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CIA: Netanyahu Likely To Defy U.S. Pressure To Set Post-War Gaza Plan; Rep. Josh Gottheimer On Biden's New $225 Million Military Aid Package For Ukraine; Gilgo Beach Murder Suspect Indicted On Two New Murder Charges. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired June 07, 2024 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:34:10]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: The date is set. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will come to the United States to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24. All four Republican and Democratic congressional leaders signed onto the invitation, as we have reported, though their reaction to the date's announcement -- to the date announcement, if you will, not so unanimous.

And it also comes at a time when the United States and 16 other nations are applying new pressure to Israel and Hamas to move forward with a ceasefire deal.

Overnight, President Biden expressed optimism about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think he's listening to me. They didn't -- they were going to go into Russia -- into Rafah full-bore -- invade all of Rafah. Go into the city. Take it out. Move with full force. They haven't done that.

[07:35:00]

And what they've done is they've agreed to a significant agreement that if, in fact, Hamas accepts it. And look, it's being back by Egypt, being backed the Saudis, being backed by the -- almost the whole entire world. We'll see. This is a very difficult time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Yet, new CNN reporting today suggests otherwise.

CNN's Zachary Cohen has some new reporting on this, and this comes from a new CIA -- reporting on a new CIA assessment that you have. Tell us what you've learned.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah, Kate. This represents one of the most up-to-date intelligence assessments that's been circulated amongst U.S. officials about Netanyahu's mindset -- and obviously, that's critical insight for policymakers and for the president as they try to broker an end to the conflict in Gaza.

And look, this assessment puts in very blunt terms that Netanyahu is currently engaged in a balancing act. He's trying to maintain support from the U.S. and from the international community, but also trying to preserve his spot as the leader of Israel. He does face pressure from some of the right-wing elements of his own government to continue the war against Hamas.

And look, the CIA assessment says that Netanyahu will likely continue to defy pressure from the U.S. and members of his own government to define a post-war plan. That's something we've only heard Netanyahu talk about in vague terms, and the CIA believes that he will continue to only address it in vague terms until very specific benchmarks are reached. We've heard Netanyahu even describe those benchmarks in very vague terms, using the phrase "military operations" as something that he needs to ensure the security of Israel before he's willing to talk about a peace deal.

The assessment does name specifically, though, that eliminating the Hamas leader Mohammed Deif -- the shadowy figure who has been linked to the planning behind the October 7 attack -- that specifically is somebody who the CIA assesses that Netanyahu likely needs to eliminate before he's willing to seriously talk about post-war issues.

And I want to compare that, though, to what President Joe Biden has said about the post-war Gaza and about -- he actually says that is the one thing that he disagrees with Netanyahu the most on. He said to Time magazine, "My major disagreement with Netanyahu is what happens after Gaza's over. What does it go back to? Do Israeli forces go back in?"

And according to the CIA, it sounds like Netanyahu is not ready to talk in specific terms and may not be ready to for months.

BOLDUAN: Zach, thank you so much for bringing us that reporting. I really appreciate it -- Omar.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Well, joining me now is Democratic congressman from New Jersey, Josh Gottheimer. Thank you for being here. I really appreciate you taking the time.

I want to start with a little bit of what we heard just --

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ) (via Webex by Cisco): Thanks for having me.

JIMENEZ: -- from the president this morning. In particular, take a listen to some of what he said sitting alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: And I'm not going to walk away from you. I apologize for the weeks of not knowing what's going to happen in terms of funding.

(END VIDEO CLIP) JIMENEZ: Now, obviously, we are expecting a speech from him later today. But how much of that speech today do you believe should be about protecting that alliance between the United States and Ukraine among your colleagues on the Hill?

GOTTHEIMER: I mean, I think that's critically important. I worked quite a bit on making sure we were able to pass, in a bipartisan way, the most recent aid package for Ukraine, which I think is critical.

The fact that we would allow Putin to march across Ukraine and threaten our allies in the region and destabilize democracy is unacceptable. And I've been consistent in that because I think there's no question about what the -- what could happen if we -- if that does -- if Putin is allowed to continue what they've done now to innocent Ukrainians month after month. And listen, the Ukrainians have been unbelievable in standing strong.

So we cannot as a country pause any support for Ukraine, in my opinion. And the idea that it took so long to get that aid in, to me, was unacceptable.

JIMENEZ: Yeah, and it will be interesting to see if that speech today has any affect on any mentalities for those that were -- that were holding out.

I want to shift over to Israel and Gaza -- specifically, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected to address a joint meeting of Congress next month. Not everyone is thrilled with it, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, for example, saying he's not going to attend.

I mean, do you have any concerns with Netanyahu making this address?

