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Trump Envoys Meet with Netanyahu; Study on Peanut Allergies; Jury Selection in Illinois Deputy Murder Trial; Storm Threatens Northeast; Judge Demands Answers in Chicago. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired October 20, 2025 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:31:18]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, breaking news. We are hearing that President Trump's negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, just met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Let's get right to CNN's Jeremy Diamond in Jerusalem with the latest.

We do know this ceasefire in Gaza, fragile as it is, appears to be holding. But there have been some very difficult moments and some major questions, Jeremy.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, John. And this meeting could not come at a more critical time. I mean yesterday we saw as two Israeli soldiers were killed in what Israel says was a Hamas attack. And then we saw a wave of airstrikes that the Israeli military carried out across Gaza. This was the biggest test of this ceasefire to date, just nine days into this ceasefire.

And so today, on the 10th day of this ceasefire, things seem calm once again. But no doubt more fragile than ever. And so enter into the picture the two men who brokered this agreement in the first place, President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Both of them sitting down with the Israeli prime minister for a critical meeting to not only talk about maintaining this ceasefire right now, maintaining the flow of aid into Gaza, ensuring that there are no more, you know, incidents of fire between the two sides going forward. But also, of course, talking about the critical next steps ahead, because it's important to remember, even as these, you know, the United States is trying to make sure that the current ceasefire stays into place, there is a lot more work to be done to ensure that it actually results in the end of the war in Gaza that President Trump has said that this ceasefire actually represents.

You know, there's negotiations over Hamas handing over power to a transitional authority. The creation of this international stabilization force that would go into Gaza, take over territory from both Hamas and the Israeli military, and ultimately seeing the Israeli military withdraw from Gaza altogether.

For now, we know that yesterday was a very deadly day in Gaza. Initially it started on Sunday morning with this incident in which two Israeli soldiers were killed in what the Israeli military said was an RPG and sniper fire attack on their position beyond the yellow line, meaning behind the lines to which Israeli troops have withdrawn. Following that, the Israeli prime minister authorizing a heavy price response. That was how it was termed on Hamas, with a series of airstrikes across southern, central and northern Gaza that killed at least 45 Palestinians.

Aid seems to be flowing back into Gaza today, but once again a very tenuous moment in this region. And, of course, all of this ahead of a visit planned by the vice president, J.D. Vance, to Israel later this week.

John.

BERMAN: Yes, some crucial days ahead.

Jeremy Diamond, great to have you there. Thank you so much.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: There's brand-new data out this morning with some stunning numbers on children and potentially deadly peanut allergies after a landmark 2015 study suggested that introducing babies to peanut products earlier in life could prevent life threatening allergies. Tens of thousands of kids have avoided developing the allergy, showing a big drop of something like 40 percent.

CNN's Meg Tirrell has the details on this.

This is great news. Tell us more.

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's really exciting to actually see this in action.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

TIRRELL: And this is really just over the last ten years. That 2015 study you mentioned showed that if you introduce peanuts at an early age, and this was after observations actually in Israel, where it was common to give a snack called Bambas to babies.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Exactly.

TIRRELL: And so, of course, we all go to Trader Joes and buy those for our babies.

BOLDUAN: One hundred percent.

TIRRELL: What they found is this observation that those children were less likely to develop a peanut allergy. And then this trial came out in 2015 and really formalized that. And so, this went into the guidance. And this is a study from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia using electronic health records across the United States, looking at diagnoses of food allergies after this guidance changed in 2015.

[09:35:02]

And what they found is that about 60,000 children they estimate were -- avoided getting food allergies as a result, or at least after this guidance.

BOLDUAN: Right. Right, right, right.

TIRRELL: What they can show is that it's a temporal, a time association. But what that looks like is a 27 percent decline after the 2015 guidance came out, and then the guidance was actually expanded in 2017 to include not just high risk babies, but, you know, pretty much everybody. And then they say that the incidents went down by 40 percent.

And, of course, this is huge because we all know somebody who's allergic to peanuts. Eight percent of U.S. kids has a food allergy, and 2.2% percent have a peanut allergy. So, this has been on the rise. And the knowledge that introducing peanuts early is really, really important and can obviously have a major impact.

BOLDUAN: It's just wonderful to have one good guidance leading to good results, right?

TIRRELL: Yes.

BOLDUAN: And also just to give parents something to hold on to, some reassurance, because especially when they're so young, it is so uncertain what is right for your kid, what is right for my kid.

TIRRELL: Yes.

BOLDUAN: This is great news to -- to bring to everyone.

It's good to see you, Meg

TIRRELL: You too.

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much.

Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, ahead, she called 911 for help and ended up being shot and killed by police in her own home. Jury selection begins today for the sheriff's deputy now charged in her murder. But there are some details about his past that are now raising questions about why he was hired in the first place.

Plus, how a hunting stand sparked an FBI lockdown near where Air Force One was supposed to land.

