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Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), Discusses Stop-Gap Bill To Avoid Government Shutdown; IDF: Body Of Israeli Hostage Found Near Al-Shifa Hospital; New Videos Show Alec Baldwin With Prop Gun On "Rust" Set; GOP Senators Hold Hours-Long Floor Fight With Tuberville Over Block Of Military Nominees. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired November 16, 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]

WARREN DAVIDSON (R-OH): And Chip doesn't speak for the whole group.

I don't like giving these kinds of ultimatums. I've got a great relationship with Speaker Johnson. And I had a great relationship with Speaker McCarthy.

It doesn't have to be personal. It needs to be on a plan. That's what I said when we were selecting a new speaker. And the reality is no one who campaigned on a plan to maintain the status quo would have been selected speaker.

And I get the realities of trying to maintain a four-corners deal. A new speaker has to build relationships with those people as well as with the conference.

But we sent him there but sent him there to fight for the things we said we were going to do, and I think that's what the whole conference expects.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: All right, Congressman Warren Davidson, we'll leave it there. Thank you so much for your time.

DAVIDSON: Thank you.

BROWN: Well, new video shows Alec Baldwin on the scene of "Rust" just days before the shooting that killed the film's cinematographer. Ahead, what it could mean for potential charges in the case.

And that historic bust in New York City. The largest seizure of counterfeit items in U.S. history. The amazing details coming up right here on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:47]

BROWN: Just into CNN, we are learning the body of an Israeli hostage, who was kidnapped on October 7th, has just been found.

CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Tel Aviv, Israel. What more can you tell us? And what more do we know about this hostage

that was found?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Pam, we have just a few details here in a statement the IDF released just a short time ago.

Yehudit Weiss, who, from the kibbutz in the area, on the outside of Gaza, near the Gaza border, and suffered some of the hardest parts of the terror attack on October 7th, her body was found in Gaza. And the IDF notified her family she has died.

What's unclear is how she died, whether she was killed while being held by Hamas or whether she died in Israeli bombardment.

The IDF says she was found in a structure near the Shifa Hospital complex. We know there's been tremendous fighting around Al Shifa and that the IDF has been operating in that area for several days before it moved into the hospital complex itself early Wednesday morning.

But it's unclear from the IDF's statement if she died as part of the bombardment or and she was killed while held hostage.

Let me read to you just a short part of this.

"The body of Yehudit Weiss, who was abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization, was extracted by IDF troops from a structure adjacent to the Al Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip and was transferred to Israeli territory.

"In the structure in which Yehudit was located, military equipment, including Kalashnikov rifles and RPGs, were also found."

As of right now, this is the second Israeli hostage who has died in captivity, the first, Noa Marciano. The IDF notified her family several days ago that she had died while being held by Hamas.

In fact, we just heard from her family earlier today, that is Noa Marciano's family, and they demanded that Israel do more, first, to bring back the bodies for a proper burial here in Israel and, second, do more to release all the other hostages who are still being held in Gaza -- Pam?

BROWN: Right. The more than 200. And of course, this raises the bigger question of how this could complicate freeing those other hostages that are still being held by Hamas.

LIEBERMANN: Israel has viewed its campaign as part of a pressure campaign on Hamas to get to some sort of hostage exchange or agreement.

The framework has sort of come into focus here. We've gotten snippets of how it might look. Although, the exact numbers are hard to pin down because there hasn't been an agreement yet.

Fifty, 70, 100 hostages released at first. Women and children in exchange for prolonged or several days for a pause in the fighting, but it hasn't come into sharp focus because there hasn't been an agreement yet.

Meanwhile, Israel says it will continue its campaign until the hostages are release released.

But you're right, Pam, this certainly complicates that as we learn that a second hostage has been killed in captivity in Gaza has been killed.

BROWN: Oren Liebermann, our hearts and thoughts are with the family of that hostage that was found dead according to Israeli officials.

Thank you so much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:43:15]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: New today, videos exclusively obtained by NBC News showing Alec Baldwin handling at least one prop gun while he was filming scenes for the movie "Rust."

This is never-before-seen footage that was taken in 2021, days before Baldwin's prop gun went off on set killing cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, and injuring the director.

It shows Baldwin rehearsing a scene, talking with crew members, and firing a prop gun with blanks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX BALDWIN, ACTOR: Step back to your original mark. So one-one thousand, two-one thousand, and I'm getting up. And when he drops his arm, Halayna, that means Brady's close and then I'll start to really get up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

BALDWIN: Let's try it.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone in the path of the gun, could you please move?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: We have CNN's Josh Campbell here with more.

Josh, tell us why this footage is now just coming to light, and also what this is showing us.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna, interesting insight here into the actions on that set in this new video obtained by NBC News.

You know, prosecutors had previously accused Alec Baldwin of recklessness, but in these videos, you actually see Baldwin talking with crew members about safety.

We'll play these videos here. And listen here specifically at the direction that Baldwin is giving to other members on the set.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Now wait a second. I'm going to shoot right. Do you want to go to the other side of the camera? I don't want to shoot toward you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

BALDWIN: OK, I don't want to shoot close to you.

Here we go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

BALDWIN: Here we go.

Ready, and action.

