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Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) is Interviewed about Iran; Stabilization Work Continues on New York City High-Right Building; Parents of Nolan Wells Break Silence over Son's Death; David Hearn's Attorney is Interviewed about the Reflecting Pool Charges; Dr. Nathan Jones is Interviewed about Living in a NASA Simulation. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired July 10, 2026 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: That Israel has warned the United States of a new Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump. Though there is a lot some skepticism emerging from within the intelligence community that this -- about this intelligence being passed over, that this is a piece of a broader Israeli effort to influence President Trump's decision making on Iran.

Joining me right now is Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts. He sits on the Armed Services Committee.

It's good to see you.

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): Thank you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Let's talk about the state of this war right now. A big focus has to be from here on out as to where the MOU broke down and who controls the Strait. The vague wording in this memorandum of understanding that, very clearly, Iran and the United States are interpreting differently. And just the simple fact that Iran has indicated it plans to charge for passage through the Strait. Do you think this is something that the United States and the world is going to have to accept in the end to end this war?

MOULTON: I mean, it'll be just the biggest loss, maybe in the history of the United States, if we do accept that. I mean this is just such a disaster. And there's no question that right now Iran does control the Strait. And the fact that they're able to launch military attacks, not only against ships transiting the Strait, but also against our allies in the Middle East, just shows that clearly Trump did not obliterate their military as he claimed.

BOLDUAN: The assassination plot then. I mean, the way the president was talking about it to reporters multiple times is that he's always the chief target of Iran. But this assassination plot, and this intel coming from Israel, it may be one of the reasons behind that kind of head scratching, last minute change of planes (ph) as the president was leaving NATO. But I want to ask you about what you think of the reporting that we

have coming in. And I'll read it to you specifically. Which is that "one source said that the Israeli report is viewed in part as a piece of a broader Israeli effort to influence Trump's decision making on Iran. Some in the intelligence community are always skeptical of Israeli reporting, the source said." Also that "other American officials suggested the Israeli report could be an effort to sway Trump's decision making as he weighs whether to intensify American military action against Iran."

What do you think of this, Congressman? Do you question the Israeli intelligence here?

MOULTON: I mean, first of all, let's just be clear, Trump has absolutely no plan whatsoever. He's been all over the map since the very day this war began that he should never have started in the first place. So, a lot of people are trying to influence the president's plans.

You've got the vice president clearly begging for peace. You've got Marco Rubio wanting to continue the war and start more wars in the Caribbean. You have Netanyahu, who, according to Marco Rubio, instigated the war in the first place, got Trump to start it. So, I think we have to assume that just about everybody is trying to influence the president of the United States. And clearly the Iranians are trying to influence the president of the United States, and they're seeming to be pretty effective, because every time that the president says Iranian -- the Iranians are begging for peace.

Every time the president has said, oh, we obliterated their old leaders and you can trust the new ones. Well, clearly that is not true. The president has no handle on what's going on here. And the stakes are so incredibly high. Lives are on the line every single day. The world economy is on the line. I think we can expect oil prices to start going back up again. The stakes are incredibly high for a president who is totally out of control.

BOLDUAN: So, this is all -- I mean, you're running for Senate and this is all kind of wrapped into the conversation around the economy and the impact on the -- and the kind of the state of affairs in this midterm election. But there's also this continued-- there are continued questions when we look at the Senate about Mitch McConnell, how he's doing. He's been in hospital for a month without an explanation why. And this puts the spotlight again on the age of elected officials, something that has been a central focus of your campaign against Ed Markey for Senate. And I noticed that it was something that you did touch on repeatedly, more than once, during your Senate debate just this week.

Let me play this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOULTON: With all due respect, no one's going to ride your train because it's too slow. And you've had 50 years in Washington to get this done. But it's a great example of how the old playbook, the establishment,

is just not getting it done. Senator, you've had 50 years. What are we going to do differently in the next six to get this done?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Senator, in -- Congressman, in your view, how old is too old to be holding public office?

MOULTON: Not yet.

