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Trump Appeals After the Verdict on the Battery and Defamation Case vs. E. Jean Carroll; Republican Neophyte faces Federal Charges; Protests in Pakistan on the Arrest of their Former PM Have Turned Violent; U.S. to Provide an Additional Aid Boost to Ukraine; Marshals Launch Manhunt for Philly Jailbreakers; Eight-year old Boy Rescued after 48-hours of Search in a Michigan state park. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired May 10, 2023 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead on "CNN Newsroom," Donald Trump is vowing to appeal after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit.
Sources tell CNN criminal charges have been filed against George Santos. What we're learning about the federal probe into the embattled Republican lawmaker.
And violent protests in parts of Pakistan after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on corruption charges.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Thanks for joining us. Well, former U.S. president and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is lashing out after yet another stinging defeat. This time in court after a federal jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
Trump has been ordered to pay $5 million in damages to former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of raping her in a luxury department store in the mid-90's. Trump has vowed to appeal the decision and repeatedly called her claims a scam. In a video posted to his social media platform, he also accused the judge and jury of bias.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: What else can you expect from a Trump-hating, Clinton-appointed judge who went out of his way to make sure that the result of this trial was as negative as it could possibly be, speaking to and in control of a jury from an anti-Trump area, which is probably the worst place in the United States for me to get a fair trial. We'll be appealing this decision. It's a disgrace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The unanimous verdict by a jury of six men and three women was reached in just 2.5 hours. Carol said in a statement that she filed the civil suit to clear her name and get her life back and that the world finally knows the truth. She added, and I'm quoting here, this victory is not just for me, but for every woman, who has suffered because she was not believed. Because this was a civil trial, there was never any question of jail time. And Trump can push ahead with his latest presidential campaign.
CNN's Jean Casarez takes a closer look now at the case.
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JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Manhattan federal jury found former president Donald Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room in the 1990's and subsequently defamed her. Carroll alleged Trump sexually assaulted her in the Bergdorf Goodman in the spring of 1996 and later defamed her when he denied her claims.
The jury found his conduct was sexual abuse, sufficient to hold him liable for her civil battery claim, even though the jury found she did not prove his assault met the rape threshold.
E. JEAN CARROLL, SUED DONALD TRUMP: The minute he went like this, I proceeded into the dressing room. The minute he closed that door, I was banged up against the wall. I hit my head really hard. Boom.
CASAREZ (voice-over): After deliberating for some 2.5 hours, the jury recommending Trump pay Carol a total of 5 million, more than $2 million in damages on the battery claim, and nearly $3 million on the defamation claim.
Carroll in her suit sought damages for this October 2022 social media post claiming Carroll's account was quote, a complete con job. Her story was completely made up and that this can only happen to Trump.
That's only one of dozens of denials Trump made about Carol's rape allegations publicly.
TRUMP: I have no idea who this woman is.
CASAREZ (voice-over): And privately, like these, he made during his pre-trial deposition.
TRUMP: She's a whack job. She's not my type. I think she's sick, mentally sick.
CASAREZ (voice-over): That's the only time the jury heard from Trump during the trial, other than clips from the "Access Hollywood" tape that surfaced right before the 2016 presidential election. Carroll's team used that now-infamous video to establish Trump's character playing portions again during closing arguments.
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TRUMP: You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful. I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.
UNKNOWN: That's what you said, correct?
TRUMP: Well, historically, that's true with stars. Not always, but largely true, unfortunately or fortunately.
CASAREZ (voice-over): Trump's lawyer in the case, Joe Tacopina, pressed Carroll during cross-examination, asking why she wasn't yelling out during the encounter. Crying on the stand, Carroll told Tacopina, I'm telling you, he raped me. Whether I screamed or not, I don't need an excuse for not screaming.
Shortly after the verdict, Trump again denied knowing Carroll, calling the verdict a disgrace, and through his attorney called his loss a result of politics.
JOE TACOPINA, DONALD TRUMP'S LAWYER: He's affirming his belief as many people are that he cannot get a fair trial in New York City. That's probably an accurate assessment based on what happened today.
