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Trump Could Be Included in Possible Criminal Referrals; Some States Rushing to Pass Anti-Abortion Laws; Impact of Supreme Court Ruling in Alabama; Israel Says It Examine Fatal Bullet with U.S. Supervision; Hong Kong Lawmaker Near Xi Jinping During Visit Tests Positive. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 04, 2022 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX, CNN ANCHOR: If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour. Authorities in Denmark are ruling out an act of terror in the deadly Copenhagen mall shooting that killed three people. The suspected gunman is due to face a judge in the coming hours.

Meanwhile in Akron, Ohio, the family of a black man killed by police are calling for justice. Newly released body cam footage shows the moments Jayland Walker was shot by several officers with 60 rounds of bullets.

The U.S. House Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol is forging ahead making its case that responsibility for what happened that day goes straight to the top. Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson delivered block buster testimony last week, remarkable moments include her accounts of a furious Donald Trump demanding to be taken to the Capitol. And it's clear understanding that some in the crowd were armed. CNN's Zachary Cohen looks at what other bombshells could lie ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection could make multiple criminal referrals including one of former president Donald Trump. Now, that's what the panel's vice chair Congresswoman Liz Cheney said in the interview on Sunday where she made it clear the committee may recommend that the Justice Department bring criminal charges against Trump himself. Take a listen to what she said on ABC on Sunday.

JONATHAN KARL, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: So, the committee will or will not make a criminal referral?

CHENEY: We'll make a decision as a committee about it.

KARL: So, it's possible there will be a criminal referral?

CHENEY: Yes. KARL: Which would be effectively the committee saying that he should be prosecuted and this is the evidence that we've --

CHENEY: The Justice Department doesn't have to wait for the committee to make a criminal referral. There could be more than one criminal referral.

COHEN: Now Cheney's remarks come days after explosive testimony from former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Who recalled being told that Trump grew angry when he was told by his Secret Service detail that he could not accompany protesters to the Capitol on January 6. They also come as the committee is preparing for additional hearings and has promise to reveal even more evidence connecting Trump to the violent attack that day.

The committee investigation also continues. Congressman Adam Kinzinger, the other Republican serving on the January 6 Committee, said on Sunday that witnesses have come forward since Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony last week.

ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): Every day we get new people that come forward and say, hey, I didn't think maybe this piece of a story that I knew was important, but now that you guys -- like, I do see this plays in here. But, yes, I mean, look, she is going to go down in history as -- I mean, people can forget the names of every one of us on the committee. They will not forget her name. And by the way, she doesn't want that. She doesn't want to be out in the public spotlight, but she has a commitment to truth.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Will we hear from witnesses that you did not know about with stories you did not hear because of the hearing so far?

KINZINGER: Yes, yes. There will be -- there is -- there will be way more information and stay tuned.

COHEN: Now, Kinzinger and other members of the committee have been reluctant to offer details about those additional witnesses, and new revelation that's could come out in future hearings. But it's clear the panel is continuing to make the case that there is one man who bears overwhelming responsibility for the January 6 attack, and that man is Donald Trump.

Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:35:00]

FOSTER: And so, the next January 6 hearings, the House Select Committee member Adam Schiff gave this preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): The very next hearing will be focused on the efforts to assemble that mob on the mall, who was participating, who was financing it, how it was organized, including the participation of these white nationalist groups like the Proud Boys and 3 Percenters and others. And so, we'll be presenting information we have. We haven't answered all the questions that we have. We continue our investigation into precisely the issue you are describing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, it's not clear yet when the next hearing will be. Keep in mind last week's testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson was announced unexpectedly just 24 hours in advance and we'll, of course, stay on top of the story and bring you the very latest.

Now, in the wake of the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, states are now in control of abortion laws and rights in the United States, and that's putting some leaders in the hot seat. The Republican governor of South Dakota is under fire for her response to a question whether a 10-year-old rape victim should be forced to carry a baby to term. The state has banned all abortions except when the mother's life is at risk. Here is her exchange with CNN's Dana Bash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: This case it wasn't a woman, it was a girl. Should --

KRISTI NOEM, SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR: A child.

BASH: A child. Should she have to have that baby?

NOEM: And every single life -- every single life is precious. This tragedy is horrific. I can't even imagine. I've never had anybody in my family or myself gone through anything like this. I can't even imagine. But in South Dakota, the law today is that abortions are illegal except to save the life of the mother.

BASH: And you'd be OK with that, a 10-year-old girl having to have a baby?

NOEM: No, I'm never OK with that. In fact, that story will keep me up at night. It absolutely will.

BASH: So, will you try to change the law to have an exception?

(CROSSTALK)

NOEM: I've got a 1-year-old little granddaughter named Ms. Addy. I can't even imagine what I would say, as I don't believe a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Kristi Noem later said she thought it was incredible that no one was talking about the horrible individual who raped a 10-year-old girl.

