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Investigation: Navy SEAL Candidate Died Of Bacterial Pneumonia Hours After Finishing Hell Week Training; Biden Vows "Consequences" For Saudis After Oil Production Cut; Abortion Controversy Hangs Over High-Stakes Georgia Race; Brett Favre Denies Involvement In Fraud Scheme Despite Texts; Lake Mead Water Crisis Exposes Volcanic Rock From Eruptions 12 Million Years Ago; Multiple Tornadoes Reported In S.E. Wisconsin. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired October 12, 2022 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Back in February, they found that he died technically of bacterial pneumonia.

But the fundamental question is what kind of medical care he was given by the Navy once he fell so grievously ill in the final hours after he completed Hell Week and he might have been able to qualify to go on to the next phase.

Now, as you say, Hell Week is one of the most grueling phases of Navy SEAL training. And it is designed that way. It is designed to replicate the conditions of combat -- confusion, tired, cold, hungry, all of that.

So he was dealing with that and he fell ill. And he began to have symptoms, we are told, of pneumonia.

He was seen in a wheelchair swollen, coughing, coughing up fluid, according to those who were near him, and reporting breathing trouble. In fact, he was given oxygen twice.

It is not clear how able he was to refuse medical care. Sometimes, it's up to the candidate. They can say, no, I want to stick with it, I'm not going to go to the hospital.

But, in fact, this young man may not have really been in a position, he was so ill, to understand what was happening to him.

Finally, you know, rescue forces were called in. He was transported to a hospital and he was declared deceased there.

His mother has just been briefed by the Navy on everything that happened to him.

Now, there's an awful lot of criticism that comes back and forth over the months and years about the very stringent training for Special Forces. Special Forces will tell you they must do it so their people are ready in combat. Some people will tell you it is too much and there's not enough

oversight, including, in this case, medical oversight if they fall ill during training.

So the Navy, the Navy SEAL community, leadership now taking a look at all of this.

There's a separate investigation, should people be held accountable for not getting him the care he needed? There has been some initial disciplinary action. But there may, in fact, be more to come.

Navy medical teams are looking at what changes need to be made. How to monitor these young people when they go through this grueling training, how to early recognize that they may be ill, they may be suffering, and rapidly get them the medical care that they are going to urgently need -- Ana?

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: It is such a tragic situation.

Thank you, Barbara, for giving us those details.

President Biden is examining all aspects of the U.S./Saudi relationship after the kingdom's decision to partner up with Russia and slash oil production. It's a snub to the U.S. and will almost certainly mean higher energy prices for all of us.

Remember, just three months ago, the president shared this fist bump with the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Here's more of the president's exclusive interview with CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, CNN ANCHOR & HOST: Do you think it's time for the U.S. to rethink its relationship with Saudi Arabia?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes. And, by the way, let's get straight why I went. I didn't go about oil. I went about making sure that we made sure that we weren't going to walk away from the Middle East.

We should -- and I am in the process, when the -- this House and Senate gets back, they're going to have to -- there's going to be some consequences for what they've done with Russia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: CNN national security correspondent, Kylie Atwood, joins us from the State Department.

Kylie, what options might the administration be considering?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, we should note that there are some really severe options coming from Capitol Hill with lawmakers putting forth legislation that would do things, including halting all U.S. arm sales to Saudi Arabia for a year.

The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee calling for there to be a sever in U.S./Saudi cooperation altogether.

And then you have separate legislation that is calling for a removal of U.S. troops and missile defense systems from Saudi Arabia.

Now, all of those, as I said quite, severe. And the Biden administration isn't publicly saying no to any of those options on the table.

We heard from the national security adviser to President Biden this morning saying that they are reviewing all aspects of U.S./Saudi ties, including U.S. arm sales to the country.

But private conversations between Biden administration officials and folks on Capitol Hill, members of Congress and congressional aides, are looking at some of these aspects and really closely looking at some of the options that could be on the table.

Including, potentially, rotating the F-16 U.S. fleet in Saudi Arabia out of the country.

Potentially looking at how the administration could support legislation that, at this time, is not allowing OPEC to face any legislation from the U.S. because of its antitrust and possible complications because of these efforts to collude on oil price.

[13:34:58]

But the Biden administration is really concerned here about the after- effects that any of these actions could have, particularly on that legislation that could allow antitrust legislation -- antitrust lawsuits against OPEC.

They don't want that to have after-effects on the global economy, which is in a delicate spot right now. They want to make sure that any actions are taken into consideration, U.S. interests.

But, of course, they're looking at this closely. They are working with Congress as the president and his national security advisers have said.

