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CNN This Morning

Young Man in Kansas City Shot after Going to Wrong Address to Pick Up His Brothers; Four People Killed, 28 Injured at Mass Shooting at Birthday Party in Alabama; Opening Statements Delayed in Defamation Lawsuit between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News; Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to Disclose Sale of Property to GOP Donor Harlan Crow. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired April 17, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

JONATHAN GREENBLATT, CEO AND NATIONAL DIRECTOR, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: That's a great question. I think yes. So even in France and German where it came down slightly was already at historic levels like you see here in America. But when people in positions of authority, elected officials, university presidents, people with authority show up, speak out, that makes a big difference. It sends a signal. It deters people, and it brings people together.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: An attack on one is an attack on all, and thank you so much, Jonathan, for bringing us information. Let's hope we get a handle on this. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

CNN THIS MORNING continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAITH SPOONMORE, AUNT OF RALPH YARL: My nephew is alive, and he is healing. And it is not the story that that individual intended for us to tell.

That right there, is a lot of hate. This right here is a lot of love.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Love versus hate is the point they were making. Good morning, everyone. We're so glad you're here. Kaitlan is off. Protests and outrage in Kansas City after a homeowner shot a black teenager. Police say the teen went to the wrong house by mistake when he was just trying to pick up his younger brothers.

LEMON: Plus, I've got to talk to you about the FOX News Dominion trial. It is delayed. There's new reporting the network is trying to settle out of court with Dominion Voting Systems. We're live outside the courthouse for you.

Brand new CNN reporting this morning. We are learning Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is going to make some changes to his financial disclosure forms after a real estate deal with a GOP megadonor came to light. LEMON: So this morning, calls for justice across the country after a Kansas City team went to the wrong home to pick up his younger brothers, and the homeowner shot him. Sixteen-year-old Ralph Yarl is recovering in the hospital in stable condition. His family describes him as a typical high schooler who loves to play the bass clarinet. He has been looking forward to starting college and majoring in chemical engineering. Police say Yarl's family say that he was given the address 115th Terrace, but he mistakenly went to a home at 115th Street instead. The shooter has been released and there is sparking protests nationwide right now and outrage nationwide.

CNN's Camila Bernal live for us in Los Angeles with more on this. Good morning to you, Camila. What is the status of this investigation?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Don. Authorities say more is needed to go forward, and they need a statement from Ralph Yarl. He is doing well. He's in the hospital. He is recovering, but the family says that this is a long road, especially when it comes to his mental and his emotional health. This is a teenager that is being described as friendly and well-mannered. He loves music, and the family says plays multiple instruments, always had one in hand. He was dreaming about graduating and going to West Africa.

All of this, of course, is going to be a lot more difficult now because he went to 115th Street instead of Terrace. He was just a block away from his brothers when he was shot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do we want?

CROWD: Justice!

BERNAL: The Kansas City community protesting on Sunday after 16-year- old Ralph Yarl was shot as he was trying to pick up his siblings last week. Police say Yarl accidentally went to the wrong address where he was shot and seriously wounded by the homeowner. Officers arrived at the scene after a neighbor called 911 and took the homeowner immediately into custody.

MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS, (D) KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: Our heart goes out to the juvenile victim, and more than anything, to make sure that this child and this child's family knows that there are people working hard, a number of people working hard to make sure there is justice for this person.

BERNAL: The homeowner, who has not been identified, was released after 24 hours pending further investigation. The police department says they're waiting to obtain a formal statement from the victim and further forensic evidence.

CHIEF STACEY GRAVES, KANSAS CITY POLICE: I want everyone to know that I'm listening. And I understand the concern that we are receiving from the community. The information that we have now it does not say that that is racially motivated. That's still an active investigation. But as a chief of police, I do recognize the racial components of this case. I do recognize and understand the community's concern.

BERNAL: Yarl's aunt says her nephew loves music and is a section leader in his marching band. She says his goal is to attend Texas A&M University to study chemical engineering.

Civil rights attorneys Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump are representing the victim and his family and demanding swift action, and are calling the shooting horrendous and unjustifiable.