No!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:45:00]

CAMPBELL: Now these videos appear to bolster Baldwin's case that he took safety seriously. But of course, Brianna, someone still died on this set. A live round of ammunition making its way into that gun.

And as a reporter, this is a set that had faced multiple safety issues.

KEILAR: And, Josh, just a reminder, involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin for the fatal shooting, those were dismissed in April. But a grand jury is now considering whether to refile them. Why is that?

CAMPBELL: Yes, you know, this case has gone through rocky periods, I think to put it charitably. Two of the prosecutors stepped down. Charges were actually dropped because there was a potential issue with evidence.

Authorities then said that, look, if we actually determined that Baldwin is culpable, we refile charges. And we're waiting to see if a grand jury will recharge Alec Baldwin.

But I want to play for you what the prosecutor at the time told me early on. They conducted this lengthy investigation.

Here's what they found as part of the culture of unsafe practices in their view on the set.

Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY CARMACK-ALTWIES, NEW MEXICO FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY: There was such a lack of safety and safety standards on that set that there were live rounds on set. They were mixed in with regular dummy rounds.

He didn't check it. He didn't do any of the things that he was supposed to do to make that he was safe or that anyone around him was safe. And then he pointed the game at Halyna Hutchins and he pulled the trigger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Now, of course, for Alex Baldwin's part, he had two roles here. He was not only the actor holding the gun when that gun went off whenever that fatal round was shot, but he was also a producer.

So there's a question here. A lot that this grand jury has to grapple with, both in the moment of the shooting but also in the role of this culture on set. He was reported from previous crew members who said that they didn't feel safe.

So we'll have to see what the grand jury decides. Were there things that could have been corrected weeks or months in advance that could have prevented this shooting? And we'll wait and see what the grand jury does -- Brianna?

KEILAR: Yes, we will wait and see.

All right, Josh Campbell, thank you for that report.

Pam?

BROWN: All right, let's turn to some of the other headlines that we are watching this hour.

America's best-selling car, the Toyota Camry, is going full hybrid. Beginning this spring, the next-generation Camry will only be available with hybrid engines.

This move comes as Toyota doubles down on hybrids, betting some drivers are reluctant to go fully electric.

Also, more than a billion-dollars-worth of counterfeit goods are off the streets today. This, after what New York prosecutors are calling the largest knockoff bust in U.S. history.

Agents hauled away about 220,000 fake designer bags, clothes, shoes and other luxury items from a storage facility. Two men are under arrest.

And the private company, SpaceX, is set to relaunch its mega-rocket starship tomorrow after the first attempt exploded shortly after takeoff.

The starship is the most powerful launch vehicle ever made. And it's designed to be reusable. Federal regulators officially greenlit the mission yesterday.

And still ahead, Republican pressure growing on Senator Tommy Tuberville to end his blockade of more than 400 military nominees. Tensions flaring as several Senators stayed up late into the night to fight it. So what happens next? That's ahead.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:52:50]

KEILAR: Several Republican Senators pulling a near all-nighter on the Senate floor in an attempt to confirm top military promotions.

For the past nine months, their fellow Republican, Senator Tommy Tuberville, has blocked numbers of nominations over the Pentagon's abortion travel policy.

CNN congressional correspondent, Lauren Fox, live on Capitol Hill for us.

Anything in sight here for the end of these holds on these general and flag officers that have been going on for a better part of the year here?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Republican colleagues of Senator Tuberville weren't successful in getting any of these nominations to get agreement last night.

But what this whole exercise shows is the fact that there's continued frustration, growing frustration with Senator Tuberville's nine months of holds at this point.

And despite the fact there have been multiple members who have tried to work with him, tried to find a potential off-ramp, he has yet to agree to any of those ideas.

And right now, you're starting to hear from Senate Republicans that they may be willing to help Democrats change the rules if Tuberville doesn't back off soon.

Here they are.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): If you do not believe these holds are having an effect on the military, I don't question your sincerity, I question your judgment. This will be the last holiday this happens. If it takes me to vote to break loose these folks, I will.

SEN. TODD YOUNG (R-IN): This is personal to me. This is personal to this United States Senator.

SEN. MIKE LEE (R-UT): All you have to do is suspend your godless, lawless abortion travel policy. You're blaming him for our supposed lack of military readiness. I can't believe anybody buys this crap. I really can't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOX: And one of the potential off-ramps that Republican Senators have presented to Senator Tuberville is the idea of having the House of Representatives sue the Department of Defense.

[13:55:00]

Over their policies to reimburse travel expenses for military men and women who seek reproductive care outside of the state they live if they can't get an abortion in that state.

That's one potential off-ramp. And it's something that Senator Tuberville said he's looking at but he said he's not made a final decision.

I'm told that Jay Sekulow, who is a lawyer that Senator Lindsey Graham said would be excellent in leading that kind of lawsuit, has spoken to Senator Tuberville. He made the case to Tuberville that this was the best possible option at this moment.

But, again, it's up to Senator Tuberville to make a final decision on whether or not he's going to release these holds. So far, he says he's continuing to review the situation -- Brianna?

KEILAR: Yes, he's been very consistent on that.

Lauren Fox, live for us on the Hill, thank you so much.

President Biden is set to speak here any minute. Beijing already pushing back on Biden, once again, calling Xi Jinping a dictator. We're going to bring you the president's latest remarks here live here on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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