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Tornadoes and Severe Weather Kill At Least 19 People in U.S. and Damages Large Parts of Texas; Closing Arguments Set to Begin in Donald Trump's Criminal Hush Money Trial; Suspect Arrested after Six Stabbed in Separate Attacks; Trump Met with Boos, Few Cheers at Libertarian Convention. Aired 8-8:30a ET
Aired May 27, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
A'MARI REYNOLDS, KATRINA SURVIVOR: I'll be a future addition to the United States Marine Corps.
LT. GEN. RUSSELL HONORE, LED MILITARY RESPONSE TO HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA: Hoorah. You got to learn how to say that word, hoorah.
A. REYNOLDS: I chose to be in the Marines because I watched over the video and I kept watching, and it inspired me to want to help people a lot more.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Then J'Mari.
J'MARI REYNOLDS, KATRINA SURVIVOR: I would like to thank you so much for your bravery and your help that I was able to survive. I'm going to college to do automotive engineering.
ELAM: How do you feel hearing that these two young men are pursuing these careers that have been inspired in part by you?
HONORE: I feel so gratified. I mean, there's no greater service than the service to others. The engineer that will change the world, and the Marine that's going to help protect the freedom in our democracy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: J'Mari Ezekiel Wheeler Reynolds.
ELAM (voice-over): The twins now thriving after surviving hell and high water thanks to an undeterred mother.
HONORE: They're here today because of you and your tenacity.
ELAM (voice-over): And a compassionate commander.
HONORE: That these young men will be game changers. I'm so proud of you.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SECURITY GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: God's angel was a perfect way describing General Honore. What a great story. Our thanks to Stephanie Elam.
Well, a new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right.
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Tornadoes, large hail, and damaging wind gusts all part of the deadly severe storms that have killed at least 19 people. And it's not over yet. Millions more now in the path of severe weather.
A man under arrest suspected of stabbing at least six people in Massachusetts, including four girls at a movie theater. We'll have the latest on the investigation straight ahead.
Plus, another case of terrifying turbulence injuring a dozen passengers, this time on a Qatar Airways flight. What passengers were saying this morning.
I'm Rahel Solomon with Bianna Golodryga, and this CNN NEWS CENTRAL.
GOLODRYGA: This morning, the death toll is rising after multiple tornadoes strike the central us and millions more Americans are now on alert as the deadly storm system some heads east. At least 19 people are now dead, including four children after the violent storm outbreak lashed four states. Widespread damage now being seen across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky. In Kentucky, brand new video is showing one reported tornado as it struck near Eddyville, Kentucky overnight. One couple's home taking a direct hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD GOODACRE, HOME DESTROYED BY REPORTED TORNADO: How about we don't blow the door open. Steel door I put on there reinforced it, so that saved it.
KAREN GOODACRE, HOME DESTROYED BY REPORTED TORNADO: It's awful. We lost everything. But at least my dogs OK, my husband is OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The storms are not. More than 120 million people today are facing a severe risk.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is standing by, but first meteorologist Derek Van Dam is tracking the latest out of Kentucky where the threat is the greatest right now. Derek, what can we expect to see in the minutes and hours to come?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Interesting side story about that couple that was just on our TV screens a moment ago from Kentucky, they actually built a storm shelter because of a previous tornado that move through that region in December of 2021. So now to see another intense tornado move across the same area, being saved by that very tornado shelter that they built because of December 2021 storms. Now this is the threat today. It encompasses 120 million Americans.
The reason that population density is so high, it includes places like New York, D.C., all the way to Philadelphia, stretching into Atlanta, where a few tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, and large hail are all possible.
Here's another look at that Hopkins County, Dawson Springs, Kentucky, tornado. This occurred again late last night, and you can see that the most customers without power are across the state of Kentucky. But this is new to CNN. We're starting to see an uptick in numbers across Alabama as well as a round of severe weather went through early this morning. This is all part of this larger storm system that has just rocked the U.S. through this extended holiday periods.
So new right now, we have a newly issued thunderstorm watch that is across central Georgia and into South Carolina. This includes the Atlanta metropolitan region where some rough weather is causing ground stops and ground delays at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This is valid until about 2:00 p.m. You can see that line of training storms right across Interstate 20. I-75 is going to be backlog today as people traveled north and south for this Memorial Day. You can see a few severe thunderstorm warnings, but no tornado warnings. That's the good news.
But all that said, this map is littered with severe weather reports from the weekend, over 1,000 and counting as the system departs off the east coast today.
[08:05:07]
We're going to recycle with a whole new storm system that will bring another round of severe weather tomorrow across the state of Texas. They're already dealing with a heat wave that's impacting the central parts of the states as well. Bianna?