[08:05:01]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As a mother of three children, this enrages me.

BERNAL: And protesters gathering Sunday outside the home where Yarl was shot demanding justice.

FAITH SPOONMORE, AUNT OF RALPH YARL: He is alive. He is healing. So I just want to tell you thank you know for being here, because my nephew is alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And the homeowner was released. State law says you either have to charge someone or release them after 24 hours, and authorities here say they need more evidence. They want to talk to this teenager, and they want to continue this investigation. So he was released, and it's part of the reason why people are so upset this morning and why they're asking for justice. Don?

LEMON: A lot more to unfold in this investigation. Thank you, Camila Bernal.

HARLOW: Well, a sweet 16 birthday party in a small Alabama town has become the latest scene of a deadly mass shooting in America. Police confirmed four people were murdered, 28 others injured at a dance studio in Dadeville Saturday night. They haven't released details about a potential suspect or motive. We're learning more about the victims of this morning. Philstavious Dowdell was a high school football star. He was getting ready to graduate next month and play football in college. His sister was the birthday girl. His football coach tells CNN he was like a son.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL TAYLOR, COACH DADEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL: Phil just told me about a month ago, he said, coach, if anything ever happened to me even when I go to college, take care of my sister. I never dreamed that he was talking about this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: KeKe Smith was also a high school senior and a student manager for the track team. Her family says she was looking forward to attending the University of Alabama. The heartbroken community held a vigil outside of a church yesterday night. Hundreds of people showed up to hug, to pray, to cry together. The United States has now suffered 162 mass shootings this year. That's according to the Gun Violence Archive. That is an average of more than one-and-a-half shootings every day. That means more shootings than days this year so far.

President Biden also released a statement saying, "What has our nation come to when children can't go to a birthday party without fear? This is outrageous and unacceptable. Americans agree and want lawmakers to act on common sense gun reform." We promise we will keep covering this.

LEMON: And 162 so far.

Other news now, surprise announcement right before the FOX News defamation trial was set to begin, the judge has delayed opening statements until tomorrow. And "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting the cable giant is trying to reach a last-minute settlement deal with Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion is suing FOX News for $1.6 billion. The company has accused the network of spreading flat out lies and conspiracy theories about dominion and its voting machines after Donald Trump lost the election even though FOX News hosts and executives allegedly knew they were false. It is a potentially historic case with huge implications for the news media and free speech.

Marshall Cohen, our intrepid reporter and producer, outside the courthouse for us in Wilmington, Delaware. Good morning, Marshall. What else can you tell us about this delay? What happened?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Don, some drama here in Delaware. We were expecting opening statements today, but that's not going to happen. Late last night, the judge announced what he called a one-day delay to the beginning of this historic trial. The statement did not give any reason, which, of course, has triggered massive speculation about a possible settlement.

We've checked in with Dominion, we've checked in with FOX. No one is commenting publicly. People are trying to read the tea leaves here, and there may have been a clue last night from "The Wall Street Journal", as you mentioned, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch. And they reported that push -- that FOX -- excuse me, is making a late push for a settlement. So we'll have to wait and see how this unfolds. There will be a brief hearing today in about one hour in the Delaware superior court right behind me. We're expecting the judge to open court, announce the delay, and that should probably be it for today. Don?

LEMON: All right, and Marshall, we will be watching. We appreciate it, and we'll see you soon. Marshall Cohen.

HARLOW: New this morning, CNN has learned that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas intends to amend his financial disclosures to reflect a real estate deal he made with a Republican megadonor. This was back in 2014. So this deal, you'll remember, we reported on it last week between Justice Thomas and the Dallas real estate magnet Harlan Crow was first reported by "ProPublica." It involves the sale of three properties that Thomas owned in savannah, Georgia. None of those were disclosed at the time.

Here with her new reporting is our Supreme Court reporter Ariane de Vogue. Ariane, good morning to you. Phenomenal reporting. just fascinating. You've learned that Justice Clarence Thomas will amend these disclosure forms as he is facing mounting criticism. What does that actually mean? What will happen?