BOLDUAN: How big of a problem do you think this is for Democrats?

MOULTON: I mean, look, it's a problem. I mean the fact that we have to continually have, you know, medical watches on what's going on with our senators is a problem for the whole country.

[08:35:04]

But the biggest issue for Democrats is not just the fact that we have so many 70, 80 year olds in the Senate, it's the fact that we keep trying to do the same old thing. And if you heard me in that debate, I actually didn't bring up the fact that he's 80 years old. I just said, you've been trying to do this, with all due respect, sir, for 50 years. And it's the same playbook. And he spent a lot of time a couple nights ago attacking me and defending his 50-year history without talking about any plans for the future.

And when Americans are hurting across the board, when people in Massachusetts can't afford a house, can't afford their electricity bills, skyrocketing -- bills are -- or prices are skyrocketing across the country. And Trump and the MAGA Republicans control everything. You can't say, let's just keep doing the same thing. You can't say, OK, we've tried this for 50 years, let's just try it for six more and see if we get a different result.

And I think that's why, across the country, you see Democrats challenging the establishment. All next generation leaders, some from different parts of the political spectrum, but all of us challenging the establishment and say -- saying, it's time for new leadership. It's time for Democrats to win again because we've got to help Americans. It's a crisis.

BOLDUAN: Graham Platner then, that makes me ask you, do you think that Democrats' chances are now better or worse to retake control of the Senate with what Graham Platner has brought to the Senate race?

MOULTON: Well, look, I mean, at the moment, they're obviously worse. And I think we've got to be honest with ourselves. That's the other thing Democrats need to do is we've just got to be honest about where we're failing. And, you know, we failed with our nominee in Maine.

But we have a chance to get a better nominee. And this is ultimately up for Maine voters to decide, for Maine Democrats to determine. But they have an opportunity to now put forward a next generation anti- establishment candidate with a clean record who can actually win this race. So, all hope is not lost, but we do have to learn the lessons of the past. And I think that's a lesson for Democrats across the country.

BOLDUAN: Congressman, thanks for your time. I appreciate it.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, new this morning, crews in New York City say they have stabilized the high rise that started buckling this week. That high rise, it is in midtown, one of the most densely populated parts of the city. Some perspective here on just where the instability in the building is. In the red there is the new addition that's under construction. You can see that. And then the yellow part is the 21st floor, where the structural columns are buckling.

Now we're learning some new details about the developer for this project and the multimillion dollar lawsuit he is facing on a different project.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is here with the details on that.

What are you learning?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John. Well, first, let's talk about the work that's been done to stabilize the building. As you said, workers have been working, frankly, around the clock to make sure that this building can be shored up. And what they've done in the past few days is actually install more beams all the way from the ninth floor, all the way to the underside of the roof. They want to make sure that all of this new weight that was put on top of this building can actually be held up. That's what they've been doing.

Now, MetroLoft, which is the developer at this building, has said that that operation is going as planned. And they believe they're going to be able to continue building, and that their deadline is going to be met on this project.

But I think from speaking with city officials and knowing what the Department of Buildings has said about this, that really doesn't seem to be the case, that they're going to be able to start just building quickly to meet the demands of this project, considering the safety concerns and making sure that this project is stable.

In the meantime, as you said, we have learned new information about MetroLoft. They are facing litigation at another project in -- on Greenwich Street down in Tribeca, where the owners have sued MetroLoft for dangerous conditions. They redid a 19th century factory, converted it into luxury apartments and the residents of that building have sued saying that conditions are dangerous and that these renovations were not done in the way that they were expecting or supposed to have been made.

In the meantime, attorneys for MetroLoft have denied the allegations. This is a $300 million lawsuit. And MetroLoft is declining to comment further. I do think it's worth mentioning, at the end of the day, there is a

lot of money at stake here, both for the developers that are trying to build this building. And as we see, they have other litigation problems happening in other projects.

[08:40:01]

And the question here is, when will this be able to get off the ground? They have a deadline to meet and a lot of housing units to deliver.

