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Investigators Learning More about Kirk Shooting Suspect; Rubio Meets with Israeli PM Days after Strikes in Qatar; Pro-Palestinian Protestors Block End of Bike Race in Spain; Catholic Church Experiencing Renewed Popularity in Europe; 'Adolescence,' 'The Studio,' and 'Severance' Win Big at Emmys; Illegal Traps Threaten Octopus Population. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired September 15, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BEN HUNTE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello. Wherever you are in the world, you are now in the CNN NEWSROOM with me, Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you with me.
[00:00:43]
Coming up on the show, new evidence coming to light about the man suspected of killing Charlie Kirk. Hear what top officials told CNN.
The Catholic Church is seeing a surge of popularity in Europe. How young influencers are bringing their generation closer to the church.
And the 77th annual Emmy Awards just wrapped up. See which Hollywood stars shone brightest on TV's biggest night.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Ben Hunte.
HUNTE: We are following new details on the investigation into a motive and into the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Utah's governor confirms investigators are looking into a note left by suspect Tyler Robinson. This all comes after the vice president of social and gaming platform Discord said there had been communications between the suspect's roommate and a friend after the shooting about the contents of a note.
Meanwhile, video obtained by the Associated Press from a home security camera shows a person matching the suspect's description walking through a neighborhood before Wednesday's shooting. CNN has geolocated that footage to a neighborhood about a half mile away from the university, where the conservative activist had been speaking.
Kirk's alleged killer has been placed under a special watch at the Utah county jail pending a mental health evaluation. Utah's governor elaborated on Sunday on how investigators have determined the suspect had been radicalized.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. SPENCER COX (R), UTAH: Seemed to happen kind of after that, after -- after he had he had moved back to -- to -- to the Southern part of Utah.
Clearly, there was a -- there was a lot of gaming going on. Friends that have confirmed that there was kind of that -- that deep, dark Internet, the Reddit culture and these -- these other dark places of the Internet where -- where this person was -- was going deep.
And you saw that on the -- on the casings. I think -- I mean, I didn't have any idea what the -- what those inscriptions, many of those inscriptions even meant, but they are, you know, they're certainly the meme-ification that is happening in our society today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: CNN's Danny Freeman is in Utah with more details on the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are still a lot of outstanding questions we have about 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the main suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk.
But over the weekend, we did learn a lot more information. I'm going to highlight two of the things that we actually learned from Utah's governor on Sunday.
One, concerning a potential note left behind by Robinson and the other regarding Robinson's roommate that he had here in St. George.
So, first, that roommate. Per Governor Cox of Utah, Robinson was roommates with a, quote, "romantic partner" who was a male transitioning to a female. However, Governor Cox emphasized that this person, this roommate, has been incredibly Cooperative with authorities and seemed genuinely shocked to learn about what Robinson has been accused of.
I'll also note when CNN pressed Governor Cox if this was at all part of a potential motive regarding Kirk's killing last week, the governor said it's easy to draw conclusions, but he declined to speculate further.
Now, Governor Cox also told CNN that Robinson was a part of a conservative family here in Southwest Utah. But Robinson had been moving left over the course of the past few years. That's according to family. I want you to take a listen to how the governor characterized this shift in recent days.
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Some outlets are reporting that the suspect lived with a transgender partner. Is that accurate? And are investigators looking at this part of his life as a possible motivation?
COX: Yes. Definitely. And yes, I can confirm that. I know that has been reported and that the FBI has confirmed that, as well; that the roommate was a romantic partner, a -- a male transitioning to -- to female.
I can say that -- that he [SIC] has been very Cooperative. This -- this partner has been incredibly Cooperative. Had no idea that this was happening and is working with investigators right now.
FREEMAN: Now I want to turn to that potential note left behind by Robinson, allegedly. According to the social and gaming platform Discord, a roommate and a friend of Robinson's had mentioned, quote, "contents of a note" the suspect had left elsewhere.
[00:05:10]
Now, the governor appeared to acknowledge that notes existed, but declined to go into any more detail, saying that this is all still a part of the ongoing investigation.
I'll note the next thing that we're all looking ahead towards is Tuesday. That's when Robinson is expected to make his first court appearance, and we're expected to hear from prosecutors the formal charges announced.