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[09:40:54] SIDNER: Happening today, jury selection set to begin in the murder trial of a former Illinois sheriff's deputy charged for killing a black woman who called police to her home to help her and ended up being killed by an officer. Investigators say Sonya Massey called 911 to report a possible intruder. This is an image from an officer's body camera inside of her home.

Once inside her home, body camera video shows former Deputy Sean Grayson ordering Massey to remove a pot of boiling water from the stove. Now, Massey picks it up and says, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." Grayson then fires three shots, killing her.

For more on this I'm joined by Joey Jackson, CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney.

First of all, this case got a lot of publicity and has now been moved, correct, to a different jurisdiction.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. Yes.

SIDNER: What is the charge here that this officer is facing and how difficult will it be to prove this?

JACKSON: Yes. So, Sara, good morning.

There's a few charges that the officer is facing. The first and most significant is the actual first-degree murder charge. What is that? It's premeditated, intentional murder is what it is. And it carries a sentence of up to 60 years. Could be life.

In addition to that, there's the aggravated battery case. And that's predicated upon causing serious physical injury. Obviously, she died here, but that's another charge.

And then there's the official misconduct charge with respect to abusing his office. Those are the allegations. It will be up to a jury that's impaneled to evaluate the evidence. Body cam will play huge in this case.

SIDNER: Yes.

JACKSON: And make an assessment as to whether his claim of self- defense is viable.

SIDNER: You've seen this video, as has most of the country. When you look at this video, how will it be used? Obviously, the prosecution, it's going to be their main, big bit of evidence. How will the prosecution use it? How will the defense also try to use this?

JACKSON: Yes. So, Sara, its important because it really brings you there. Trials are about what happened at the specific location, at the time, at the place. And so, this body cam is going to give them perspective. You always argue in a case perspective, context.

And from a defense's perspective, they're going to say, he was in immediate fear of death or serious bodily injury, and that he acted proportionately to the threat posed and that he acted reasonably. What the prosecution will do is say, nonsense. The fact is, is that there was no weapon. The boiling water certainly was not coming at him with boiling water, having it in the hand to throw at him with boiling water. His actions were disproportionate to the threat posed, and his actions were by all means unreasonable. That's what the prosecution will argue.

The body cam will allow the jurors to make the assessment themselves to determine the context, the back and forth, the distance, et cetera. It's going to be huge, the body cam.

SIDNER: I'm curious if anything from the officer's past will come into this. For example, there is some reporting on misconduct potentially in other departments before this. Does any of that come in?

JACKSON: So, Sara, the judge has ruled that that is not -- not admissible. Here's why. The judge really made an assessment that trials need to be about what they're about. What did he do at that specific time. That is Officer Grayson. Were his actions reasonable? And the judge felt that it would be overly prejudicial to get in the DWIs, to get in his removal from the Army, to get in his misconduct in his other jobs, even though he wasn't fired.

However, in the event he testifies in what we call opens the door to this information, then he can be cross-examined on it. It depends what he says and what, in fact, whether or not it opens up his character, judgment, et cetera. So, we'll see.

SIDNER: Yes, this is one of the reasons why defense attorneys often don't want their clients to testify in cases like this --

JACKSON: Exactly.

SIDNER: Because it could open the door to the defense bringing in other prior acts.

JACKSON: Precisely.

SIDNER: Thank you so much. Oh, did I sound like an attorney? You've taught me so well. I felt suddenly that I was trying a case here.

JACKSON: You're amazing, attorney or otherwise.

SIDNER: Thank you, Joey Jackson.

JACKSON: Thanks, Sara.

SIDNER: That's why we keep having you. It's the compliments.

John.

BERMAN: The defense rests.

All right, this morning, some brewing storms in the eastern part of the country could cause headaches for travelers.

Let's get right to CNN's Derek Van Dam for the latest forecast.

Derek, what are you seeing?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. John. If you look outside your office window at Hudson Yards, probably a very similar view.

[09:45:03]

Everyone across the northeast knows and recognizes this look and feel. It's cool. It's blustery. That's because a cold front has just passed through. And this is going to be impacting places like Boston, up to Portland, Maine, here within the next three hours or so. So, your lunchtime commute plans will definitely be impacted by rain.

But the more significant factor here will be the wind. It could gust 20, 30, even 35 miles per hour. Of course, that could impact some of the major airports we find along that I-95 corridor here from Laguardia southward into the nation's capital, specifically into Boston Logan.

But look at the rain incoming. So, it's very wet across Rhode Island, into the Massachusetts Turnpike. And you can see the rain moving into Springfield, Worcester, Boston, here within the next couple of hours. Could pick up a quick half an inch to an inch of rainfall.

And behind it, the blustery conditions set in. And again, that will have a knock-on effect for -- the potential for delays across the northeast. But good news here is that we definitely need the rain. We have extreme drought conditions across much of northern New England.

By the way, the wind and the rain combination will take down the fall autumn leaves very, very quickly across this area. Other story we're watching, the potential for some tropical mischief across the Caribbean. Just entering the eastern Caribbean right now, lots of warm ocean water across this region that still has yet to see a hurricane this season. We have to keep a close eye on this. Jamaica into Hispaniola. Very unlikely that it will impact the United States, but something we don't want to completely rule out at this point in time.

