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Judge Says Florida's 15-Week Abortion Law is Unconstitutional; Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Sworn in as First Black Woman on Supreme Court; Russian Forces Withdraw from Snake Island; Texas Woman Accuse of Killing Elite Cyclist Captured in Costa Rica. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 30, 2022 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BRIAN DEESE, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: And indeed, it's the goal to transition this economy to a period where we have stable prices. Which is the Fed's target and goal, while also not having to give up all these historic economic gains. Not give up all the historic progress we've made in the labor market. And that is absolutely the goal.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Brian Deese, thank you.

DEESE: Thank you.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Well, after a controversial Supreme Court team and a very divisive time for the country. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joins the bench. We discuss.

[15:35:00]

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BLACKWELL: Today in Florida, a judge ruled that the state's new law banning abortion at 15 weeks is unconstitutional.

CAMEROTA: The law which was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis was supposed to go into effect tomorrow and does not include exceptions for who become pregnant as a result of rape, incest or human trafficking. The Florida judge says he will issue a temporary statewide injunction.

BLACKWELL: Well, for the first time in our history, a black woman justice now sits on the Supreme Court.

CAMEROTA: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in earlier today. And joining us now, we have USC Law school Vice Dean Franita Tolson and UC Berkeley Law Professor Amanda Tyler, who is also a friend of Justice Jackson. Ladies, great to have you here. Professor, I want to start with you because I know you recently spoke to your friend, now Justice Jackson. And I am wondering, how does she feel about joining the court at such a turbulent time?

AMANDA TAYLOR, PROFESSOR OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY: The most important thing is she is aware of the historic significance of her appointment to the court, and I can't think of a better person to be joining the court in this moment to bring the important new perspectives that she will bring. She will do all of us proud.

That being said, I am also aware that she is aware of what she is joining and that it is, I think it's fair to say, a very different course from the one in which she and I both clerked 22 years ago. It is a court now that is far more conservative, where her view, which would have very much have been in the mainstream on the earlier court are now more likely to be consistently in the minority.

But she is brilliant, and she is wise and she will write great decisions, whether you carry the moment in real time or whether like Justice Ginsberg for whom I clerked, she is writing dissent for the ages that eventually will come full circle and become the law of the land.

BLACKWELL: Dean Tolson, Professor Tyler makes a good point here. That she is joining a 6-3 court. That's not changing going from Breyer to Jackson. But what she brings is perspective. So, what is your expectation as we go into this next term?

FRANITA TOLSON, VICE DEAN, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LAW SCHOOL: I agree 100 percent. I think that even if Justice Jackson is in dissent, it doesn't really matter in the short term in the sense though. She gets an opportunity to stake out her decisions, to weigh in on important issues, to flesh out her judicial veracity. It really is an opportunity.

I think the thing that is important is bringing a perspective to the court that has been missing for over two centuries. But her role is still important even if she's in the minority on the court. And the court moves very slowly, incrementally, in terms of changing doctrines. And so, these dissents will be really important as time goes on and the composition of the court changes. Because it's very -- it's important to remember that there comes a day where she's in the majority and these early dissents could become the majority opinions. But that being said, it's a great day. It's wonderful that she's on the court. I'm so excited.

CAMEROTA: Dean, I have one follow-up for you. Because I know that you've called this moment a watershed moment. Obviously for her and for the court on so many levels. And so, how do you assess where the Supreme Court is today as it ends this term.

TOLSON: So, it's disappointing. One of the things that it is one of the most consequential terms maybe in history. We've had consequential decisions. I don't want to cause confusions on that fact, many consequential decisions. But just the way in which the court has changed the fabric of America society in the last week. It's really hard to think of a term that compares to that.

I mean, we had decisions that limit the scope of reproductive rights. That expand the Second Amendment, as America stands as a poster child for mass shootings. That makes it difficult for the EPA to address climate change. A decision handed down today on top of it, this rein, the establishment clause earlier this week.

And so, we've had so many decisions this term that just really change who we are as a society. And frankly, I agree with Professor Tomlin, that it is outside of the mainstream of not only where the court used to be and also American society more generally. And I think Justice Jackson has an important step in bringing the court back to the mainstream. Even if it takes time to get there.

[15:40:00]

BLACKWELL: And professor this term has had a historic first, a historic leak, historic reversal, but also historically low public confidence. Is that something that's not just this new justice but the court should take into consideration?

TAYLOR: You know what, I have been reflecting on her confirmation and swearing in today all day. I think she represents the future, the future of this court and the future of this country. And unfortunately, right now, the control of the Supreme Court majority better represents the antiquated past. And it is as you say, a past to which a majority of Americans do not wish to return. And so, we'll see. We'll see what future terms bring.

This past week, as Professor Tolson has highlighted, has been devastating. We've seen numerous precedents in multiple context feel the rules. Another decision that came down yesterday that Professor Tolson didn't mention, is one that disregards centuries of precedent with respect to tribal sovereignty. So, this court is really in a slash and burn mentality right now. And hopefully, hopefully, as we move forward, we can get back to where again Justice Jackson represents the mainstream.