Danny Freeman, CNN, St. George, Utah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Israel's ground operation into Gaza City is imminent and could begin as soon as Monday, an Israeli official tells CNN. The IDF intensified its offensive on Sunday, striking several more high-rise buildings in the city's -- enclave's largest city.
The strikes came ahead of a meeting called by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the risk a ground operation would pose to the remaining hostages. There are thought to be about 20 hostages still alive in Gaza.
Another building at the Islamic University in Gaza was destroyed by several missiles on Sunday. Israel's defense minister posted a number of videos of the strikes on social media and said, in part, quote, "The hurricane storm continues to strike Gaza," end quote.
The Palestinian Health Ministry says that nearly 65,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign against Hamas almost two years ago now.
In the coming hours, leaders from Arab and Islamic countries will convene for an emergency summit in Qatar to discuss a response to Israel's strike on Hamas in Doha.
On Sunday, foreign ministers from those nations met in the Qatari capital, where they outlined a draft resolution emphasizing the need to, quote, "stand against Israel's plans to impose a new reality in the region," end quote.
Qatar's prime minister spoke at Sunday's meeting and said that Israel's attack threatened to derail efforts to end the war in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL-THANI, QATARI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): This aggression will not lead to anything but aborting de-escalating efforts and confirm the Israeli government's intentions to reject peaceful paths to resolving the Palestinian issue.
Israel's barbaric and demagogic practices will not deter us from continuing our sincere efforts with the Arab republic of Egypt and the United States to stop this unjust war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: The U.S. Secretary of state is visiting Israel and will meet with the country's prime minister within the next few hours.
Israeli sources tell CNN that Benjamin Netanyahu plans to raise his government's potential West Bank annexation plans. During those talks, Israel is weighing whether to apply sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank.
And the sources say he wants to understand where the Trump administration draws the line on that annexation.
CNN's Nada Bashir has all of the details on Marco Rubio's visit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as tensions remain high following Israel's deadly strike on Doha last week, targeting Hamas's negotiating team in Qatar --
BASHIR (voice-over): -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has traveled to Israel, where he joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a visit to the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on Sunday.
The two are expected to hold official talks on Monday, with the Doha attack likely to be key on the agenda.
BASHIR: Ahead of his trip, Rubio told reporters that, while U.S.- Israel relations remain unshaken, President Donald Trump, quote, "didn't like the way it went down," adding that the purpose of his visit to Israel is to get more clarity on what Israel's strategy will be going forward.
Qatar has long been a key regional ally to the U.S., hosting the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, and officials there working closely alongside both the Biden and Trump administrations to try to mediate a peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
BASHIR (voice-over): Qatar's prime minister has accused his Israeli counterpart of undermining those peace efforts and has said he hopes for a collective regional response to Israel's attack on Doha, adding that this response is under consultation and discussion with other regional partners, with a decision expected to be announced following the conclusion of the Arab-Islamic summit on Monday.
But beyond diplomacy, pressure is mounting on the Israeli government, both at home and internationally. On Saturday, thousands demonstrated in Tel Aviv, once again calling on Netanyahu's government to secure a hostage and ceasefire deal, with some family members of hostages held captive in Gaza, accusing the government of sabotaging those peace efforts.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel's deadly assault continues. More than 70 people are reported to have been killed on Saturday alone, with the death toll still rising as civilians in Gaza City are once again forced to evacuate --
BASHIR: -- with no guarantees of safety.
[00:10:02]
Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the final stage of a cross- country cycling race in Spain.
They dragged barriers into the street and refused to leave. Officials called an early end to that race and declared a winner.
CNN's Pau Mosquera has more from Madrid.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the moment that marks the abrupt end of the final stage of the Vuelta a Espana.
After occupying the center of Madrid, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters took over the final kilometers of the cycling circuit.
Although the police tried to disperse them, they were unsuccessful. Demonstrations also took place in previous stages of the competition, but none of this magnitude.
The protesters have been a constant presence at the race, condemning the Israeli government's war in Gaza.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There is no right more important than the right to life. So, when the lives of children, when the lives of a people are worthless, I believe it's everyone's obligation to come here to defend and protest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): People who are human are dying. There are people trapped there, unable to get anywhere, being bombed when they go to get food, dying of hunger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): As ordinary citizens, the only thing we can do is demonstrate so the world can hear us.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): A few minutes after taking the last meters of the circuit, organizers decided to suspend the final stage of the competition.