BERMAN: Yes, there's a lot of money at stake, but also safety and people's lives at stake too.

PAZMINO: Exactly right.

BERMAN: Gloria Pazmino, thank you very much for sharing all your new reporting on this.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: This morning, the parents of 18-year-old Nolan Wells are speaking out and begging for answers after their son's tragic and mysterious death. His body was found just Monday, two days after he took a July 4th boat trip with friends to an island off of Mississippi's gulf coast.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE WONSLEY, MOTHER OF NOLAN WELLS: Nolan was just like this bright light, right? Walk into a room, his smile, his energy was just, just so infectious. Like, it's almost like he drew you into him.

We are doing this because, at the end of the day, I would hope any, any parent would fight for their kids to find out if anything happened, what did happen. So, we just want honesty and transparency. We want a thorough investigation. We want that same respect that would be given to anybody else. And that's it. We just want answers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: CNN's Ryan Young following this one for us.

Ryan, what a tragedy. What else are you learning?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, you can understand their pain. It's very clear they're still hurting. But there are a lot of questions to be answered here. Of course, this all started on July 4th. Nolan Wells and a group of friends decided to boat to that barrier island. And then at some point it was reported that he said he was going to stay behind. So, a lot of folks want to know, why did he decide to stay behind? And then why would he leave his phone behind as well? It appears those friends all returned to the dock later that afternoon. Wells was not with that group of friends. And then there are so many questions about what happened to him in the following hours after that.

Now, what we do know is, his body was found on Monday. I talked to the sheriff earlier this week. He says an investigation is ongoing, but there are so many questions about this. And I got to tell you, social media has played a large role in this as well because people don't believe this story adds up.

But then listen to Ben Crump, the attorney for the parents, as well talk about some new information they now have as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR NOLAN WELLS' FAMILY: This video of this -- you can hear an argument going where Nolan is saying, give me my freaking phone. What are you freaking doing? And so, then his phone ends up missing? I don't know any teenagers, Michael Strahan, who says, if you believe their story, I'm going to stay behind and I'm going to leave my phone. I mean no young person leaves their cell phone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes, Kate, so, obviously, there are a lot of questions here, and a lot of people have been trying to figure this out online. They've also been trying to get more information from Mississippi authorities.

Now, when we talk to the sheriff, of course, there are many different stories they're trying to sift through as well. There are more than eight agencies at one point that were looking for Nolan Wells and eventually found his body.

But what people want to know right now is an accurate timeline to see exactly what happened. Of course, race does play a small role in this. Wells was the only black child who was on that boat at the time, and then all of his friends did return home. So, people just want to know exactly what happened here.

There's been a lot of money raised from a GoFundMe account as well for this family because people feel for them. But at the same time, it's really about getting to those answers and getting authorities to say what the accurate timeline is.

But again, your heart goes out to this family as they try to figure out exactly what happened.

BOLDUAN: Yes, absolutely.

Ryan, thank you very much. We'll continue to follow this one.

John.

BERMAN: All right, this morning, CNN Heroes kicking off its 20th year. The first CNN hero of 2026 is Andrew Lunetta. He is building homes in Syracuse, New York, offering unhoused people shelter, dignity and support to rebuild their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW LUNETTA: We take for granted the stability that a home affords us. If you were to just imagine doing anything without a house, like, oh no, that's what I have to get first. That is where our tenants are coming from constantly.

A tiny home is a really, really solid model because it pairs this independent and also private living.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wish people understood that the homeless population are still human and any time circumstances can change. I was living at my husband's grave for eight months. My whole life was turned upside down. When I finally got to the end of the rope and became out of my home, the only place that I felt was home for me was the cemetery where my husband was.

LUNETTA: In its simplest form, stable housing made it so Rhea (ph) no longer had to sleep in the cemetery.

[08:45:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's so good to see you.

LUNETTA: The next step after that was long term case management supports to help her address the things that hopefully she's not going to have to deal with anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am so proud of you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy helped me out.