South Dakota isn't the only state with conservative abortion laws. Huntsville, Alabama is home to one of three abortion clinics in the entire state. CNN's Randi Kaye was there and she spoke with people most directly impacted by the recent Supreme Court ruling, patients, clinic staff and physicians.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alabama women's center.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's only 8:00 a.m. and the phones at the Alabama women's center in Huntsville are ringing off the hook.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alabama women's center.

KAYE (voice-over): Just days after abortions suddenly became illegal in the state, this is now the standard response from staff.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Due to overturn of Roe v. Wade, we recommend that you consider looking into other states.

KAYE (voice-over): This 18-year-old showed up at the clinic today still hoping to get an abortion but was told they can't help her. She agreed to speak with us if we hid her identity. She said she's two months pregnant.

KAYE: Did you know that Roe v. Wade had overturned when you came here today?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did, but I didn't know it was already like causing places to stop doing them.

KAYE: So, you thought you could come here and get an abortion today?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

KAYE: And what did you think when you realized you couldn't get one?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I started crying. I just don't think it's fair. No matter the situation, I feel like you should be able to have an abortion.

KAYE (voice-over): Dr. Yashica Robinson runs the Alabama Women's Center. One of just three abortion clinics that were operating in Alabama before Roe was overturned.

DR. YASHICA ROBINSON, ALABAMA WOMEN'S CENTER: I felt powerless as a physician, you know. I know how to care for these patients just like you have the tools to help somebody and you choose not to help them. And that was hard for me.

KAYE (voice-over): Abortion is now illegal in Alabama, except in cases where the health of the mother is substantially at risk or the fetus isn't expected to survive. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. If providers break the law, they could go to prison.

ROBINSON: I know exactly what my attorneys have told me is safe for me to say, and so I feel like somebody is calling me for help and I'm giving them a vague answer and it feels very hypocritical to me.

KAYE: You're concerned about aiding and abetting?

ROBINSON: Exactly.

KAYE (voice-over): This 18-year-old who asked not to be identified, came to this clinic for an abortion just days before Roe was overturned.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMA shift back hit this computer LE: I'm proud of the decision I made.

KAYE (voice-over): She was 11 weeks pregnant when she had her abortion and is grateful, she had a choice.

KAYE: What do you think about all those women who have been turned away or had appointments canceled and now will no longer be able to get an abortion here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel so bad for those girls because I know, this was a hard decision for me. I couldn't imagine being looked in my face and told no.

KAYE(voice-over): And now after the other 18-year-old we met was told no at the clinic, she's even more scared as she tries to figure out what to do next.

[04:40:00]

KAYE: Do you feel sort of lost right now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Um-hmm.

KAYE: Yes. Do you have any idea where you'll go?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

KAYE: Do you feel like you're going to be forced to have this baby?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, I know I'm going to -- I know I'm going to get it done. But like I'm going to try because I don't want it. I don't want to have it, so I'm going to try to go somewhere. But it's just stressful because I feel like I might not be able to find a place in time.

KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, Huntsville, Alabama.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Elsewhere, Israel and Palestinian Authority don't trust each other to be impartial as they investigate the death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Now the U.S. government is getting involved. Details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) FOSTER: At least six people are dead following an avalanche of ice in northeastern Italy according to CNN affiliate Sky TG24. The avalanche occurred on the highest mountains of the Italian Dolomites. Alpine rescue services say a large sections of a glacier broke away and came crashing down on a path to summit. The area is experiencing record heat for this time of year Rescue efforts are going to find at least one person hikers reported missing.

In Pakistan at least 19 people are dead after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine. Video shows the bus slid off the side of a mountain and fell into a ditch. Officials say at least a dozen other people were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital. It's still unclear what caused that crash.

Officials in Egypt are investigating the deaths of two women following a shark attack. Both were said to be swimming in the Red Sea when the attacks took place in separate instances. The second woman is reported to be a Romanian tourist. Onlookers watched in horror as an Austrian woman was attacked on Friday.

[04:45:00]

She died after losing an arm and a leg. Shark attacks have been rare in Egypt's Red Sea region in recent years.

Now the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is now reportedly back with Palestinian Authority. They gave it to U.S. authorities on Saturday for examination. But the Palestinians are leery of letting Israel get too involved in the investigation. Abu Akleh was covering an Israeli military raid in the West Bank in May when she was killed by gunfire. CNN's Hadas Gold has the latest from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Nearly two months after Al Jazeera Shireen Abu Akleh was killed, we may be getting closer to an answer as to who fired the fatal shot.

Over the weekend, the Palestinian Authority handed the bullet that killed Abu Akleh over to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Although the Palestinian Authority attorney general said they had been given many guarantees by the Americans that the bullet would not be given to the Israelis, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said they were going to work with the Americans to conduct a forensic investigation.

The Palestinian Authority has denied requests to hold a joint investigation with the Israelis saying they can't trust the Israelis.

The IDF said the bullet is in the hands of a senior American general who will be present throughout the entire duration of the investigation.

The IDF spokesperson said that the results should be released soon. And that if the investigation showed that an Israeli soldier killed Abu Akleh, they will, quote, take responsibility and will be apologetic.