John.

BERMAN: No, some late activity in the tropics there. I know a lot of people watching that.

VAN DAM: Yes, definitely.

BERMAN: And you will be keeping your eye on it as well.

VAN DAM: You got it.

BERMAN: Derek Van Dam, thank you very much for that.

All right, federal officials say a hunting stand, the kind of stand people use to get a direct line of sight on prey, it was found with a direct line of sight to Air Force One at a place where the president was visiting. What's the latest on this?

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[09:51:27]

SIDNER: New this morning, sources telling CNN affiliate WPVI that DNA testing indicates the remains found behind a vacant Philadelphia school over the weekend are those of missing 23-year-old Kada Scott. Police say they made the discovery Saturday after an anonymous tip that was very specific led them to a wooded area in Germantown. Investigators had searched the same area days earlier where they found Scott's debit card and phone case. Twenty-one-year-old Keon King is now in custody. He's charged with kidnaping and other crimes in connection to her disappearance. Police believe he was the last person seen with Scott before she vanished on October 4th after leaving work. Investigators say the medical examiner's office will make the final confirmation of Scott's identity.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Today, former FBI Director James Comey's legal team is expected to file a motion to have his case dismissed. They plan to challenge the legality of the sudden and short notice appointment of U.S. Attorney Lindsay Halligan. Halligan is President Trump's former personal attorney. And you'll remember, she was brought in after the previous U.S. attorney resigned under intense pressure from the president -- from President Trump and his allies. Halligan then took the post and just days later, just a few days later, took the case to a grand jury to secure the indictment against Comey. Comey is now charged with making false statements to Congress and obstruction -- and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. He has already pleaded not guilty.

So, in Florida, the FBI is now investigating after a suspicious -- what they're calling a suspicious hunting stand was found near the landing zone of Air Force One. The Secret Service found the hunting stand ahead of the president's arrival in Palm Beach over the weekend. You can see in the photo, in the trees, you can see the hunting stand right there and there. One senior law enforcement official told CNN that the hunting stand was found across from the airport, and based on the condition of the stand, the source said it had been there for some time, also adding that there is nothing to currently indicate that the stand was built to target the president.

John.

BERMAN: All right, this morning, two federal immigration officials will face a judge in Chicago. This judge demanding answers about how federal agents have been handling immigration protests after she ordered them to restrict their crowd control tactics and use of force.

Let's get to CNN's Whitney Wild for the latest on this in Chicago.

Whitney, what are you seeing there?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: John, this morning we expect to hear a more robust argument for why DOJ thinks that this judge's order is an overstep. This is U.S. District. Court Judge Sara Ellis. Almost two weeks ago she issued a temporary restraining order that intended to curtail federal agents' ability to use chemical munitions against peaceful protesters, rubber bullets, physical use of force against peaceful protesters, as well as members of the press. That temporary restraining order was in response to a lawsuit filed by union representing journalists here. That union had alleged that -- that the use of chemical munitions against the press and other peaceful protesters was basically indiscriminate.

A judge immediately agreed to that and put forth this temporary restraining order. That was issued on October 9th. Five days later, there was another flare-up between members of the public, as well as federal agents. In that moment, federal agents, even though they were accompanied by Chicago Police officers, used chemical munitions against the crowd. They say, as well as Chicago Police, that that crowd was throwing projectiles at those federal agents.

[09:55:01]

Even still, a judge was very disturbed by what she saw. She was concerned that that was a direct violation of the restraining order. She had everybody back into court two days later to explain themselves. In that -- on that Thursday hearing, John, she wanted everybody who's a federal agent participating in Operation Midway Blitz to have a body camera and to turn it on.

But there seems to be a bit of a discrepancy here. It is not clear if she means every federal agency -- every federal agent, from every federal agency who's participating, some of them may not have body cameras, or just the agents that have body cameras, if they're required to be constantly rolling. So, that's a clarification we hope to hear more about today.

Again, we expect to hear directly from a representative from Customs and Border Patrol, as well as ICE, about their tactics and why they are mounting this defense that they think that these munitions, as well as, you know, other uses of force against this crowd are warranted, John.

BERMAN: We will watch this carefully. Obviously, a lot of clarity may be provided on a range of subjects there.

Whitney Wild, in Chicago, great to have you this morning.

BOLDUAN: All right.

SIDNER: All right.

BERMAN: I mean all our websites are back up, right? I mean, what a three hours it's been.

BOLDUAN: The only thing that matters is that FanDuel is back up.

BERMAN: You say that. I just was looking at it for research. But other sites too, Venmo. BOLDUAN: Yes.

SIDNER: Right.

BOLDUAN: You're not allowed to lie on television, you know that, right?

BERMAN: Starbucks.

SIDNER: No gambling for you. No sports gambling at all here.

BERMAN: Thanks all. "SIT ROOM" is up now.

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