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Flashfloods Slam Northeast, Millions Remain Under Flood Threat; Sources Say, Trump Privately Urging Aides to Let Epstein Story Die Down; Supreme Court Clears Way for Mass Firings at Education Department. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired July 15, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, millions across the northeast and Mid-Atlantic hit with dangerous flash flooding, intense rain, creating treacherous road conditions, and prompting water rescues stranding people in their vehicles. Where the threat remains right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We've got new reporting this morning that President Trump is pleading with his supporters and administration officials to let the Jeffrey Epstein controversy go. So, will they listen and how much damage has it done?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Also this morning, Beyonce's unreleased music and set lists stolen. Atlanta Police are now trying to track down the thief as she is about to round out her Cowboy Carter tour.

I'm Kate Bolduan with Sara Sidner and John Berman. This is CNN News Central.

SIDNER: Breaking overnight, summer storms wreaking havoc across the northeast causing flooding across multiple states with the threat for more still on the way. New York City saw its second wettest single hour ever as rain pounded Manhattan. Surging floodwaters completely engulfed subway stations and trains as passengers tried to wake their way home. Multiple ground stops were issued at airports and cars were forced a complete halt as drivers face flooded roads and treacherous conditions. Several people had to be rescued after becoming trapped on highways. Around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, there was at least 16 water rescues due to the sudden floating. Right now, millions remain under a flood threat as those slow moving summer rains linger.

CNN's Derek Van Dam is live from the CNN Weather Center this morning. There was flooding all over this area, including New Jersey. What did things look like right now at this hour?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Sara, you said it best there, slow-moving summertime thunderstorms. That's the name of the game, and, unfortunately, it overwhelmed the drainage system here in Midtown Manhattan. Just incredible to see this footage coming out of the 28th Street. Subway Station, water bubbling up from below, that is certainly not the evening rush hour that we want to see. But simply stated, it had to do with the second one hour rainfall record that was set in and around New York City. This is really saying something considering the amount of precipitation that fell in just that short period of time, topping two inches, also set a daily record of over 2.5 inches of rainfall.

But kind of broadening out, you can see just how widespread the flooding actually was from this event that really peaked last night around rush hour. We had over 170 reports of flash flooding, and there's still some concerns across the Mid-Atlantic today.

So, here's the radar. The good news is the heavy rainfall throughout Southern New England, including New York, Philadelphia, and D.C. has moved offshore for now. But let's focus in on what's happening across Virginia. This area here, just south of Richmond, this is an area that we've been highlighting all morning, some of the heavier rainfall moving out, but there was flashflood emergencies that are expiring because the heaviest of precipitation is moving on.

But still flood watches in place across Virginia, into portions of Maryland as well. You can see these slow moving thunderstorms bubbling up throughout the course of the afternoon where they set up, they could easily produce another two to four inches of rain. That's why weather prediction center here across the Mid-Atlantic, including the nation's capital, has a slight risk of flash flooding today.

What's happening here? Well, we've got copious amounts of moisture in the air. This is precipital water. Think about it as the gas in your fuel tank. The more fuel you have, the farther you can drive. The more precipital water in the atmosphere that has available to it, the more heavy rain events that it can produce. And before this is kicked out of the area, we're going to have more flooding concerns going forward.

SIDNER: And everyone is still thinking about what is happening in Texas as well. Derek Van Dam, thank you so much for that update for us. All right, John?

BERMAN: The rain was relentless yesterday. My phone kept on exploding with alerts. We do have new CNN reporting this morning. President Trump is urging those in his inner circle to let the fury surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case die down. It comes after a dramatic few days that put the president kind of at odds with some of his most ardent supporters, including inside his own administration.

[07:05:00]

At one point yesterday, it was not even clear whether the FBI deputy director, Dan Bongino, would show up to work. Again, that's after fallout with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of the Epstein files. He did return to the office yesterday, ultimately, but his future remains up in the air.

Let's get right to CNN's Kevin Liptak at the White House. Where is this going, Kevin? And how does the White House feel about the direction? KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. Well, the hope and I think expectation inside this building and on the part of President Trump is that this will all eventually sputter out, that the president's entreaties to his supporters, to his words, put this to rest will be followed, and that this controversy will follow the pattern of so many Trump controversies before it, and it essentially dissolve into the ether. And at least among one subset of his outrage base, which are the people who actually work for him, it does appear to be going in that direction.