CASAREZ (voice-over): Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: CNN has learned federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against embattled New York Congressman George Santos. Since being elected to office, he's been accused of lying about his background and resume, breaking campaign finance laws, leading a credit card fraud scheme, and more.
CNN's Evan Perez has the latest from Washington.
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EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The Justice Department has filed criminal charges against Congressman George Santos, a Republican who has been under scrutiny for a stunning number of lies and fabrications during his runs for office. Santos is expected to appear in federal court in New York, where the charges have been filed under seal.
Now, we don't know yet the exact nature of the charges, but the FBI and the Justice Department's public integrity prosecutors in New York and in Washington have been examining allegations of false statements in Santos' campaign finance filings, among other claims.
The Congressman took office only in January, and his face calls from fellow Republicans to resign over allegations ranging from criminal behavior on the campaign trail, to petty personal dishonesty stretching back more than a decade. Large chunks of his official biography are believed to be false, including his claims to have worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, claims that he has Jewish heritage, have turned out to be not true.
He allegedly stole money from a charity set-up to help a military veteran's dog. He even falsely claimed that he was a producer on a "Spider-Man" Broadway flop. It is not a crime to lie to voters about your resume. Instead, federal prosecutors have homed in on allegations that Santos lied on federal election filings that are intended to document campaign expenditures and fundraising. We're expecting to see Santos appear before a judge in the coming hours.
Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.
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CHURCH: The first major in-person meeting in months between President Joe Biden and top U.S. lawmakers over the debt ceiling standoff has come and gone with virtually nothing to show for it. Both the White House and Republican leaders still seem unwilling to budge from their positions. But they've agreed to meet again this Friday with the clock ticking toward a potentially catastrophic default.
CNN's Manu Raju reports now from Capitol Hill.
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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, the highly- anticipated Tuesday meeting at the White House with Kevin McCarthy and President Biden, along with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, and the Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell did not yield any breakthrough.
In fact, it was much worse than that in the words of Kevin McCarthy himself. The speaker said there was no progress at that meeting. Going into the meeting, the president and Democratic leaders had pushed McCarthy to simply raise the national debt limit that's at $31.5 trillion, allow the United States to continue borrowing to help pay its bills, but don't attach any spending cuts. That was a Democratic position.
McCarthy has rejected that position for some time, has called for direct negotiations with the White House over this issue. The White House has resisted those calls. The House GOP then pushed its own plan, passing a bill that included a slew of spending cuts, and tasked to raise the debt limit for one year. That is something that Democrats say is dead on arrival.
So where do they go from here? It is unclear whether they will be able to get an agreement to avert the first-ever debt default in American history, something that could have drastic economic consequences.
The leaders do plan to meet on Friday. And in the interim, their staff will continue to have discussions. But what will those discussions entail? And will they get to a point where they can agree to some sort of framework, some sort of outline of what a deal to raise a national debt limit would look like? And even if they were to get that agreement, it would need support from both chambers of Congress.
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And getting that through within a matter of a few weeks would be no easy task, given how limited time Congress is actually in session between now and then. But also the process, parliamentary procedure, for getting this through the finish line is particularly in the United States Senate, which is very difficult to move legislation quickly, all of which raises major, major questions about how this could potentially get resolved. But at the moment, this is the only game in town, the only forum in which they're actually discussing how to raise the debt limit.
Other members of Congress are looking to the White House and looking to Speaker McCarthy to cut a deal. But a deal is a far ways off, as both sides are concerned that the U.S. could be very close to falling off this cliff, unless something changes dramatically in the coming days.
Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Joining me now to talk more about all of this is CNN's senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein. He's also a senior editor at "The Atlantic." Always a pleasure to have you with us.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So Ron, it is the first time a former U.S. President and current presidential candidate has been found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a civil trial. So that makes this significant just for that alone, of course. But what are the likely political consequences of this legal outcome, do you think?
BROWNSTEIN: You know, when the Manhattan D.A. indicted Trump on the hush money charges, we talked about the cumulative weight of all the legal judgments that he was potentially facing as he went through this process. You had this civil case. You have additional criminal investigations of Fulton County, Georgia, two separate criminal investigations by a federal special prosecutor, other cases involving New York. And so far, he has been immune. I mean, Republican voters have had a circle of the wagons kind of effect, where they have essentially bought his argument that this is the deep state going after me because they really want to silence you.