GOTTHEIMER: No. I mean, listen, ultimately, this is about the United States and our key ally Israel, right -- the democracy in the region. A key partner in the fight against terror. Against Iran and its proxies, which, as you know, continues to strike at American targets -- their proxies. And the Houthis and the Red Sea. We've seen in both the proxies in Iraq and Syria and Hezbollah continue to fire at our allies, but also at America and our assets and our servicemembers.

[07:40:07]

So, to me, we need -- this is really about Iran and their march alongside. And you talk about Ukraine, and you see what Iran did in Ukraine helping the Russians with -- and continuing to help the Russians. Partnering with China and North Korea. That is -- you know, that is the new axis of evil.

So as far as I'm concerned, we must strong -- stand strongly in support of our allies in the region and making sure when Israel comes before Congress and it continues -- that we continue to reiterate the strength of that relationship.

JIMENEZ: And, you know, look, the visit obviously doesn't come in a vacuum here. You're also on the House Intelligence committee. President Biden has said it's time for this war to end and that Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7.

That said, we still don't have a substantive ceasefire proposal agreed to between these two sides despite a lot of pressure from U.S. officials.

What do you think is the most critical part of any ceasefire deal that is eventually agreed to?

GOTTHEIMER: I mean, we know now -- and the president said this, right -- that Israel has -- he laid out the framework that Israel has agreed to. The question now, will the terrorists -- will Hamas agree to it, right, so we can get that pause?

We can get the hostages home, which I think is critical, including five American hostages, one of which is -- one of who is my constituent to Don Alexander, right? And the idea that, like, we shouldn't forget that Hamas killed 44 Americans. We've got to get those hostages -- the hostages home.

We've got to get more humanitarian aid in, which obviously this agreement does. It helps put a pause in place.

And I think we've got to do everything we can to get there, which I think both sides -- we're working incredibly hard on this. But Israel has accepted it -- but now, Hamas has to come to the table.

JIMENEZ: Yeah, and we'll see which sticking points we end up learning from you, likely before us. But if you find out, let us know.

Now, look, I want to switch to a little bit of politics in that look, you're a member --

GOTTHEIMER: Yeah.

JIMENEZ: -- of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which among your responsibilities is trying to find common ground with your Republican colleagues. And I don't know if you heard them, but in some of Trump's first post-conviction comments he said, "Sometimes revenge can be justified" when he was asked about a potential next administration.

Look, his words do hold a lot of weight with many of your Republican colleagues. Are you concerned about that type of rhetoric and the effect it may have on your ability to legislate and find common ground with some of your Republican colleagues?

GOTTHEIMER: Well, I'm mostly concerned about our country and our democracy, right? I mean, when comments like that are made by the former president and the candidate for president -- you know, it's hard to actually imagine that any president would talk about revenge. And do I worry about that? I worry about that for our democracy.

In terms of my colleagues who I work with regularly on the other side of the aisle, who actually want to solve problems and get things done, we were very involved in getting that Ukraine aid and Israel aid and aid for Taiwan done and across the finish line. Those are the -- and who work together on raising the debt ceiling. Those are the kind of things that we need to do constructively and put

our country first ahead of these partisan politics and I would -- I hope that they would agree with me. I've been talking specifically about those comments. But I hope they would agree with me those are completely and totally unacceptable and not becoming for any leader in our country.

JIMENEZ: Yeah.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer, thanks for covering a lot of ground with us. We really appreciate your time.

GOTTHEIMER: Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.

JIMENEZ: Of course -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Federal regulators are gearing up to go after the nation's largest alcohol distributor now over unfair pricing. A source telling CNN they will -- they're going to use a Depression-era antitrust law to do it. That means your next trip to your local liquor store could soon be a bit cheaper.

What's going on here? Let's bring in Matt Egan. He's looking into this. What is this all about?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Kate, this is a looming legal battle and it's about something that I think Americans care a lot about -- how much they are paying for the price of alcohol.

Now, a source confirms to CNN that the Federal Trade Commission is preparing to file a lawsuit against Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. This is the nation's largest alcohol distributor. More than 7,000 brands -- everything from Grey Goose vodka and Jim Beam bourbon, to Yellowtail wine. And this would be -- and they're trying to lower costs for consumers, making sure that mom-and-pop shops are operating at a level playing field against the big national chains.

And listen, a lot is at stake here. Americans spent almost $90 billion on alcohol last year alone. We know that the cost of living is very high right now. Biden officials are eager to show they are taking action to lower costs and that they're taking action to confront dominant companies.

But this lawsuit, Kate, could be risky because it would force regulators to dust off a law that has rarely been used in decades. This is the Robinson-Patman Act. It's --

[07:45:00]

BOLDUAN: Oh, yes. I remember that one.