MOSQUERA: With barricades like these ones made of the fences that composed the last kilometer of the race, it became very clear that the cyclists would have not been able to reach the finish line.
MOSQUERA (voice-over): This year has been one of the most polemic editions of La Vuelta that we have seen so far. It has concluded with no podium ceremony, two people arrested, and 22 police officers injured, according to a Spanish National Police spokesperson.
MOSQUERA: Pau Mosquera, CNN, Madrid.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: OK. Still to come, Hollywood's biggest stars come out for the 77th Emmy Awards. We're going to discuss the biggest wins and all of the upsets of the night after this short break. See you in a bit.
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HUNTE: Welcome back. Pope Leo has given his first sit-down media interview as Catholic leader. Excerpts were released on Sunday, coinciding with his 70th birthday and the delivery of the traditional Angelus Prayer in Saint Peter's Square.
He spoke to Catholic news site Crux of being on a huge learning curve in his new role.
The pontiff noted how the salaries of chief executives dwarf those of their employees, and how that had changed over time, increasing the wealth gap. He said inequality was one of the factors behind polarization in society.
He also hoped for an end to the war in Ukraine, and lamented that the United Nations had, quote, "lost its ability to bring people together on multilateral issues," end quote.
Many mainstream religions in Western countries have been charting a sharp decline in youth engagement, but in Europe, Catholicism is witnessing a surprising rebound. This, despite the Catholic Church's troubled past and global sex abuse scandals.
CNN's Melissa Bell has more on what's inspiring this youth revival.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sharing the oldest of message in the newest of forms. On Instagram and TikTok, Sister Albertine leads prayers and offers advice to her more than half million followers. Part of a growing tribe of Catholic influencers who are speaking to a generation dusting off the solemnity of the past.
SISTER ALBERTINE DEBACKER, FRENCH CATHOLIC NUN AND SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER: This is how God is doing, I think. He's surprising us. How are we going to help these young people?
BELL (voice-over): Partly through song and dance. At this Christian festival in the foothills of the French Alps, a young generation has flocked. Many followers of Sister Albertine, who've come to hear her speak.
JEANNE FABRE, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE (through translator): She really makes questions of faith accessible. And in fact, she's really authentic.
BELL (voice-over): The 29-year-old nun says she's inundated with questions. Her role: simply to take to the space where the young spend most of their time.
DEBACKER: Jesus was going outside. Jesus was walking all the time. He was searching for encounter people.
And now, in 2025, to encounter people, we have to start with social media.
BELL: Over the last few years here in France, there's been a doubling in the number of adult baptisms, with nearly half of those coming from families with no religious background.
The starkest rise of all is amongst the very youngest, 18- to 25-year- olds.
BELL (voice-over): The stunning rebuilding of Notre Dame may also have added a new shine to the image of Catholicism.
Audrey Bourges, who's 24, shows us where she was fortunate enough to be baptized on Easter.
AUDREY BOURGES, CATHOLIC CONVERT: So, the church I was was really, really helpful, because I joined just after COVID. I found friends. I found my boyfriend. I found everything I was looking for in my life. Peace. And some people I can rely on.
BELL (voice-over): Back at the festival, Sister Albertine, just back from the Vatican's jubilee celebrations, tells the crowd of her chance encounter with Pope Leo.
She'd been invited as one of more than a thousand influencers, as the church moves to capitalize on this thoroughly modern megaphone to the young.
FATHER LUCIANO COUTO, HEAD OF YOUTH MINISTRY, CHEMIN NEUF COMMUNITY: They are eager for that. They are thirsty for that experience. God can talk to me.
[00:20:07]
And they are coming to the Catholic Church, because we have a 2,000- years tradition of teaching people to hear God's voice. And that's awesome.
BELL (voice-over): A religion, says Father Luciano, that is yet again showing its remarkable power of resurrection.
Melissa Bell, CNN, in the French Alps.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: OK. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:25:14]
HUNTE: Welcome back. I'm Ben Hunte. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
Israel's ground operation into Gaza City could begin as soon as Monday, an Israeli official tells CNN. The IDF escalated its air offensive on Sunday, striking several more high-rise buildings in Gaza's largest city.