But you do have to ask yourself the question, as this goes on. Will you see Republican elected officials defend Trump as unreservedly as they have in the early stages of these many legal challenges?
And if that elite signaling changes, will the view of the party rank- and-file change as well?
CHURCH: Yeah. And we'll watch to see if that indeed does happen. And what about the likely political consequences of controversial Republican representative George Santos being charged now by the U.S. Justice Department?
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, well, you know, we will hear the specific allegations apparently tomorrow. There have been a number of Republicans in New York who have already in the previous weeks called on him to resign.
Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House, has been very reluctant to do that, because this is a district that Joe Biden won. And it's not clear that Republicans can hold the seat, if there has to be a special election.
My guess is that pressure on him to resign, in fact, will dramatically ramp up, and it is more likely than not that we will see a special election before 2024. But look, some Republicans would say that might even increase their chances of holding the seat, because Santos had said he wants to run for reelection. He announced that he was running for reelection. This might make that impossible and winning might have been impossible for him.
But I think the likelihood that he does not finish out this term has significantly increased. And that could reduce the Republican margin, which is already minuscule, even by a little another seat.
CHURCH: And finally, Ron, the critical meeting at the White House Tuesday of congressional leaders on the debt ceiling and looming default deadline saw no clear progress. So both sides digging their heels in, but President Biden seems confident that default on this country's debt will be avoided. Does he have a plan that doesn't involve negotiating spending cuts with Republicans? Because that appears to be the only way out of this, someone needs to blink, don't they? So, how will the two sides avoid the catastrophic consequences of default?
BROWNSTEIN: It's not clear that they will, Rosemary. I mean, Mitch McConnell says, we're not going to default. It's not clear that Kevin McCarthy agrees. In fact, according to Chuck Schumer, McCarthy would not make that commitment today in the meeting.
Joe Biden was the Vice-President in 2011, when Barack Obama took the opposite course, when he agreed to negotiate with Republicans over the deficit tied to a debt ceiling increase. Obama saw them as two separate processes. The Republican saw them as one process. And that was such a catastrophic experience, brought the country so near default, led to a downgrading of the debt, turmoil in the market, that Obama and even Biden, who was heavily involved in those negotiations, came out of that experience and said never again. And that is indeed the posture he is holding to now.
CHURCH: But the President knows he can't go there. Politically, it would be suicide.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah.
CHURCH: And he does have options, doesn't he?
[03:14:52] BROWNSTEIN: Well, he's right. Well, first, the option, the fig leaf that he is offering Republicans is one that makes sense for both sides in the sense that he is saying, I will negotiate with you on the budget. I understand that we have to do that. I just will not do so in the context of you threatening a default, which could have tremendous ramifications for the domestic and global economy. The more extreme versions of that, you know, the minting of the trillion-dollar coin, acclaiming that, under the -- asserting that under the 14th Amendment, the U.S. cannot default on its debt. It's kind of a unilateral rejection of Congress's role here.
Biden is an institutionalist. And he is very reluctant to do any of those things. He's even more reluctant to signal that he's going to do them, if he might, because he believes that his principal leverage over the Republicans is the risk that they will be held liable for or blamed for default.
CHURCH: Certainly a terrifying option if this country does default for the United States and indeed the world. Ron Brownstein, thanks so much for joining us. I appreciate it.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
CHURCH: And just ahead, the violence is sure to escalate yet again between Israel and Palestinian militants after Israeli airstrikes killed more than a dozen people in Gaza including Islamic Jihad commanders and their families.
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CHURCH: Islamic Jihad is vowing a response to Israel's airstrikes on Gaza, calling the Tuesday morning attacks an aggressive heinous massacre. Three Al-Quds Brigade leaders were among 13 Palestinians killed in the operation. A Gaza hospital says the strikes also killed five women and four children who were said to be members of the men's families.
