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Judge Holds Prosecutor in Contempt Over Comments to Media in Tyler Robinson Trial; Israel to Withdraw from Two Lebanon Areas Under Newly Signed Agreement; Trump: Iran's Strike on Ship in Strait of Hormuz a Foolish Notion; Miami Marlins Find Forlorn Dog Who Just Wanted a Hot Dog. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired June 26, 2026 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: ... Apple supply chain with these chips that could ease the price increases but as of today on some of Apple's most popular products the price is going up -- Boris.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you so much for that update.
Still had major developments in the case against the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk. Why the judge is now holding one of the prosecutors in contempt?
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[15:35:00]
SANCHEZ: Today, a judge in Utah ruled to keep the death penalty on the table for the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk. Tyler Robinson faces murder and other charges for allegedly gunning down the conservative activist last September. The judge's decision was a blow to Robinson and his lawyers.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: But the judge did side with the defense on another issue, which was whether the prosecutor violated a court order banning both sides from speaking to the press. The judge held Utah County attorney Christopher Ballard in civil contempt for his comments to the media about the strength of the case.
CNN senior correspondent Josh Campbell is following today's court hearing. Josh, tell us the latest here.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, a really interesting development, and this all came down to what's called pretrial publicity. And that is what can lawyers on either side, the prosecution or the defense, actually say to the press when you have a case like this? The judge here had issued an order last year saying that, look, there won't be any comments to the media.
This is a high profile case. We don't want to prejudice the case, perhaps taint a eventual jury pool. But today, finding that, yes, a county prosecutor is now being held in contempt.
What happened was the defense had filed a motion essentially trying to characterize some ballistic evidence from the ATF. And what they said in the defense was that the ATF determined that a bullet recovered from the scene did not match a firearm that was recovered. What the prosecutor said was, look, that's misleading.
The ATF didn't say it didn't match. They said they're not able to determine right now if it matches, which is a big difference. And he started calling different media outlets to try to make that point.
The judge says that his clarification of what the ATF did and did not find, he didn't have an issue with that. But I'll tell you the part that he did have an issue with. I'll read you what the attorney told TMZ.
He said that, "We have ample evidence to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that Tyler Robinson committed this murder and we will present some of the evidence at the upcoming preliminary hearing. And then we will present all of that evidence at the trial."
This is what the judge had an issue with characterizing the evidence in the public domain. Take a listen here to the judge's comments at that hearing just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE TONY GRAF JR., FOURTH DISTRICT COURT, UTAH STATE COURTS: Stating that the prosecution has ample evidence to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that Tyler Robinson committed this murder, reasonably communicated to the public the prosecutor's assessment of the defendant's guilt, that the defendant was guilty.
Those additional public statements possessed a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing the proceedings. The defendant argues that the appropriate sanction to remedy that remedy this prejudice is to strike the state's notice of intent to seek the death penalty. The court declines to adopt this requested remedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMPBELL: Now, that last part there is very important because what the defense had wanted was for the judge to take the death penalty off the table here, saying that those comments by the prosecutor prejudiced a potential jury. The judge says, I'm not going that far. I'm not going to do that.
That would require much, much more egregious type of violation. One thing he did say that he will be doing is potentially expanding the jury pool in this case, expanding the number of questions that prosecutors and defendants can ask potential jurors. Again, the big question was anyone who will serve on this jury actually influenced by what was said in the media?
That is what we are waiting to hear. It's finally important to note that Tyler Robinson, in this case, guys, has not yet entered a plea. SANCHEZ: Josh Campbell, thank you so much.
Still ahead, President Trump says Iran violated the ceasefire after targeting a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. What this could mean for fragile peace talks between the U.S. and Iran, next. CNN.
[15:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Breaking news to CNN. President Trump is blasting Iran's strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, calling this a foolish violation of the agreement to end the war with Tehran.
Just moments ago, the president spoke about the attack during the Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, they shot a drone yesterday at a big ship going into the Hormuz Strait. They shot four of them. We knocked down three of them.
One of them, we didn't miss it. Nobody saw it coming. And it hit a ship and did some damage.
You can't do that stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Also today, Israel agreed to withdraw from two areas in southern Lebanon. Under a newly signed agreement, Israel will transfer the sites to the Lebanese military. A senior Israeli official says the withdrawal is part of a trilateral deal with the U.S. and Lebanon that ultimately aims for a broader peace agreement.
Let's discuss with Beth Sanner. She's a CNN national security analyst and a former deputy director of national intelligence. Beth, great to see you, as always.
So this is a trilateral deal that notably does not include Hezbollah, who Israel is actually in conflict with. They're not fighting Lebanon. They're fighting Hezbollah.
So what is the significance of this deal?
BETH SANNER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: I think we have a couple of things here. One is that it's a big deal that the U.S. is actually involved in trying to create, you know, some pressure on the situation to get things stabilized. Because without this deal, you don't have peace and stability in Israel.