BLACKWELL: Professor Amanda Taylor and Dean Franita Tolson, thank you both.

CAMEROTA: The island where a Ukrainian soldier notoriously told a Russian warship to f-off before the war is now back under Ukrainian control. How this happened, next.

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CAMEROTA: You probably remember this moment of early defiance in Russia's war on Ukraine when a Ukrainian soldier on Snake Island told a warship to f-off.

CAMEROTA: Well, Russia and Russian forces took control of that island, but now they're gone. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us now. So, Salma, how did the Ukrainian forces regain control?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: This is a huge morale boost at a time when Ukraine is really desperate for a win. The Ukrainian government says that it will be launching operations on that island by air, land and sea. That it's been striking Russian positions on Snake Island. This tiny little 45-acre piece of rock essentially in the Black Sea and that those Russian forces essentially succumbed to Ukraine and had to retreat. This is as you said a major victory.

This is an island almost of legendary status to Ukrainians because of that early scene, that first salvo in the war when Russian warships told Ukrainian forces to surrender, and they responded on radio with that expletive to tell them where to stick it. It was printed on tee shirts, it shared on social media. You could buy memorabilia at any shop in Ukraine with those words.

So, this is really a significant gain here. Now, Russia has a very different narrative. They say that this was a gesture of good will, that they pulled out of Snake Island willingly and they indicated that it might be that grain blockade. Remember Ukraine is accusing Russian forces of denying them the right to export some 22 million tons of grain. Now that's yet to be seen if it's going to ease that blockade. But still a major win at a time when Ukraine really needs it.

CAMEROTA: Salma, thank you.

BLACKWELL: Well, after 43 days on the run, the suspect wanted for the murder of a professional cyclist is captured in South America. Details ahead.

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BLACKWELL: The manhunt has ended for a Texas woman wanted for killing an elite cyclist.

CAMEROTA: The U.S. Marshals say they've captured Caitlin Armstrong in Costa Rica after 43 days on the run. She's accused of shooting Anna Moriah Wilson back in May allegedly over a love triangle. CNN's Jean Casarez joins us now. So, Jean what happened here with the arrest?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this just happened. It just broke that she was captured in Costa Rica. The U.S. Marshal's office is saying that she was living on the beach in a hostel, but they found her. Now they also believe, as you just said, that she is suspected in the early May killing of an elite cyclist in Austin, Texas, her name is Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson.

Now authorities are saying that Armstrong, who was just captured in Costa Rica, actually had a boyfriend, Colin Strickland. They broke up near the end of last year. So, Strickland started dating Wilson. Now, Strickland told authorities that they didn't date for very long. They broke it off and then he and Armstrong got back together.

But on the day in May when this elite cyclist was found murdered, Strickland admitted to authorities that he had actually gone swimming with her earlier in the day. They had gone to dinner, but he had taken to the apartment that she was staying at of a friend. Later that night, her body was found. It had multiple gunshot wounds and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Now the U.S. Marshal's office believes they have a timeline. They tracked her from an airport in Austin, Texas, to Houston, Texas to LaGuardia, Texas in May. They thought they saw her at Newark, but they couldn't find a valid passport that took her anywhere out of the country. Well, they have now confirmed that it was a fraudulent passport that was used to get her to Costa Rica. But she is going to be deported from Costa Rica back to the United States, and there is a warrant for an arrest for homicide in her name.

BLACKWELL: Wow, 43 days and they've got her. All right, Jean Casarez, thank you.

CAMEROTA: Sources tell CNN that Cassidy Hutchinson is one of the witnesses that members of the Trump world did try to influence. So, we're live on Capitol Hill, ahead.

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CAMEROTA: A Denver couple who are big hockey fans got the surprise of their lives when a delivery van pulled up to their door and gave them the coveted NHL Stanley Cup. But it was a mistake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At first, I opened the trunk and I saw the case. I recognized it because it was the final games. And we saw them bringing it up. Like joking we said, is that the Stanley Cup? And he says yes!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: So, it's tradition for every member of the winning Stanley Cup team to spend a day with the trophy. And the cup was supposed to go to the team captain's house, who lives nearby. The address, the delivery service had was off by one digit. I at least would have allowed them to bring it in and then told them later wrong house.

CAMEROTA: Good thinking.

BLACKWELL: All right, I would have said, hey, stay around, we're going to take some pictures. I'm not going to keep it all day. And go to the next.

CAMEROTA: Right, they headed it off in the driveway. But there are so many delivery services that pull into my driveway. I'm like, is that the Stanley Cup? How did they know that from the doorway?

[16:00:00]

How did they know that?

BLACKWELL: Maybe it's got like a fancy wrapper on the outside. I don't know. But would have certainly brought that into my house.

CAMEROTA: A must. Also, if it were delivered to my house, it would sit in my laundry room for weeks being unopened. So, it might be there right now.

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Absolutely.

CAMEROTA: Yes, OK.

CAMEROTA: Yes, OK, very good. That does it for us. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.