The IDF later launched a second strike in Southern Gaza, claiming Islamic Jihad terrorists were moving tank missiles to a launch pad in the area. These strikes all come in response to attacks last week when Palestinian militants fired more than 100 rockets toward Israel.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to appear at a special court hearing on charges of corruption connected to his time in office. His arrest on Tuesday sparked nationwide protests and violent clashes between supporters and police. Security has been increased outside the police station where he's being held as Khan's supporters are starting to gather.
So let's go live to Islamabad, where CNN Producer Sophia Safi has the very latest. So Sophia, Imran Khan's hearing set to start very soon. What more are you learning about this and what's the scene at the police station?
SOPHIA SAFI, CNN PRODUCER: Rosemary, what we have been told is from Khan's legal team, who have so far not been able to meet their client, is -- right now, Khan's legal team is in the process of filing a petition to the Islamabad High Court to dismiss a notice that was issued this morning by the Commissioner's Office of Islamabad, which changed the court hearing of Imran Khan from the judicial complex, which is traditionally and legally all court hearings are held to this police compound behind me.
They want that to change. They want Imran Khan's hearing to happen before the public. They want the media to have access to it. And by they, I mean Khan's lawyers, who have told us that they have not had access to Khan. We were told that this hearing would take place at 8:30 in the morning. We're now going into 12:30 in the afternoon, Khan is being held somewhere in a guest house in this police compound. Right behind me, there are riot police here.
The internet has been completely shut down across the country. WhatsApp is down. YouTube is down. Twitter has been down for more than 12 hours. There is a fear of what's going to happen next. Khan was arrested not by the police, but by paramilitary troops.
We have been told that the judges have so far not arrived. We've also been told that there are three members of Khan's legal team who have now been allowed access into this police compound and we're waiting to see when this special hearing is due to begin. Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right, Sophia Safi joining us live from Islamabad, many thanks.
When we come back hundreds of migrants camped out on the streets of El Paso, Texas heed a call to turn themselves in to immigration authorities. We'll explain why after the break.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. In El Paso, Texas, migrants are being urged to turn themselves into immigration authorities ahead of the looming exploration of Title 42. That is the COVID-era policy, which empowered border agents to bypass standard procedures and swiftly expel migrants. But Title 42 will be allowed to expire Thursday, which means normal legal procedures will be in effect.
Authorities encountered nearly 10,000 migrants along the southern border on Monday, continuing an upward trend in border arrests in recent weeks. The federal government estimates more than 150,000 migrants are waiting in shelters and on the streets of Northern Mexico.
CNN's David Culver is on the Mexican side of the border where there is a growing sense of desperation. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Echoing across the sandy landscape on the U.S. southern border, young Voices, shouting for water. Already on Texas soil, technically, having already illegally crossed the Rio Grande, hundreds of migrants camp out between the barbed wire and the border wall, waiting to be processed for asylum.
Title 42, still in effect. For this group, that means they could be immediately expelled by U.S. border officials. The pandemic-era policy offering no guarantees for their asylum claims to be heard. If it expires Thursday, Title 8 takes over, requiring asylum officers to process each claim, potentially overwhelming border officials already strained.
Worsening this humanitarian crisis, the heat, some 90 degrees at midday, you see people bundled up in winter coats and blankets, useful for the night chill and to shield themselves from the scorching sun. We watched some Mexican locals arrive to help the group of migrants, mostly from other parts of Latin America.
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They carry boxes of pizza, bags of snacks, water and soda, but it's not a handout. They sell them to desperate customers who then crawl back under the barbed wire with their purchase as others wait for their fill. But this only a small portion of the tens of thousands in Ciudad Juarez determined to cross.
Nearer to the city center, seen similar to what's already happening, and perhaps more of what's to come in U.S. border towns. This mother and her four-year-old daughter have been here for three months, not quite sure when she'll cross.
(SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
(on-camera): She says they're going to cross, but she doesn't want to do it illegally. She wants to do it the right way.
(voice-over): This is more migrants by the hundreds, if not thousands, arrive hourly into this Mexican border city. Long, dangerous journeys behind them. And by no means is this their last stop.