Dan Bongino, the deputy FBI director, who threatened to quit over this last week and actually didn't show up to work on Friday, did wind up in the office yesterday. The president was infuriated by his ultimatum, we're told, and it did take some massaging on the part of allies of both of these men, including the vice president, J.D. Vance, to sort of get things back on track. So, Bongino back on the job for now. Although we should note he has said in the past, he's not particularly fond of the job he's in, and it does appear as if he wants to maintain some credibility among his podcast audience, to whom he peddled a lot of these co conspiracies about Jeffrey Epstein before he took this job.

And at the end of the day, it is that question of credibility that really is at the center of all of this, both for Bongino and for President Trump. You know, Trump is someone who fueled all of these conspiracies as a candidate. Now as president, he seems unwilling or unable to follow through and to give his supporters the answers that they're really looking for.

We did hear from a top ally of the president, his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, who suggested we had not yet heard the final word on this matter. Listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARA TRUMP, FORMER CO-CHAIR, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: There needs to be more transparency on this and I think that will happen. I mean, look I don't know what truly exists there, but I know that this is something that's important to the president as well. He's going to want to set things right as well.

So, I believe that there will probably be more coming on this and I believe anything that they are able to release that doesn't, you know, damage any witnesses or anyone underage or anything like that I believe they'll probably try to get out sooner rather than later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: So you hear her saying there that more will be coming out. That was not at all the gist of the memo from the Justice Department that started all of this, which essentially said, case closed. And we've got no indications from the Justice Department or the White House that they do in fact plan to put more of all of this out.

You also hear her say that she thinks the president understands all of this. What we've heard from a lot of Trump allies is that they're concerned that he does not, in fact understand the gravity of all of this and that his attempts to dismiss it are only making matters worse.

BERMAN: Pretty notable to hear from Lara Trump on this saying that we will hear more eventually, someone who theoretically has a little bit of a line to the Oval Office.

All right, Kevin Liptak at the White House this morning, thanks so much for sharing this new reporting. Kate?

BOLDUAN: That definitely doesn't sound like it's going away, is what it -- that seems certain.

Also new overnight, President Trump is calling it a major victory for parents and students, the Supreme Court clearing the way for his plans to gut the Department of Education.

And we have new details on the timeline of the severe weather alerts to Camp Mystic, when camp leaders learned how severe the flood threat really was and when they started evacuating, just as Kerr County faces a new flood watch today.

And four teenage boys, this is wild video and scary video, arrested after they are caught subway surfing in New York City.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00]

BOLDUAN: New this morning, the Supreme Court has really cleared the way for the Trump administration to move ahead with plans to gut the Department of Education. The justices reversing a lower court's preliminary injunction, which had halted those plans really in their tracks. President Trump overnight celebrating the decision, writing that the justices handed a major victory to parents and students across the country.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is tracking the immediate impact that's already being seen and felt from this high court decision. What happens now, Sunlen?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, this essentially means that the administration can push forward with their plans, the ultimate goal that Trump has said time and time again that his hope is to dismantle the Department of Education. This means that the mass firings that happened months ago that slashed nearly half of the Department of Education's workforce will, in essence, proceed.

Now, the three liberal justices on the Supreme Court wrote the dissent by Justice Sotomayor, and she said, this is indefensible. She said, the decision rewards clear defiance of the Constitution. And in the dissenting opinion, she went on to say, the majority is either willfully blind to the implications of its ruling or naive. But either way, the threat to our Constitution's separation of powers is grave. [07:15:01]

Now this affects 1,300 employees at the Department of Education. They were initially laid off as part of the reduction force back in March. A lower court opinion reinstated them later in May. So, they were, in essence, brought back to the department, but put on administrative leave.

This is something that employees tell me. They refer to as administrative leave purgatory. They were in a situation where they could not work, but they were getting paid and the government was paying these employees about $7 million a month. The union estimates to keep them on the payroll but tying their hands to be able to work. Well, that, in essence, is ending now, the department wasting no time telling those employees in that situation. They have until August 1st.

Linda McMahon sent them a correspondence quickly after the Supreme Court ruling yesterday saying, quote, the department appreciates your service and recognizes the difficulty of the moment. This reduction in force action is not a reflection upon your poor performance or conduct and is solely due to the agency restructuring, as described in previous correspondence.