The attacks preceded a meeting called by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the risk that a ground invasion would have on remaining hostages in the enclave.
Donald Trump says the future of TikTok is up to China. The U.S. president says he's working towards an agreement with Beijing for the social media app.
TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is facing a Wednesday deadline to sell to a U.S. buyer or be banned in the country.
President Trump has delayed enforcing the ban three times already.
Sports icons are paying tribute to Britain's former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton. U.K. media reported the news of his death on Sunday at the age of 46.
During his packed career, Hatton, also known as The Hitman, went toe- to-toe with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
Police haven't confirmed the death yet.
It was the biggest night in television on Sunday, as the 77th primetime Emmy Awards aired live from Los Angeles. Netflix's "Adolescence" took home six trophies, the most of the night, for Outstanding Limited Series, Directing, Outstanding Lead Actor, Supporting Actor And Actress, and Writing, all for a Limited Series or Anthology.
It makes actor Owen Cooper the youngest ever male winner of an Emmy.
Other winners included "Severance," which took two categories, including Britt Lower's win for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama, in her first nomination. "Hacks" also took two awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy for
Jean Smart and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy for Hannah Einbinder.
OK, let's stick with this story. With me now is journalist and media personality Segun Oduolowu.
Thanks so much for being with me. How are you doing?
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, JOURNALIST & MEDIA PERSONALITY: Ben, I'm doing good. I'm -- I'm jealous of the regalness in your voice. You should be a man on stage, you know, doing Shakespeare. It sounds so good.
HUNTE: Don't hype me up like that. But let's get into this anyway. There's lots to talk about.
Let us start with team U.K. cleaning up in the USA. "Adolescence" kept on winning. Six wins in the end. What were your reactions to those awards? And why do you think that that show resonated so much with those Academy members?
ODUOLOWU: Well, first off, who said adolescence was an awkward stage? Because Owen Cooper, as you mentioned, is the youngest ever Emmy winner for -- in the male category.
And Stephen Graham, a long-favored actor in many movies. I remember coming across him in Guy Ritchie movies. I've always been a fan of his. They took home the awards.
But I think what "Adolescence" did, it's the way it was shot. It was so unique. These long, drawn-out, no cut, no edit type of shots that had people floored.
And then the story had people engaged. And when you have that on a streaming service like Netflix, that allows you to binge so you can watch it all at once and then go talk about it, where (AUDIO GAP) -- "Adolescence." Did you see -- did you think that was going to happen?
It just generated this -- this conversation, first with the acting, the storytelling. And then the way it was done. So, kudos to the Brits. You knocked it out of the park with "Adolescence."
HUNTE: Well, let's talk about something American, too, just to average this out a bit. The show "The Studio" made Emmys history, as well. It's now the most awarded comedy ever.
I didn't actually see it. Let me be completely honest. But did you see it? What made that stand out?
ODUOLOWU: Yes, I did. Seth Rogen with "The Studio" satirized Hollywood.
And who better than someone like Seth Rogen, who's been (AUDIO GAP) since "Pineapple Express," back when he was doing movies with James Franco. He's always had this penchant for telling stories about Hollywood
that, if you're here, if you're in L.A., if you know what's going on, he does it so well because he's lived it.
He won the first award of the night, and he kind of set the tone with his speech that this was going to be a -- this was going to be a more fun, kind of subdued award show, right?
There weren't many speeches or grandstanding. There were a few moments that actors will take here and there.
But "The Studio," it was funny. It was sharp, and it was an insider view as to just what goes on in the business that is show here in Hollywood.
[00:30:00]
HUNTE: Yes, another big story was Stephen Colbert. "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" got a standing ovation after it became the first network show to win Best Talk Series in over 20 years. Can you tell me why that moment was so significant? Because there was a lot going on there.
ODUOLOWU: Well, because the show aired on CBS, this was really a moment for Colbert to not only get his flowers. But also kind of stick it to the network that is, you know, not really -- not -- not really -- not really feeling him. Right? Like, they don't -- they don't love him the way they -- they do.
And we live in a climate now here in the States where the people have come (AUDIO GAP). His show (AUDIO GAP) -- antagonistic to the current regime. To (AUDIO GAP) -- there was a behind-the-door back handshake.