EGAN: Yes -- as you know, Kate, from 1936 during the Great Depression. And it bans price discrimination. It specifically says that suppliers -- they can't offer deeper discounts to the big national chains than they do to the local shops. But this is highly controversial because it has rarely been enforced. It has -- hasn't been used since 2000 -- only one other time since the late 1980s.

But supporters of an FTC crackdown -- they say now is the time to use it because they argue these big national chains -- they've gotten so dominant that it has allowed them to crush Main Street businesses and to raise costs on consumers. As one source put it to me, "If you can't compete on price or at least come close, you can't stay in business."

BOLDUAN: So what's the company saying about this?

EGAN: So, Southern Glazer's declined to comment. But a source familiar with the matter did tell me that the company's discounts -- they're available to all retailers, both these smaller chains and the national ones.

And there are plenty of critics of the Robinson-Patman Act who they argue that it would actually backfire on consumers if it starts to get --

BOLDUAN: How?

EGAN: -- enforced. Because what would happen is the big chains would have to raise their prices once they lose access to those really deep discounts.

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

EGAN: One lawyer told me that if you start to revive this law now it's more than likely to raise prices than lower prices.

So there's smart people on both sides of this who are actually arguing the exact opposite. Some say it would lower prices; some say it would raise prices. It's all theoretical because it hasn't been enforced in decades, so we don't actually know. But regulators -- they seem unphased. As one source told me, "It's been a law since 1936. It's still a law on the books. We enforce the laws."

BOLDUAN: Look, it --

EGAN: Stay tuned, Kate.

BOLDUAN: -- it's definitely still a law on the books. The only thing that is certain here is there's no way Congress is going to be getting its act together to update any kind of law. That's the only thing I know about this. This is interesting and we'll have to follow it.

It's good to see you.

EGAN: Thank you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Thank you -- Omar.

JIMENEZ: Finally, we're talking about a law from 1936. That's my -- that's my specialty. I could go on --

BOLDUAN: Yeah, of course.

JIMENEZ: -- but I remember this --

BOLDUAN: Yeah. It has nothing to do with Fortnite.

JIMENEZ: Yeah, absolutely not -- absolutely not.

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

JIMENEZ: All right. Look, news wise -- I'm going to get back to the script here -- it's the end of an era for one of America's favorite game shows. Pat Sajak will spin the wheel for the last time tonight. Find out who is going to replace him as the host of "WHEEL OF FORTUNE."

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[07:51:39]

JIMENEZ: The world's biggest streaming service is fighting back against a $170 million lawsuit. A Scottish woman is suing Netflix over allegations she was defamed by the global hit show, "BABY REINDEER," claiming she has experienced mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of business.

Now, the show says -- tells what comedian Richard Gadd says is his true story of being stalked by a woman who blasts him with more than 40,000 emails and hundreds of hours of voice messages.

Heat advisories remain in effect for over 20 million people across the West, and it's all because of a heat dome bringing record-breaking high temperatures. Death Valley, California reached 122 degrees yesterday, passing the previous 1996 record of 121 -- wow. They have only reached that temperature this early in the year two other times in recorded history.

And after 41 seasons and over 8,000 episodes, "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" host Pat Sajak will be taking his final spin tonight alongside his famed "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" partner Vanna White. Sajak has become the longest- running host of a single game show in modern TV history. Ryan Seacrest will replace Sajak as the new host of "WHEEL OF FORTUNE."

All right. It's a popular low-calorie sweetener used in so many things --

BOLDUAN: Wow, I forgot about that.

JIMENEZ: -- gum, toothpaste, candy. And now a new study suggests maybe it shouldn't be. It's called Xylitol. And the research is pointing to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

CNN's Jacqueline Howard has been looking into this for us. All right, Jacqueline, just explain the basics of this new research and why should people be concerned here?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Yeah, Omar. Well, this study -- it was done by researchers at Cleveland Clinic and like you said, they found that consuming high amounts of Xylitol is associated with nearly twice the risk of heart attack, stroke, and even death.

Now, we do need more research behind what exactly is driving that association, but the researchers do point out that Xylitol is also associated with the formation of blood clots in the body. And, of course, if a clot travels to your heart or your brain, that can cause a heart attack or a stroke.

The reason why this is so concerning, Omar, is that we know the consumers who typically seek out products containing Xylitol -- like sugar-free gum or reduced-sugar baked goods -- these are consumers who are looking to manage their blood sugar levels. So they may already have diabetes or already have cardiovascular disease, meaning they're already at an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

So if this study suggesting that Xylitol may be associated with an even higher risk, that's what's concerning here, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Yeah. Look, it's important research. But as you mentioned, there's always more to be done to get a better understanding --

HOWARD: Yeah.