Now, Kate, this is not the final word. There likely will be additional challenges, but certainly a major, major win in the president's quest to dismantle this agency.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Sunlen, thanks so much for laying it out for us. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. New this morning, we're just hearing from President Trump who says, he, quote, is disappointed but not done with Russian president Vladimir Putin, as he threatens new sanctions on Russia. How the Kremlin is responding to Trump's new threats.

And catch him if you can, an MLB catcher achieves a historic feat 20 years in the making.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

SIDNER: An extraordinary feat for the first time ever. A catcher is the Home Run Derby champ. The Mariners catcher, Cal Raleigh, just got the job done.

CNN's Coy Wire joins us live from inside Truist Park in Atlanta, site of tonight's All-Star game. Oh, wow. You've got all the things there for our personal entertainment.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. Tough assignment is a heavy burden to bear, Sara. I will get to this in a moment and to that blooper back there. Those MLB all-stars, they were swinging from the fences last night, Sara, including the favorite Cal Raleigh. The Seattle Mariners catching everyone's attention with 38 home runs this season, most by any catcher ever at the All-Star break. He hit righty, he hit lefty and he outhit the Rays' Junior Caminero in the final to become the first catcher ever to win the Home Run Derby.

Making it even sweeter, his dad, Todd, was his pitcher, his 15-year- old brother T was the catcher cheering him on, a million dollar prize and some cool swag for the man with one of the best nicknames in all of sports, Cal Raleigh, AKA Big Dumper. Yes, referring to his physique, particularly his derriere. It was given to him by former teammate. He and the team have embraced it. And we asked some of the All-Stars, including Cal, about that nickname, Big Dumper. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYLE SCHWARBER, PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES DESIGNATED HITTER: No one really calls people by their name in our game, which is, I think is funny. You know, like no one calls me Kyle, right? Like it just sounds weird.

AARON JUDGE, NEW YORK YANKEES OUTFIELDER: Big Dumper is a funny one. That's -- I haven't asked him yet if he likes it or not, or where that even came from. I don't know if we can say that on T.V. where it came from, but it is great. I think it's good.

FREDDIE FREEMAN, LOS ANGELES DODGERS FIRST BASEMAN: Yes, Big Dumper, I like that one. I think it fits. I don't know what I was watching other day, but they've zoomed in right onto it, right onto it, and I thought that was pretty funny.

CAL RALEIGH, SEATTLE MARINERS CATCHER: Yes, I've always had a big butt and that's kind of been the -- where it started. And then Jared Kelenic, you know, tweeted something out obviously when I got called up. And Seattle fans, you got to give them credit, they kind of took it and ran with it when I started playing well. So, it was a unique nickname, obviously not the one you would imagine, but it works. And as long as people like it, it's good with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: All right. We're going from one big dumper to another. This is blooper the Home Run Derby champion for the mascots. This is the belt. He's letting me hold it for a second.

Now, this oversized bundle of joy puts in that work. They think being a mascot is easy. No. This man is a fan favorite because he has the move. Do not challenge him to a dance off. And he's got mischief. He is one of the most creative, wily, witty -- no, not on T.V. Can we blur that out, Sara? Oh, as you can see, I'm going to have a long day here, a tough day reporting to you for MLB All-Star game. The game is tonight, like I found myself a date.

SIDNER: I feel like, Coy, we're going to have another big blooper over here. And don't you ever refer to me as the Big Dumper, John Berman, never, ever.

BERMAN: I've got so many emails from H.R. in instructing me how to deal with this situation.

SIDNER: Good. Listen to them this time. BERMAN: I think I move on and report it to a supervisor.

SIDNER: Fair enough.

BERMAN: All right, our thanks Coy Wire.

We are hearing the president is poised to announce a major investment in artificial intelligence. So, who will get the money?

And we've got new reporting this morning. The camp director at Camp Mystic may have received warnings of life-threatening flashfloods a full hour before evacuations began. So, what difference could that critical hour have made?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:25:00]

BOLDUAN: New this morning. President Trump is really hoping to tamp down the drama, it appears, that's just exploded around the Jeffrey Epstein files and the reported rift that it's exposed between the FBI's deputy director, Dan Bongino, and the U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi. CNN has learned that the president is privately urged his team to let the story die off, but the anger from his MAGA base suggests that might not happen anytime soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): It is just a red line that it crosses for many people. Jeffrey Epstein is literally the most well known convicted pedophile in modern day history.

[07:30:00]

This is something that's been talked about by many people serving in the administration, myself and many others, on the right and the left.