They crowd around a hose of running water to wash up and drink, this man skipping the line, going to the source, bathing under the leak.
Back at the wall, rumblings of hope. A truck from the U.S. side approaches, water shooting from the sides, helping to cool the hot sand, but also sparking false hope. Some in the crowd rushed to fill their empty bottles as others warned, it's not for drinking. That doesn't quench desperation.
(on-camera): And for hundreds of migrants who have not yet made it to the border wall to avoid dire situations like you just saw there, many of them stay in encampments like this one. You can see hundreds in this space alone. A lot of the folks we've talked to here have been trying from this location to try each and every day to log on to the CBP-1 app so as to register in hopes of getting an appointment with an asylum officer. However, of all the folks that we've talked to and have asked, no one yet has been successful in getting an appointment.
David Culver, CNN, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: More than 170 storms were reported across the U.S. on Tuesday, bringing tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. Heavy rain caused flooding in Houston, Texas. More than seven million people are under flood watches in the southeast of the state, with more thunderstorms expected today. A flash flood warning remains in effect for parts of Missouri as well.
More than 400 people have died following floods in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week. Aid workers found more bodies among the devastation and some of the wounded died from their injuries. The floods ripped through two villages in the country's east. A local official says more than 5500 people are still missing. It's the DRC's deadliest natural disaster in recent history.
Next on "CNN Newsroom," another big boost in military aid for Ukraine, courtesy of the U.S., with Kyiv's long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia looming.
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[03:35:00]
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CHURCH: As the world waits for Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia, the U.S. is providing a $1.2 billion boost. The Biden administration says the new aid will include air defense systems, much-needed ammunition, integration equipment and a variety of critical services.
CNN's Clare Sebastian is following developments for us. She joins us live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So of course anticipation is building ahead of Ukraine's imminent counteroffensive. What is being said about what's to come?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, you know, we've been talking about this for weeks, if not months now. There's a lot of anticipation. There's a lot of preamble. In terms of what we actually know on the Russian side, we know that they are stepping up aerial attacks. They certainly have been in the month of May, Ukraine says, in an effort to exhaust their air defenses. We're also seeing Russia evacuating civilians from near the front lines, particularly in the Zaporizhzhya region down in the south. This morning we're hearing that they've been evacuating the families of employees.
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the biggest in Europe from the town adjacent to that plant, but they are not allowing the actual Ukrainian staff still working in the plant to leave. In terms of Ukraine, they are unsurprisingly selective in the kind of information they're releasing on an upcoming counteroffensive. We heard a couple of weeks ago from the Defense Minister saying they were wrapping up their preparations for this. And we're also finding that Ukraine's allies are trying to manage the flow of information around this as well.
Take a listen to the British Foreign Secretary speaking in Washington on Tuesday.
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JAMES CLEVERLY, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: We need to recognize that there might not be a simple, quick, decisive breakthrough. And the point that we've made in the U.K. is that we have to stick with them. Now, I hope and expect they'll do very, very well because whenever I've seen the Ukrainians, as I say, they've outperformed expectations. We have to be realistic. This is the real world. This is not a Hollywood movie.
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[03:39:56]
SEBASTIAN: Speaking of movies, President Zelenskyy was at pains to point out that Russia did not get the ending it was looking for in Bakhmut ahead of Victory Day which was of course on Tuesday and in fact we're hearing this morning that Ukraine, a brigade of Ukraine's armed forces is claiming a successful counter-attack, a series of successful counter-attacks in that town that they say liberated an area that was 3 kilometers wide and 2.6 kilometers deep. We don't know exactly where in the town that was, but this comes as Yevgeny Privgozhin, the head of Wagner has reignited his spat with the Russian Ministry of Defence accusing them of still not sending enough ammunition, of leaving their post in one case. It's not clear at this stage though, Rosemary, whether all of this adds up to some kind of turning point in this war.
CHURCH: Yeah, I'll watch and see of course. Clare Sebastian joining us live from London, many thanks.
And I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers, "Marketplace Middle East" is next. And for those in North America, I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Do stay with us.