And they're making sure that they do need to take some action here because of the pressure that they're facing.

And because President Biden himself, in that interview with Jake Tapper last night, committed to there being consequences for Saudi Arabia -- Ana?

CABRERA: Of course, it is complicated. Saudi Arabia plays a key role when it comes to dealing with Iran, with terror. We have U.S. troops in the region.

Kylie Atwood, thank you for your update. NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre says he wants to, quote, "set the record

straight" over his alleged ties to a massive welfare fraud scheme. What he's claiming, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:59]

CABRERA: We're back with this just in. A judge has rejected former President Trump's effort to pause his upcoming deposition in E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit.

The judge called Trump's efforts to delay the case, quote, "inexcusable." Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a department store in the mid '90s. Trump has denied this. He's scheduled to be deposed a week from today.

Embattled candidate, Herschel Walker, says his accuser is lying. Walker offered up this fresh denial after more details emerged about an ex-girlfriend's allegation that he paid for her abortion.

CNN has not independently confirmed the reports, but the explosive claims could take center stage on Friday in Georgia when Walker, a staunch abortion opponent, debates Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock.

And CNN's Eva Mckend has been all over this.

Eva, what's the latest reporting on this controversy?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, Ana, the campaign not commenting on this latest development.

This unnamed woman adding details to her account, telling "The Washington Post" she had to press Walker for this money, even though it was him that wanted her to terminate the pregnancy for this money for the abortion.

But Walker sat down with ABC and again strenuously denied the allegations.

Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ABC CORRESPONDENT: If I can just get you to say a yes or a no, did you ever have a conversation with this woman at any time about an abortion?

HERSCHEL WALKER, (R), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE FOR GEORGIA: No.

UNIDENTIFIED ABC CORRESPONDENT: Did you ever to your knowledge give money to pay for the cost of an abortion?

WALKER: No.

UNIDENTIFIED ABC CORRESPONDENT: Is she lying? WALKER: Yes, she's lying. Yes, she's lying. Yes, she's lying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: Now, it's really up to Georgia voters to decide, you know, who they believe, Ana. But I don't anticipate Walker's answer is going to change even if more details from his unnamed accuser emerge.

CABRERA: The allegations are coming at a critical time during the campaign. Have they moved the needle for Georgia voters?

MCKEND: Well, Ana, all indications are, from a new Quinnipiac poll, this race will remain incredibly close.

In my judgment, from here on the ground, this development, this scandal has not changed a whole lot. At Walker's rally yesterday, it was filled with enthusiastic supporters.

The national Republican establishment also all in for Walker. The chair of the National Republican Senatorial committee at that rally yesterday.

They are going to continue not only rhetorically speaking up in favor of Walker but also making investments in this state.

It actually could have the reverse effect, in my view. I spoke to one woman at that rally in Carrollton who told me she wanted to come to show her support for Walker in the wake of these allegations.

Meanwhile, Walker's opponent, Democratic incumbent, Senator Raphael Warnock, he's going to be campaigning tonight in Atlanta as part of a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration and no doubt he will likely be asked about this.

So, Ana, it could have the reverse effect. Because both Republicans and Democrats want to talk about other issues on the trail and this is just dominating so much of the conversation -- Ana?

CABRERA: Eva McKend, thank you.

NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre now claims he didn't know millions of dollars that he helped secure for a new volleyball facility at his alma mater came from welfare funds meant for Mississippi's neediest families, despite text messages that suggest otherwise.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher is following this one for us.

Dianne, what more is Favre saying about this?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Ana, this is the first time we've heard from Favre himself in months. But the denial is very similar to what his attorneys have been saying, simply, I didn't know it was welfare money.

The difference here is Favre now seems to be painting himself as the victim, saying that he has been unjustly smeared by the media and wants to set the record straight.

The statement said, in part, "No one ever told me and I did not know that the funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the university or me."

"I tried to help my alma mater, USM, a public Mississippi State University, raise funds for wellness center. My goal was and always will be to improve the athletic facilities at my university."

[13:45:08]

He later says, "After I found out that the money I was paid for fundraising radio spots came from federal welfare funds, I returned all of it."

Now Favre is talking about two different components to this massive sprawling welfare fraud scheme in his home state. The money that went to pay for the volleyball center at his alma mater but also the $1.1 million in federal welfare money Brett Favre was paid directly himself.

Now, he did pay back that money eventually, according to the auditor, but, the auditor says, he still owes about a quarter million dollars in interest on that payment.

We've learned about a lot of this because, again, Brett Favre has not been criminally charged but he is being sued by the state of Mississippi, one of about three dozen people.