I don't want this type of, you know, commentary on my politics, on my nightly, you know, on my nightly talk show.
But toward him on the way out, I like that the audience gave him his just flowers. I like that there was a standing ovation. That Stephen Colbert got the due that he deserved.
Because when you think about it, he's kind of been the only one in late-night television really willing here stateside to take a stance on things and issues that he believes need to be spoken about or shouldn't be just swept under the rug for the next movie junket or press junket, talking about what starlet is wearing, what dress. What actor is going to be in what film.
He would spend time talking about politics, and that's not popular in the United States anymore.
And yes, they gave him -- they gave -- he was amongst his peers. They gave him a standing ovation. And he richly deserved it.
HUNTE: OK. There's a lot going on there. We appreciate it. That was a great conversation. Segun Oduolowu, thank you so much for now. I'm sure I'll speak to you again soon. ODUOLOWU: Thank you, Ben.
HUNTE: Let's keep it film. A new animated film has claimed the top spot at the U.S. box office, all the way from Japan.
"Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" opened this weekend to an estimated $70 million, and that breaks a record previously set 26 years ago by "Pokemon," the first movie.
It beat out new installments in "The Conjuring" and downtown [SIC] -- "Downton Abbey." Even franchises.
The anime film about demon-hunting warriors begins the final story arc following the hit show, which launched in 2019.
"Infinity Castle" is the first in a trilogy of films that will wrap up the "Demon Slayer" story, with no official date set for its next entry.
There's a lot going on in this show. We've got so much here. And more.
Overfishing and illegal trapping is threatening the global octopus population. But one environmental group is trying to stop all of that. See how they're saving the octopus ahead on a very mixed CNN NEWSROOM.
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HUNTE: Welcome back. An illegal form of trapping is increasing pollution and decreasing the octopus population. CNN's Allison Chinchar explains the problem and how one group is working to save the octopus.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): This eight-armed creature is now free from what it thought to be a safe space. It's been rescued by the Sea Shepherd campaign group, a crew backed by legal authorities that work to combat illegal overfishing.
The plastic pots that trap these octopuses is one of the most abundant litter removed from the Thracian Sea, according to the organization ISEA (ph).
Since July, the group has pulled in thousands of traps. And they say they've rescued more than 1,500 octopuses.
CAPTAIN ALEX CORNELISSEN, CEO, SEA SHEPHERD GLOBAL: The numbers are absolutely mind blowing. We never anticipated to be able to recover this many traps, but it shows that there is a -- there's a big problem and that there is too much fishing taking place.
CHINCHAR (voice-over): The octopuses are lured in by hunters who place traps on the seabed that resemble a place where they would take shelter and tend to their eggs. The pots are tied to long ropes attached to buoys. It is a method
restricted in Greek waters for several months during the summer breeding season in northern Greece.
CORNELISSEN: They're supposed to be taking them out at the end of June, and then they can deploy them again at the beginning of October.
It's very important that this period is respected, because this is a reproduction season for the octopus. So, if they continue to fish and continue to keep the traps here during the reproductive -- reproductive season, it actually affects the octopus population and their reproduction.
CHINCHAR (voice-over): According to Sea Shepherd, in just four days in July, they recovered more than 4,600 traps. The increase in concern comes as the global trade of octopuses is growing, while climate change and heat stress threatens their reproduction.
The plastic pots used to fish illegally may also be an indirect cause of the pollution increase in Greece's seas.
Grilled octopus is especially popular in places like Greece, but the Aegean Sea is also one of the hardest hit areas for this type of illegal fishing.
But as the crew of the Sea Eagle crosses these waters, they are reversing the trend, one rescue at a time.
[00:40:08]
FABIA SANDER, VOLUNTEER NURSE, SEA SHEPHERD GLOBAL: It was really nice. I had a really big one, and we had to carry them with two people. And this was all over our body. And try to hold on, on us.
But yes, we managed to bring him back into water, which was really nice.
CHINCHAR (voice-over): Allison Chinchar, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HUNTE: All right. That's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. I'll be back with more news at the top of the hour in about 20 minutes.
WORLD SPORT is next. See you in a bit.
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(WORLD SPORT)