And without this deal moving this forward, you cannot keep the Iran thing on track. So huge historic effort. I commend it.
But we already have a Hezbollah political leader coming out and saying, you're going to have to have a civil war to make us enforce this. And you have Israel saying, yep, we're going to agree to two pilot projects to withdraw and allow the Lebanese armed forces to move in there. But we're going to stay in southern Lebanon.
[15:45:00]
We're not going to leave until it is proven that Hezbollah is disarmed and withdrawn. So baby steps, and I think Marco Rubio was quite fair in saying first steps are often the hardest, baby step forward, good, but we're not there yet by any means.
SANCHEZ: Yes, and there is some concern about the ability of the Lebanese armed forces to hold off Hezbollah in those two areas, right?
SANNER: Yes, absolutely. I mean, Hezbollah, their armed forces, the LAF, is a multinational -- multi-denominational group, not multinational. So it comes from all the sects inside of Lebanon.
That's a strength, but it's also a weakness, and they don't have the military capabilities and the hardware that Hezbollah has because Hezbollah has been getting this hardware from Iran, right? And so one of the good things about this, it does say that the U.S. military, there will be a senior U.S. military officer involved, but we're really going to have to step up the support. And I don't know what that looks like, if we're going to have to have boots on the ground, because none of us trust the U.N. mission in Lebanon, which is a failed mission from, I think, any kind of objective observer's point of view.
SANCHEZ: Sure. You talked about the significance of this keeping the peace deal with Iran on track. Is it on track if they're attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz?
SANNER: It's interesting. So, you know, President Trump, he didn't seem all that exercised about this in this clip we just watched, I mean, certainly unhappy. He made no threats.
SANCHEZ: Right.
SANNER: He did not say, we're going to bomb you now, or if you do this again, we will do X. It literally was like, that's not very smart, foolish idea.
SANCHEZ: They shouldn't do that.
SANNER: They shouldn't do that. It shows you that Iran has a lot of legitimacy and a lot of leverage right now, and they are in the mood to push it. So I don't know whether we will do anything in response.
I'm sure we're quietly messaging and saying, literally, you better not do that again, or we will bomb you. But do they believe us? And I think that's a huge question mark.
I would say no.
SANCHEZ: Well, a few weeks ago, we were on the air as President Trump was sending what seemed to be conflicting messages about the effectiveness of U.S. power, saying on the one hand, if they don't comply with this agreement, we'll bomb them, also saying, well, we tried bombing them, and that didn't work.
SANNER: Right.
SANCHEZ: So I wonder what message Iran is trying to send here. Is it simply a flex to say, we have all the leverage and you can't stop us? We're going to dictate the terms of passage through the Strait.
SANNER: Iran is saying they are going to dictate the terms of what happens in the Strait. Maybe for 60 days, that is a point of negotiation, but they are setting up mechanisms, a new insurance plan. And honestly, if you were a shipping agent right now, I think I'd buy that insurance plan, kind of like a New Jersey shakedown scheme.
SANCHEZ: I see.
SANNER: But I do think that the strait is not going to go back to the way it was before. And what that looks like around the margins is 2BD. But they are definitely going to try to control it.
SANCHEZ: I thought you were going to make a reference to the Jersey Turnpike. I was like, whoa, Jersey Turnpike, Strait of Hormuz -- that's intense.
SANNER: That's government.
SANCHEZ: Yes, yes. Beth Sanner, thank you so much.
SANNER: Thanks, Boris.
SANCHEZ: Of course.
Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold has been charged with orchestrating a violent attack on three people in Florida. Police say that Arnold thought the victim stole cash and luxury items from him, but investigators later determined they weren't even involved.
Officials say that the three were lured to an apartment, held at gunpoint, and pistol-whipped. His attorneys say he denies the allegations. If convicted, Arnold could be sentenced to life in prison.
At least six others were also charged. The Lions and the NFL say they are aware of the arrest, but they declined to comment.
Also, the New York Mets have fired manager Carlos Mendoza. Despite having one of the highest payrolls in baseball and sky-high expectations, the Mets have yet again had a terrible first half of the season, a disappointing one. They're currently on a six-game losing streak and last in the National League East with a record of 34-47.
Mendoza was in his third season as manager. The team says that former Padres skipper Andy Green will take over as interim manager. And watch this video. In England, a police officer got a huge assist
from a citizen who offered him a ride to chase down a suspect wanted for assault.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop here on the right.
Stop. Stop. Stop there. Don't move. Put your hands on your head.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry, mate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No worries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cheers for your help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No problem. I'm glad I could be of service.
[15:50:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cheers, buddy. We'll get on with doing the rest of it. Thanks very much for your assistance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was quite exhilarating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Quite exhilarating. The suspect was placed under arrest. The bystander has been recommended for commendation by the force.