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[03:45:00]
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CHURCH: U.S. Marshals are leading the manhunt now for two inmates who escaped Sunday from a Philadelphia jail under astonishing circumstances. They are 18-year-old Amin Hurst, who reportedly is accused of killing four people, shooting two others, as well as two robberies, and 24-year-old Nasir Grant, who was being held on drug and gun charges. They apparently escaped through a hole cut in a fence and then climbed over two barbed wire fences to get away. No one seems to know how the hole got cut and nobody apparently noticed they were gone for 19 hours. There's a $20,000 reward posted for them and clearly a lot of questions.
We are learning more details about the gunman who killed eight people at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas. Authorities say he had eight weapons with him, all legally obtained. But the motive still remains unclear.
CNN's Josh Campbell has more.
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HANK SIBLEY, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: Why did he do this? Well, the big question is we don't know.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Law enforcement revealing new details today about the investigation into the gunman who opened-fire at a Texas outlet mall. Saying he had no prior criminal history and was not on their radar.
He went on a shooting rampage Saturday, killing eight people, including three children and wounding seven others. The shooter, a 33- year old Hispanic man from Dallas, killed by a police officer just minutes after the rampage began, was armed with an AR-15 style rifle and had eight weapons in total. He wore a vest holding extra ammunition and was dressed in tactical gear with an insignia that read RWDS. Authorities say they believe it stands for Right Wing Death Squad.
SIBLEY: We do know that he had neo-Nazi ideation. He had patches, he had tattoos, even his signature verified that.
CAMPBELL (voice-over): Online, the shooter posted his support for Nazi ideology and shared images of target practice and his many weapons. Weapons, law enforcement says, were purchased legally through private gun sales, which in Texas don't require federal background checks.
We've learned the gunman also posted rambling sexist and anti-Semitic missives on a Russian social media website and screenshots showing the busiest times at the Allen Premium Outlet Mall. The account appears to show he staked out the venue before the shootings.
SIBLEY: To me, it looks like he targeted the location rather than a specific group of people. He was very random in the people he killed. It didn't matter the age, same race or sex, he just shot people.
CAMPBELL (voice-over): The victims include 20-year old Christian Lacour, 26-year old Aishwarya Thatikonda, 32-year old Elio Cumana- Rivas and three members of the Cho family, Cindy and Kyu Song and their toddler son James. Two young sisters, 8-year old Sophia and 11- year old Daniela Mendoza were also killed.
UNKNOWN: Like you don't know who else is next.
CAMPBELL (voice-over): Meanwhile, brave bystanders who rushed to help are speaking out in graphic detail.
JOSHUA BARNWELL, SHOOTING WITNESS: Just massive, atrocious bullet wounds to the point --
CAMPBELL (voice-over): Joshua Barnwell says America can't become numb to the true cost of the nation's gun violence epidemic.
BARNWELL: I want people to really and truly understand the depths of the depravity that occurred. And, you know, if in the detail it upsets them, then I'm glad because it should, because it was a disastrous situation.
CAMPBELL (voice-over): Josh Campbell, CNN, Allen, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: A Utah mother who wrote a children's book about grief after the death of her husband has now been charged with his murder. Police say Kouri Richins poisoned the father of three with a lethal dose of fentanyl.
CNN's Nick Watt has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOURI RICHINS, CHARGED WITH HUSBAND'S MOTHER: My husband passed away unexpectedly last year, so it's March 4th was a one-year anniversary for us and he was 39. It completely took us all by shock.
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kouri Richins promoting her children's book, "Are You With Me?" when it came out just weeks ago. Dedicated to my amazing husband and wonderful father, in written says the blurb, to create peace and comfort for children who have lost a loved one.
Tonight, Richins is behind bars, accused of murdering her husband by serving him a drink, a Moscow Mule laced with fentanyl.
[03:49:57]
KOLBY SAGERS, ERIC RICHINS' FRIEND: He had three boys that he loved more than anything. It's been sad without Eric. He loved to hunt, loved to be outside. Very honest guy. He was a great friend.
WATT (voice-over): Eric Richens died at the family's home in Small Town, Utah, early one March morning last year. According to court documents, his wife, Kouri, says she served him a drink in bed the night before, before going to sleep with one of their kids who was having a night terror.