JIMENEZ: -- about what the dynamic actually is.

Jacqueline Howard, really appreciate the reporting as always -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: The suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer has now been charged with two additional murders -- and with that, we're learning new details about what led investigators there.

Rex Heuermann is now charged with the murders of Jessica Taylor in 2003, and Sandra Costilla in 1993, bringing the total number of murders that he is now charged with to six murders.

Investigators are also now pointing to a document found in his home. They call it "Blueprint to Kill."

[07:55:03]

CNN's Jean Casarez has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAYMOND TIERNEY, SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: His intent was nothing short but to murder these victims.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prosecutors say it is the forensic evidence that links the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer with the murder of two more victims -- Jessica Taylor in 2003, and Sandra Costilla in 1993, bringing the total number of known victims to six.

MICHAEL BROWN, ALLEGED SERIAL KILLER'S ATTORNEY: He has indicated he is not guilty of these charges.

CASAREZ (voice-over): In 1993, a forensic scientist determined Taylor had been decapitated, dismembered at her arms below her elbows. A male human head hair was recovered from underneath Taylor's body and underwent DNA testing.

TIERNEY: The results of that were able to exclude 99.96 percent of the population. The defendant could not be excluded as the donor of that hair.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Taylor last called her mother on July 21, 2003. She was going to visit on July 25 to celebrate her mother's birthday, but Taylor never showed up. One day later, a person in Manorville, Long Island found her dismembered body. Eight years later, her hands, forearm, and skull were found at Gilgo Beach.

TIERNEY: Those remains were found on the same side of the road as the Gilgo Four.

CASAREZ (voice-over): The alleged serial killer was previously charged with murder in the killings of four women who have become known as the Gilgo Four -- Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

Before the Gilgo Four, in November 1993, remains of Sandra Costilla were discovered by hunters. The 28-year-old was found in Suffolk County, Long Island lying on her back. Three hairs -- one male, two female -- were found on Costilla's remains. DNA testing determined the male hair was more likely to have come from a person genetically identical to the Gilgo killer. And the female hair matched a woman the alleged serial killer had previously been living with.

Also found, documents on a hard drive in the alleged killer's home. Among them, what authorities describe as a planning document -- essentially, a blueprint to plan out his kills. It listed out problems to avoid apprehension, and supplies to carry out the serial murders, and to avoid leaving behind DNA.

Another document talked about body prep. The need to wash body, remove trace DNA, and included references to remove head and hands, and package for transport.

TIERNEY: This case is about the victims and their families and hopefully, providing them with that small measure of closure.

CASAREZ (voice-over): Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Wow.

Joining us right now to talk about this is defense attorney Misty Marris. I mean, Misty, we were listening to Jean Casarez, and I was, like, my jaw was starting to drop. I mean, the series -- the series of allegations and charges against him were all already jaw-dropping. I mean, this is an alleged serial killer now. This planning document that is pointed to and alleged by investigators that they found -- I mean, wow. MISTY MARRIS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely. It shows the manner and means by which he intends to kill these women. So there's really, really relevant things in this document.

BOLDUAN: Yeah, that's what I was going to say. What is -- other than being, I'm going to say creepy and scary and --

MARRIS: Right.

BOLDUAN: -- gross --

MARRIS: Chilling.

BOLDUAN: -- chilling -- what is in here that you think is relevant?

MARRIS: So it's very relevant because not only does this set out Rex Heuermann's alleged plan, but it also is linked directly to the way that the body was found. So, Jessica Taylor's body, one of the victims that just came to light --

BOLDUAN: Yes.

MARRIS: -- in 2003, the document says, which was created in the year 2000, remove head and hands. Remove tattoos. Her body was found decapitated, removal of her hands, and a tattoo that was on her hip mutilated. So now we're talking about the way the body was found being linked directly to a document that was found in Rex Heuermann's home on his hard drive.

The other really relevant aspect here. Keep in mind there is two new victims --

BOLDUAN: Um-hum.

MARRIS: -- Jessica Taylor, 2003. Another victim, Costilla, 1993. The other Gilgo Four, 2007 to 2010. We're talking about a whole new decade of potential serial killings.

And the other piece of this is --

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

MARRIS: -- the reference in that document -- many references to next time. How he could improve. Next time, use stronger rope.

So this indicates that even if one murder could be linked to him, it gives prosecutors the ability to say it's very clear that this was an ongoing thing and that there were more killings that can be linked back to Rex Heuermann.

BOLDUAN: Nineteen-ninety-three -- I mean, we're talking 30 years back. How does that impact the case? I mean, could there be even more than when you see that gap?

MARRIS: Yeah. The district attorney was out there yesterday and said there is an unknown amount of killings that could have taken place that we're going to continue to investigate.