GOLODRYGA: A massive storm system impacting such a large part of the country. Thank you so much, Derek Van Dam.
Let's bring in CNN's Ed Lavandera, who is surveying the damage in Texas. And Ed, as we heard there from Derek, another system coming in, and as residents there are going to be going and sifting through the rubble there, they're going to be dealing with massive heat as well.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, it actually feels pretty good right now Bianna, but that is going to change drastically here in the hours ahead. And this is the aftermath that so many people here near the city of Valley View in Texas north of Denton, Texas are dealing with this morning. The intensity of the storm was just simply ferocious. The National Weather Service says it was an EF-2 tornado that ripped through here with winds of up to 135 miles per hour. And this is the devastation and what is left behind when a storm of that magnitude kind of rips through a neighborhood like this.
And you just see a pile of cars here, four cars and trucks piled up against one another. We have seen dozens of homes and residents who have spent the last 24 hours cleaning up, essentially just starting to build piles of debris that will have to be hauled away. So it's been a very intense time here.
Emergency officials say in this area of Valley View, there were seven people who were killed, Bianna, including four children. And one of those was a mother who was with her two children. Then there was a five-year-old and a two-year-old who were found. The sheriff told me, said they had they had found -- rescue teams had found them in a field around here on ATV machines. So just horrific stories that came out of this storm. And many of the residents, we said that we had spoken to were trying to desperately figure out a way to protect themselves in a nearby convenience store. There were more than 100 people gathered inside. Walls collapsed. They had to be rescued out of there as well. So it's just a simply a devastating storm that we've seen rip through here in darkness on Saturday night, a treacherous scene. And the cleanup continues here today. Bianna?
GOLODRYGA: Just unimaginable destruction as we're looking at these images right now. It's so heartbreaking to hear that among the victims are children as well. Ed Lavandera, thank you. Rahel?
SOLOMON: All right, Bianna, in Massachusetts, four girls are stabbed in a movie theater. The suspect is now in custody, and we have the latest details. And one of these attacks may be connected to a murder in another stage.
A former daytime soap actor is killed. Police said that he was trying to stop thieves from stealing part of his car when he was shot to death.
And closing arguments set for tomorrow in Donald Trump's hush money trial. We'll have a look at the last minute preps for both sides. We'll be right back.
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[08:12:41]
SOLOMON: Welcome back. After more than five weeks of dramatic turns, closing arguments are set to begin in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial tomorrow. Jurors have heard from 20 witnesses called to the stand by prosecutors, and two witnesses called by defense attorneys. Now, tomorrow, prosecutors will again try to connect the dots and make it clear to jurors that they say that Trump should be convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Let's bring back CNN's Katelyn Polantz to explain what we can expect tomorrow. Katelyn?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Rahel, it's going to be a full day in court for jurors to listen to the defense, give their closing arguments, and then the prosecutors give their closing arguments.
This is the final act of this trial in its seventh week, the first criminal trial against the former president. In this case, prosecutors are going to be pointing out to the jurors that they have seen all of those transactions of money to pay off Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet in the 2016 election, and the prosecutors are going to try and convince the jury that they have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Donald Trump wanted to hide those payments because of his political campaign in 2016.
Now the defense side, when they give their closing summation, they're going to be arguing that the case hasn't been proven, that there just isn't enough evidence beyond circumstantial evidence and then what Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former lawyer, was saying on the witness stand to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Donald Trump had criminal intent to hide those payments to Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for Stormy Daniels, and that Donald Trump had the intent to help his campaign, what they say is a campaign finance violation.
All of that comes together in these closing summations. They could go all day because there aren't any specific time limits on how long each side will present. There's not going to be a rebuttal, so it's the defense, and then it's the prosecutors.
And then the judge instructs the jury, lays out for them what their job will be in deliberations and the standards under the law that they will have to find in order to convict or acquit the former president. Remember there's two attorneys on that jury. Jury deliberations, once the jury is instructed, will go for however long it takes. We expect that to begin on Wednesday. Rahel?
[08:15:00]
SOLOMON: The jury instructions, according to some legal observers are a really critical part of this process.
Katelyn Polantz, live for us in Washington. Katelyn, thank you.
Donald Trump also facing an unfriendly crowd as he courts the libertarian convention for their support. We will show you who the party did pick for their ballot.
And we now have images of the suspect in a disturbing stabbing spree that spread from a movie theater to a fast-food restaurant. What we know about the four girls hurt in the attack.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: This morning, a suspect is in custody after two stabbing incidents police say are likely connected.
Four young girls were stabbed at a movie theatre in Braintree, Saturday night. Just an hour later, two others were stabbed at a Plymouth McDonald's.