She says she woke around 3 a.m. and went back to her bed. She felt Eric and he was cold to the touch. That is when the defendant called 911.
The medical examiner found that Eric Richins had around five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system and it had been ingested orally. Investigators seized the family's phones which provided a breakthrough. Apparently, text messages were discovered between the wife and a drug dealer. This is what authorities say went down.
In late 2021 or early 22, Kouri Richins texted that dealer asking for prescription pain medication for an investor, who had a back injury. About two weeks later, Kouri Richins texted again, said that her investor wanted something stronger and asked for some of the Michael Jackson stuff.
The defendant asked specifically for fentanyl, which was delivered around February 11th. After Valentine's Day dinner at home, Eric Richins became very ill. Eric told a friend that he thought his wife was trying to poison him.
A couple of weeks later, She got more fentanyl from the dealer and six days later on March 4th, 2022, Eric was found dead of a fentanyl overdose.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Kouri Richins' detention hearing is set for May 19. Our thanks to Nick Watt for that report.
Well, independent advisors with the Food and Drug Administration are expected to vote today on whether they will recommend that the FDA make a birth control pill available over-the-counter for the first time ever in the United States.
That pill named O-Pill uses only the hormone progestin. The FDA's independent experts heard from the company that manufactures the medication on Tuesday, as it made its case for why the pill should be more easily available. But scientists have expressed concerns about the pill's effectiveness in women who are overweight or obese. The vote by the panel is non-binding, and a final decision by the FDA is expected this summer.
A new draft recommendation says women should start getting regular mammograms after they turn 40 instead of 50. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says breast cancer is treatable when caught early and screening would reduce their risk of dying from the disease.
CNN's Jacqueline Howard has more.
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JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: For women at average risk, the task force sees more benefits than risks for them to start screening at age 40. And this draft update is available for public comment from now through June 5th. And we already know that based on current incidence rates, it's estimated that 12.9 percent of women born in the United States today will develop breast cancer at some time during their lives. And it's important to catch these cancers early. That gives a better chance of survival.
Now, meanwhile, this update does not change recommendations for women at high risk of getting breast cancer. Those women should continue to keep in contact with their doctors for what's best for them. But for all women, some topics to discuss with their doctors include your family history of cancer, whether you have dense breasts, when to ask for a breast exam, and when to start screening and how often. Back to you.
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CHURCH: Psychologists in the U.S. are calling for teenagers to undergo training before they enter the world of social media. The American Psychological Association released 10 recommendations on Tuesday to guide parents, teachers, policy makers, health workers and tech companies. They include imposing limitations on content that promotes self-harm and eating disorders. Also limiting screen time, so it doesn't interfere with sleep or physical activity.
An eight-year-old boy has been rescued after getting lost for two days in a Michigan state park. Police say Nante Niemi went missing on Saturday while camping with his family. Search Party volunteers found him on Monday about two miles from the family's campsite. A friend of the boy was there when he was found.
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ELI TALSMA, SEARCH PARTY VOLUNTEER: As soon as I heard that I just grabbed my bag that was on the ground and I started sprinting over to him. And I get over this little tiny hill and all I see is this little tiny white sweatshirt. And he goes, Eli? I just ran up over to him and I gave him the biggest hug and I was so relieved once I saw him.
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Police say the boy survived by sheltering under a log using branches and leaves for warmth and eating snow for hydration. Very good. Nice ending there.
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It was a big shock for one family in New Jersey when what's believed to be a meteorite crashed into their house. Police in Hopewell Township are still trying to confirm exactly what kind of rock it is, but suspect it's linked to a meteor shower that's going on right now.
The metallic object broke through the roof and bounced around a bedroom. Fortunately no one was in that room at the time.
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SUZY KOP, RESIDENT: Hit the floor here because that's completely damaged, it ricocheted up to this part of the ceiling and then finally coming down and resting just on the floor there.
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CHURCH: Amazing. Space rocks strike the earth quite regularly in fact, but typically don't hit a home or even a populated area. And thanks so much for spending part of your day with me. I'm Rosemary
Church. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, next.
