing date of August 23rd. While India's first attempt in 2019, that one ended with a crash.

Also, TV and movie writers and the studios they are striking against are going back to the negotiating table for the first time since talks collapsed. That was back in May.

The writers deal pushing for changes in pay for streaming shows. They're also calling for new standards on the number of writers assigned to each show, and strong limits on the use of artificial intelligence.

And the semifinals taking shape for the women's World Cup. Sweden, which is the team that knocked out the U.S. from the round of 16, Sweden reaching the semis after beating the favorites, Japan. That score, 2:1.

They'll be facing off with Spain after the spaniards beat the Netherlands in extra time. Australia, France and England and Columbia all play very early tomorrow morning to see who rounds out the final four.

Meaning whoever ultimately ends up winning the final match will be a first-time World Cup champion. Good luck to all of them.

KEILAR: That is exciting.

So, a new study just out this morning suggests there may be a link between playing tackle football and Parkinson's disease. The findings are based on a survey by the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

And it's adding to a growing body of research about the connection between Parkinson's and activities that cause repetitive head injuries.

CNN medical correspondent, Meg Tirrell, has been following this for us. She's with us live with more details.

Meg, tell us about the study. A lot of people will say, wait, didn't we already know there was a link here?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Brianna. They say this is potentially the largest study really to examine this association.

Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder. Typically, it affects people over the age of 68. It can lead to movement problems, difficulty walking and talking.

What was really known is there was an association between extreme contact sports like boxing and Parkinson's disease.

What the researchers sought to find out here is whether that association was also true for football.

So they looked at this study of more than 1,800 male participants and 700 of whom had played football, either at the youth level, high school, college or even professionally.

What they found is that people who had played football had a 61 percent higher risk of reportings of Parkinson's diagnosis or Parkinson-ism, which is the movement or tremors that can make movement difficult.

So that was a pretty significant finding in this study -- Brianna?

KEILAR: That's huge, 61 percent increased risk. What did the study find about how long you had to play or other factors that increase the risk?

[13:54:56]

TIRRELL: It did find that the longer you played football and the higher level of play for football, both were associated with higher risks.

So if you played at least five years or more, that doubled your risk of having a Parkinson's diagnosis.

Playing at a higher level, like college or professionally, made you three times more likely than having played at the youth or high school level.

Which makes sense. The longer you play, the more intense the play is, it probably makes sense to increase that risk when you have the repeated head injuries.

KEILAR: Yes. That's a lot of food for thought for parents there. And also for just the precautions that need to be taken for these kinds of sports.

Meg Tirrell, thank you so much.

Alex?

MARQUARDT: The death toll is still rising and thousands are now displaced after the devastating wildfires in Maui. Next, we'll be speaking with the director of a food bank about the humanitarian crisis that's unfolding, and how people can help.

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