Still to come this afternoon, an update on the story of Jonah, the sad, sad dog without a hot dog at the Miami Marlins game, who tearfully watched a buddy of his devour one almost entirely. Thankfully, after an exhaustive online search, Jonah is in for happier days ahead.
He will join us live with his harrowing tale when we come back.
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[15:55:00]
SANCHEZ: Jonah is a very good dog and he's about to have a lot of fun. Jonah is the dog who turned into a meme this week when he was seen staring forlornly at another pup eating a hot dog at the Miami Marlins Bark at the Park night on Monday.
That meme led to an internet search. This wanted poster from the Marlins with a promise to bring him back for a dream day at Lone Depot Park. That day is now scheduled for July 12th.
We're joined now by that very good dog Jonah and his human Peter Silveira. Peter, thanks so much for being with us. Jonah looks so sweet right now.
When did you find out that this had become a sensation on the internet?
PETER SILVEIRA, DAD TO JONAH, SAD PUP AT MIAMI MARLINS GAME: So the next day, almost, you know, 24 hours later, my wife, it came across her social that actually it just popped up and she screamed. I was in the office working. She screamed, Oh my God, it's Jonah.
And, you know, the rest is history -- I mean.
SANCHEZ: Now take us, take us through what was going on at that moment. Were you aware that this Shiba Inu that was kind of beside Jonah was being fed that hot dog?
SILVEIRA: So honestly had no clue what was going on. You know, we were the Scottish -- or the Tartan army had done a takeover. There was bagpipes, there was chants going on.
It was just like a lot of dogs, you know, he was doing great. And he just kind of was sitting there. And I, you know, didn't notice that's what he was sitting there staring at, so, it was -- yes.
SANCHEZ: It's such a relatable experience, right? To sort of see someone enjoying something that you would love to experience yourself and not being able to, I wonder if you were able to give him a hot dog, can he, can he have one now?
SILVEIRA: So he, he's actually had two hot dogs since. And the Marlins stopped by today and brought him a third hot dog.
SANCHEZ: Oh, that's amazing. I think he likes this one a lot.
SILVEIRA: So one more, you know, palatable.
SANCHEZ: That's amazing.
SILVEIRA: And I thing he like this one.
SANCHEZ: What are the Marlins planning for his big day on July 12th at the ballpark?
SILVEIRA: So July 12th, I mean, they said there's going to be a ton of surprises. My family and I are going, I'm going to be throwing out the first pitch. So like a lifelong dream of mine, to be honest, I've always been a huge sports guy.
My career is centered around sports. So this is great. And yes, July 12th, it's a day game.
So perfect for all the kids to come out and check it out. You don't have to worry about, you know, rushing home after a night game or them being up late. And they said that a bunch of the sponsors have reached out.
They want to keep a lot of it a surprise, but they are -- they said there's a lot going on and we have a special guest going to join us.
Come in. Come here. Come in. SILVEIRA: My daughter just -- she's here. She was watching a video, but she came running out and she's a little camera shy.
SANCHEZ: I'm sure that she loves to see Jonah get this much attention. His origin story is pretty amazing too, right? You got him from a rescue group in Aruba.
Tell us about that.
SILVEIRA: Yes. So thank you for asking. I'm glad you did.
So New Life for Paws, that is the foundation, the organization in Aruba that I got him from. And he -- this is Ariana, by the way -- they, they have a like crazy, like dog problem there.
Like they're not spayed and neutered all the dogs. So they, you know --
SANCHEZ: Do what dogs do.
SILVEIRA: You're already on it. They do what dogs do. Exactly.
So this organization is amazing. They go around the Island. They help, you know, rescue the dogs. They'll do spay and neuter programs. They'll donate food to the shelters.
It's just really, really, you know, a great, great thing. And I'm so -- like, if anything happens from all of this, I'm, I'm so glad that they're going to get highlighted and hopefully people can donate and raise awareness for their cause. The dogs on the Island are called cunucus, C-U-N-U-C-U it's the type of street dog that that's just what they're called.
And yes, they're so adorable. They're so loyal.
SANCHEZ: Yes. It's great information to put out there and it's great for folks to be aware that, you know, they can take in a needy animal like that. I do wonder, I have to ask the expression that he has on right now, very similar to the expression that he has at the park.
Is that just the way that he looks all the time?
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SILVEIRA: That's his look, man. He, he always is trying to look sad and get people to give him treats and food. And he looks that way.
Like he just sits under my daughter's chair and waits for her to drop food and gets all the, you know.
SANCHEZ: It's a great, it's a great tactic. Hey, Peter, Ariana, and most of all, Jonah, thank you so much and enjoy your day at the ballpark. Of course, Go Marlins, the hottest team in baseball right now.
SILVEIRA: All right, thank you so much. SANCHEZ: Thanks for being with us. "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.
END