CNN's Athena Jones joins me now.
Athena, what more we learning about these two horrific incidents? ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bianna.
Scary incidents occurring in Massachusetts over the weekend. Well, police say these four girls between the ages of nine and 17 were attacked without warning, unprovoked at this AMC movie theater in Braintree.
They were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and are being treated there. The hospital is in the Boston area.
Our affiliate, WBZ spoke with a witness. Here is what he had to say -- that person had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATHE LOUIS, AMC EMPLOYEE: I caught like a quick glimpse of like a guy, like he ran into like theater number two and apparently he stabbed like --
[08:20:03]
Apparently, he stabbed like a couple of little girls there.
I noticed like he was wearing a large -- an oversized trench coat, sunglasses, a long blonde wig.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: So very, very frightening.
About an hour later, a 21 year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were stabbed at a McDonald's in Plymouth, which is about a half hour drive south of Braintree.
They were also taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Now, a suspect in the McDonald's stabbings, 26-year-old Jared Ravizza saw was arrested 15 minutes after fleeing the scene. He is now facing multiple charges according to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office, including assault with intent to murder, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
He was also being treated at a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, but some of the details of this incident are really frightening.
Prosecutors allege Ravizza arrived at the scene of the McDonald's stabbings in a black Porsche Macan SUV. This was similar to a vehicle that had been seen at the site of the movie theater.
Surveillance footage from the McDonald's appears to show Ravizza reach through the drive-thru window and stab the male victim with a large knife. Then the video shows the suspect park his car, enter the restaurant, and stabbed the female victim before fleeing in the car.
Police say that while the two attacks happened about an hour apart, it appears as though the crimes are related. Preliminary investigation is showing that, but this investigation is active and ongoing according to state and local police.
Meanwhile, there was more violence in Connecticut. State Police there say a suspect linked to a death in the town of Deep River has been taken into custody in Massachusetts.
Now, police in neither state have confirmed whether the Connecticut death investigation was connected to these stabbings in Massachusetts, but still a series of scary events occurring over the course of the weekend.
GOLODRYGA: You will be following this closely for us. Athena Jones, thank you so much -- Rahel.
Well now, sorry, excuse me, a new and frightening story of midflight turbulence that injured a dozen passengers and sent several to the hospital.
And round after round of severe storms leaves many people facing dangerous heat without any electricity.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:27:30]
GOLODRYGA: It was a busy weekend for Donald Trump making a campaign stop to try to court libertarian voters. He gave one of his shortest campaign speeches to date at the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday, and after he walked on stage to mix of boos and cheers, he spoke for just 34 minutes.
CNN's Steve Contorno was at the convention.
Steve, first of all, why was it even critical for the former president to win over this crowd.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, Bianna, Donald Trump and his campaign, there is an intensifying urgency over some of these interests that is lingering and throughout the country for third-party candidates, and his campaign has been working aggressively to try to stave off this energy for third-party candidates, especially Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and that is why he made this trek to Washington, DC to speak to this convention.
I have to tell you, I have been attending Trump campaign events since 2015. I have not experienced one quite like this.
Take a listen to the reception he received from this crowd.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want libertarian votes because you stand for what we stand for.
(BOOING) TRUMP: If we unite, we are unstoppable.
(BOOING)
TRUMP: I will be a true friend to libertarians in the White House.
The libertarian party should nominate Trump for president of the United States.
(BOOING)
TRUMP: Whoa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CONTORNO: No surprise. The libertarian party did not nominate Trump for president. In fact, he didn't even appear on the ballot. He says that he never wanted to and the party says that it was -- he never submitted the paperwork and said that distinction will go to Chase Oliver.
He was a US Senate candidate in Georgia on the libertarian ticket, got about two percent of the vote and was potentially a spoiler in one of the runoff races there.
But Donald Trump's outreach was not necessarily well-received as you heard in those boos and talking to people at the convention and people who got the nominee and Oliver himself, they said that look, Donald Trump may be saying things that sound good to libertarians now, but why didn't he do those things when he was in office?
GOLODRYGA: Yes, and not the reception the former president is used are getting at all.
You mentioned RFK, Jr. and Trump attacked him in that Truth Social post as well. Talk more about the increased concern that we are seeing from the former president with regards to RFK's candidacy here.
CONTORNO: Yes, RFK, Jr. and Donald Trump sort of trading attacks through social media over the weekend and RFK, Jr. also addressed the convention on Friday night and he was not attempting to be the libertarian party's nominee, but he has been aggressively courting their support as well, and he has some people who have been interested in him in some of these states and that is a concern to Trump particularly in these swing states that are going to be decided by just tens of thousands of votes.
[08:30:30]