LUNETTA: Oh, man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Y'all got me focused.

LUNETTA: Where a tenant moves in, they don't necessarily understand that they're being housed by this organization that cares a whole lot about them.

Yes, dude, you've been knocking it out of the park.

LUNETTA: So, when all of a sudden we're knocking on their door, there's a little bit of, like, well, this is different.

Hey, buddy, you want to walk?

But as time goes on and I think that it's seeing that we mean it, it's really pretty profound, some of those changes.

This wouldn't exist without the tenants. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're a great leader, sir.

Peace is now what I have. It's like freedom to just exhale, like your nervous system is now able to rest.

LUNETTA: Let's go get this toilet fixed, shall we?

I still don't love being called a landlord, but it is true, that's what we are. And I think that what this population needs is landlords who care. And that's absolutely what we do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: A whole lot of smiles there.

For the full story about Andrew's work and to nominate your hero, go to cnn.com/heroes.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Do you want to find out what it is like to live on another planet without ever leaving earth? NASA is looking for volunteers to live inside a Mars simulator for a year. We're actually going to talk to somebody who has done that.

And a classic toy reimagined. Play-Doh for adults.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:50:35]

BERMAN: All right, this morning, lawyers for a former Olympic canoeist charged with damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool are vowing to challenge the legality of the case. David Hearn pleaded not guilty to a felony count. He could get a ten-year prison sentence if convicted. One of Hearn's attorneys joins us now. Norm Eisen is with us.

Counselor, always good to see you.

NORM EISEN, ATTORNEY FOR DAVID HEARN: And you, John.

BERMAN: So, how is your client doing this morning? He appeared in court. He's being charged with a felony that could earn him a year or years in prison. What's his mood?

EISEN: John, Davey Hearn is innocent. He knows he's innocent. He pled not guilty yesterday. His mood is strong. He's standing up for the truth. And, in his view, standing up for rule of law in our democracy. It was so heartening yesterday when we walked out of the courtroom here in the District of Columbia's superior court, hundreds of his supporters were there standing by him. He's a beloved figure in the community. As a three-time Olympian, eight-time world champion canoeist, a teacher of canoeing. He's rescued people who were trapped in raging waters. Davey is an American hero, and he got that reception yesterday. His mood is strong. BERMAN: To what extent do you see this as an isolated case or part of

something bigger?

EISEN: It is part of something much larger, John. The failures at the Reflecting Pool are those of the administration. And they are scapegoating and attempting to shift blame onto Davey. It is not a crime in the United States of America to touch the Reflecting Pool. If Davey Hearn can be charged for doing that, which people have been doing, John, for decades, since the Reflecting Pool opened. If Davey Hearn can be charged for that, any American can be charged for anything. So, it has a much larger significance. And myself, my wonderful co-counsel, Mary Dohrmann, at Washington Litigation Group, and all of us at the Democracy Defenders Fund, where we have over 300 legal cases and matters, this is one of the most important. An innocent man is being prosecuted. We're not going to stand for it. We're fighting back with everything we have.

BERMAN: Ambassador, if I can, I want to lean into your legal expertise here on what we're seeing in Texas where a Mexican immigrant, who was living in the United States illegally, was killed by ICE officers. What's the legal standard for use of force there? They admit -- the ICE officers say he was not part -- he was not the target of their operation.

EISEN: John, the use of force has to be reasonable under the circumstances. And if it's not, it falls outside of the scope of official duties, opening these ICE agents to liability. And evidence is emerging, John, that Lorenzo Araujo was unreasonably targeted. There are three witnesses who were in that vehicle with him who are apparently indicating, according to published reports, that there was no reasonable basis, that's the legal standard, no reasonable basis to open fire. And we've seen a pattern, like with Mr. Pretti and Miss Good in Minnesota. Now, Mr. Araujo, Lorenzo, in Houston, of evidence that ICE is going well beyond the bounds of reasonableness. This is becoming another national scandal. And, John, it should be.