Spokespeople for the Palestinian Authority did not respond to requests for comments about the IDF involvement in the bullets examination.

Several investigations by news organizations including CNN, as well as by the United Nations Human Rights Office, have found that it is most likely that Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli fire and not by gunfire from Palestinian militants as then Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett initially suggested. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has thus far declined to comment.

Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come, parts of China tightened COVID restrictions as new classes begin to form, this as a positive case outbreak through President Xi Jinping's strict protocol during his visit to Hong Kong.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Australian authorities are working on a rescue plan for stranded cargo ship off Australia's eastern coast. The 21-person crew lost power amid torrential rains around New South Wales. Officials say they're looking to evacuate them by helicopter.

Meanwhile, at least one person has died and thousands are being urged to evacuate from Sydney from those heavy rains. The downpour and damaging winds led to flash flooding in some areas on Sunday, and forecasters say more bad weather is on the way.

The Hong Kong lawmaker photographed near Chinese President Xi Jinping has tested positive for COVID-19. President Xi visited the city last week during the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China. It was his first trip outside the mainland since the start of the pandemic. He joined lawmakers for photo opportunities commemorating the event. The person who tested positive said his test was negative on Thursday when those photos were taken.

CNN's senior international correspondent Will Ripley joins me live from Taipei. It was always a risk, wasn't it, but the entourage around Xi did everything they could to avoid it?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there were two Hong Kong lawmakers who tested positive just days before President Xi's visit. And some people thought that might have been a deal breaker. Because he is believed to be extremely paranoid about COVID- 19 to the point that, you know, there is a closed loop system that exists simply to protect him from contracting the virus. And this is a matter almost of state security from the Chinese perspective.

You have anybody who wants to have contact or be in the same room with President Xi, for weeks ahead of time they are tested daily for COVID- 19. They have to have a private car shuttle them from their home to their job and back with no unnecessary travel. The night before they are supposed to meet with them, they go into a quarantine hotel. So, this Hong Kong lawmaker, Steve Ho Chun-Yin, you know, he met all these requirements. He tested negative on Thursday, attended the photo session.

Now, this is a probation lawmaker, he was sitting one row behind President Xi. There are photos showing the two of them, essentially looks like almost next to each other. And then the next day he tested with a mild positive. And the following day on Saturday, this was a Thursday, Friday, Saturday. By Saturday he had full-blown testing for COVID.

The question that this raises, Max, if that closed loop did not work in keeping somebody who had COVID-19, you know, a breadth away from the president, well, you know, within the reach of somebody whose, you know, could potentially be infected, then how is China going to continue to sustain this zero-COVID approach? Why are 1 1/2 billion people potentially facing, you know, months or years of lockdowns, of, you know, hours long waits every couple days to test negative for COVID so they can have a green QR code and go get medicine for their loved ones or go to the supermarket?

You know, why are cities going into lockdown for dozens or perhaps a couple hundred cases, the vast majority of them asymptomatic? Because all of that is happening right now in China. A country of 1 1/2 billion people that reported fewer than 500 cases yesterday and most of those cases did not have symptoms, Max. And yet because President Xi is so insistent about zero COVID, even issuing the orders personally, they're building permanent testing centers. They're digging in in China to live this zero-COVID, almost dystopian reality when compared to the rest of the world, for the long haul.

FOSTER: OK, Will Ripley, thank you. Well, if you follow with any updates -- if there are any updates back of that from China.

Now, there was a scary moment during the Formula 1 British Grand Prix on Sunday.

[04:55:00]

A collision during the first lap, flipped one car sending it skidding upside down before eventually crashing into a fence. Amazingly, the driver was unharmed, crediting safety innovations in his car. Really is amazing. Hou Guanyu took to Twitter to let everyone know he was OK.

Saying, Halo save me today. Thanks, everyone, for your kind messages.

Halo in the Formula 1 car is a titanium bar that protects the driver's head in a crash. Alex Auburn was also involved in that crash in an incident right after. He was cleared of major injuries but sent to the hospital as a precaution. And at the end of that race, it was Carlos Sainz who took the checkered flag at the British Grand Prix. In doing so he claimed his first Formula 1 victory. Sergio Perez finish second and Lewis Hamilton came in third place. It really was an exciting watch. Now, an eerie auction for some Gothic goods, an antique vampire

slaying kit was sold here in the U.K. for almost 16,000 pounds. That's almost six times the asking price. The 19th century box has everything you'd need to ward off vampires including crucifixes, holy water, a wooden stake and more. The auction house says the kit once belonged to Lord William Haley, a British aristocrat with a place in the House of Lords -- and pretty paranoid.

And finally, this hour a long lost letter written by one of America's founding fathers will go on sale -- on display, rather, today just in time for the July 4 holiday. The letter was written in 1780 by Alexander Hamilton to a French aristocrat. It was believed to have been stolen from the Massachusetts state archives by an employee during World War II. He then reportedly sold it to a rare book dealers. In 2018 the letter emerged at an auction house in Virginia. It will now be displayed at the Commonwealth Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. Amazing.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett is next. Thanks for watching.

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