And through that -- those lawsuits, we're starting to see text messages that have come out between Brett Favre and the founder of a nonprofit, Nancy New, who pleaded guilty in the scheme. She's the one that got that money to him.

Also talking to the former director of the Department of Human Services, who has also pleaded guilty in the scheme, about getting the money for the volleyball center.

There was one text exchange in particular that a lot of people do remember. It's when Brett Favre was texting Nancy New and asked in August of 2017, "If you were to pay me, is there any way the media can find out where it came from and how much?"

New responded, in part, "No, we have never had that information publicized. I understand you being uneasy about that."

Ana, Brett Favre got a new attorney last week, a former Trump White House Attorney Eric Herschmann. Herschmann talked to FOX News and said that text is not what it seems.

He did not know it was welfare money, instead that he was concerned because he was a celebrity and he did not want the source of his income to be public in that case.

Of course, again, these investigations are all still ongoing on the federal and state level in Mississippi. CABRERA: OK, Dianne Gallagher, thank you for your reporting.

Lake Mead's water crisis has led to all sorts of discoveries, human remains, old warships, and now scientists are reporting a new find from 12 million years ago.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:51:53]

CABRERA: The water crisis at Lake Mead is now turning back the clock millions of years. Scientists are finding volcanic rock from eruptions that happened 12 million years ago, as water levels hit unprecedented lows.

Tom Sater is in the CNN Weather Center.

Tom, just how bad is this crisis getting? And what else are scientists finding?

TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's a very interesting story, Ana. But first, let's start with the drought. Our megadrought continues. And 73 percent of the western U.S. is in drought. Almost 20 percent in the highest two levels of extreme or worst.

We have seen some improvements. If you look at this week, desert southwest, remember, all of the fires we had in New Mexico. They had good rain in areas of Arizona. They're still in some drought. Colorado is seeing some improvement.

Let's go back to July. We're talking about southern Nevada. Lake Mead was developed and formed around 1930. If you look just in 2000, you can see how the water has been evaporating and receding. We're not getting the rain.

Here's a great before and after from July 2022. You'll see how much they have lost.

When you look at the numbers, in July, we were all the way down to 27 percent capacity, and that's the lowest it's ever been, at 1,040 feet.

Since then, there's been some rain but it's not what you would expect. We've only seen an increase of five feet. So we're at 1,045.

They are finding everything, as you mentioned before the break, shipwrecks, sunken boats, automobiles, several bodies, unfortunately.

But for the first time since it was developed in 1930, scientists have been out there to find there's fragments of volcanic ash. Not from volcanos at Lake Mead.

These are volcanic ash elements from several volcanos in several states -- Montana, Idaho, California, Wyoming. And they're all dating back to about 12 million years ago.

Another interesting point, however, Ana, is they have discovered volcanic ash from a volcanic eruption 36,000 years ago. It sounds like an extremely long period of time. But really, that's a blink of an eye in geologic time.

They're studying this for the first time to give us a better understanding going farther into our future. I mean, we've learned a lot in the world of geology, since 1930.

It was just in 2010, we had the eruption in Europe. When you have eruptions, it cancels air space. You can't fly. I think they went without flying in Europe for like 12 to 14 days. You know, the health issues we have, electricity transmission.

It's very interesting. We hope to learn a little bit more. But I think it's really interesting from several different states that have kind of fallen and rained on this area.

If I may, Ana, I would not be doing justice to our viewers in Wisconsin or anywhere else, since we have a Weather Department.

We've had multiple tornadoes in southeast Wisconsin. In the last minute, we just had a tornado warning expire for downtown Milwaukee. We got 20,000 without power in this region and there have been reports of damage and debris.

So, definitely want to let our viewers know to please keep your alerts on and your mobile phones, seek shelter.

This line is going to continue to produce tornadoes. And again, we've had some damage, power outages. More warnings will be issued as it moves off to the east -- Ana?

[13:55:08]

CABRERA: OK, thank you for bringing us that severe weather alert on top of all the interesting information about Lake Mead and the discoveries there.

Tom Sater, thank you.

Before we go, mission accomplished. NASA now confirms its historic Double Asteroid Redirection Test, also known as DART, did change the trajectory of an asteroid after the space agency intentionally slammed a spacecraft into it.

The mission was the first conducted for the sake of planetary defense. Thankfully, there isn't an asteroid actually threatening earth today, but I guess at least Bruce Willis now has a backup plan.

That does it for me. Thank you for joining us.

The news continues right after this with Victor Blackwell.

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