[08:55:03]

BERMAN: Ambassador Norm Eisen, appreciate you being with us this morning. Thank you very much.

All right, this morning, at least 28 people are dead after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China. Officials say nearly 240 people were inside the building when the blaze broke out. More than 200 escaped. The factory owner was taken into custody. Investigators say they're working to determine the cause.

New video of two snorkelers rescued in Florida after strong currents pulled them from shore. Deputies from a Marine unit were on the water. They spotted the pair. Luckily, they brought them on board.

Now what if I told you there is now adult Play-Doh. What makes it adult, you might ask? Is it naughty? I don't think so. I don't think that's what's going on here. Hasbro is launching Blooms by Play-Doh, its first collection designed specifically for adults. The kits, they say, let you create realistic flower arrangements. I'm sure that's what it's all about.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

BERMAN: The company says it is part of a push toward creative hobbies for, get this, stress relief.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Thank you, John. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time. You can go now.

BERMAN: Thanks, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Let's turn to this. This is something you and I should never do, be in a simulation for a year.

BERMAN: Not with you.

BOLDUAN: Not with you.

This morning, NASA is looking for four volunteers to spend a year inside a Mars and moon simulation. The program is supposed to replicate what it is like to travel and live deep in space. But, of course, all happening here on earth at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA plans to send the first crewed human mission to Mars as early, the goal is, as the 2030s. So, the goal of the simulation is to help researchers learn what future astronauts could face, the conditions they will have to withstand. NASA has carried out simulations like this before. You probably remember this one in 2023.

And joining us right now is someone who knows exactly what this is like. Dr. Nathan Jones. He participated in that NASA Mars simulation a few years ago as the crew's medical officer.

It's good to see you, Doctor. Thank you so much for being here.

You were one -- I remember talking about this when you guys were chosen and going in. You were one of four who lived in isolation right here on earth in the Johnson Space Center, I believe it was like June of 2023 to July of 2024. What was it like? I mean what did you learn? How do you sum it up?

DR. NATHAN JONES, PARTICIPATED IN NASA MARS MISSION SIMULATION IN 2024: Oh, man, there was so many really exciting things to -- that I could speak about. But, you know, probably just the adventure of exploring and discovering new things would probably be one of the highlights. And, you know, just knowing that we're a part of the future of space exploration.

You know, the other thing I would also call out, just getting to work with all the amazing experts at NASA.

BOLDUAN: Yes, I think that would be such an exceptional thing to kind of like jump into that world for a period of time. What was, I don't know, the most surprising aspect of time in isolation and kind of the exploration of that? Was it the mental challenge of it, the physical challenges related to being in -- I mean it was a big-ish space, but you were contained in this space.

JONES: Yes, absolutely. So, did not get to leave the habitat, as we referred to it, for the full duration of the mission, which lasted over a year. I think, for me, what I kind of realized at some point in the mission is that, you know, life is so fast paced in general, the time that we actually got to spend where it felt like everything was moving so slowly, I really started to kind of treasure that because you don't get that a lot in life. And so, I think for me, I kind of was able to turn that what I think would be a difficulty into something that was a positive. And I think those sort of mindset, games I'll call them, are particularly helpful in missions like that.

BOLDUAN: Oh, I love that. How much of what you experienced -- I mean, what do you think, how much of this simulated life and what you experienced do you think will help, I don't -- help to simulate what life on Mars will actually and how it will actually help astronauts who eventually take on these missions?

JONES: You know, I think quite a bit. And that's just my own, you know, looking at the experiences that I had. And I think that they were positive enough that NASA is probably going to use the feedback that they got from our particular mission for this new one. And they'll just have even more specific and potentially powerful data that they'll be able to get out of this new mission, even compared to what they got out of ours.

BOLDUAN: And what's your best advice for anyone who's considering signing up? I mean, what would you say, what you should prepare for, consider and if you're the right type of person for it?

[09:00:02]

JONES: Yes. So, NASA laid out the qualifications and they're very similar to what it would be to apply to the actual astronaut corps.