ARIANE DE VOGUE, CNN SUPREME COURT REPORTER: Right. Well, he has decided, according to my source, that he is going to amend to reflect that the sale of these three properties that he owned with his family members, one of the properties where his mother still lives, to Harlan Crow, that megadonor who's given so much to the GOP. None of that was disclosed.

[08:10:16]

Remember Crow, as you said, he was in the news earlier because he had paid for lavish trips for both Ginny Thomas and Clarence Thomas. At the time, Thomas said in that instance that he didn't have to disclose because of the way the ethics rules were written at the time. But now, my source says he's decided he is going to disclose here.

HARLOW: That's fascinating. Is that him acknowledging a mistake? Is that your read?

DE VOGUE: Here's what the source said. He said that Thomas didn't think he had to disclose and here's why. He and Ginny put in between $50,000 and $70,000 into his mother's home before the sale. When the sale occurred, his share was only $44,000. So he figured that since there was a loss for him, it didn't have to go into the investment section of these financial disclosure forms. My source said that Thomas himself fills out these forms with the help of some aids.

But it is clear from the forms that you do have to list a transaction irrespective of whether or not there was a profit. Crow told us last week that he did this because he wants to one day build a museum for Clarence Thomas. And we did also learn this one new detail, and that is, is that when the deal went into effect, Clarence Thomas's mother was able to continue to live rent free. She lives there now. She's 94 years old, and all she has to pay his taxes and insurance, Poppy.

HARLOW: I think that is interesting, the fact that his mother was continuing to live on the property after the sale. I think just big picture, Ariane, if you could for folks here, why this matters so much? Because it's a Supreme Court justice.

DE VOGUE: The Supreme Court justice, but also the Supreme Court itself has been under the spotlight because it has so many people saying that it's becoming more and more political in these closely divided opinions that are going down along ideological lines. A lot of people have criticized the court because it does not have an ethics rule that is directed just at the justices.

So now again, we have a new revelation here. That's going to increase pressure. We've already got Democrats on the Hill writing letters to Chief Justice John Roberts wanting hearings. This puts this court in the political spotlight again. And Poppy, that's one place it hates to be. It does not want to be in the center of this political debate.

HARLOW: It also raises a question what sort of ethics checks should there be on the court, where there aren't any internally and there aren't any from Congress at this point. Ariana, great reporting. Thank you.

DE VOGUE: Thanks.

LEMON: The death toll is rising due to fierce fighting between Sudan's army and a paramilitary group. What's at the center of the conflict straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:16:23]

LEMON: A senior ISIS leader is believed to be dead after a US helicopter raid in Syria. According to a US Central Command spokesperson, the ISIS leader was responsible for planning terror attacks in the Middle East and in Europe. Two others were killed in the raid, that's part of an ongoing US campaign targeting the terror group in Iraq and Syria and preventing the organization from regaining its numbers and strength.

HARLOW: The deadly violence is continuing this morning in Sudan. They are now entering their third day of this just stunning violence. Two rival Generals are battling for control of the country.

[VIDEO CLIP PLAYS]

HARLOW: That is in the capital of Khartoum and these clashes erupted after months of tension between the leaders of Sudan's Army and a paramilitary group. Nearly a hundred people have been recorded killed, hundreds more wounded.

This fighting is intensifying in the capital. Secretary of State Antony Blinken weighed in on all of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, US SECRETARY OF STATE: There is a shared deep concern about the fighting, the violence that is going on in Sudan, the threat that that poses to civilians that it poses to the Sudanese nation and potentially poses even to the region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Nima Elbagir joins us live from London.

You have been reporting on this extensively for years, frankly, and this has been bubbling, this tension since 2019 and the popular revolution. The question was, which one of these Generals would win out?

What are you learning? NIMA ELBAGIR, CHIEF INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well,

the fighting has only as you say continued to intensify this morning and every single phone call that we have carried out over the last 72 hours. Poppy, I have been able to hear heavy weaponry in the background as we speak to Sudanese cowering on their floors with their children.

We were able to verify many of these incidents, and I want to show you a heat map that shows just how widespread across Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, these incidents now have become and it's only getting worse.

We have been able to verify that at least a dozen hospitals have been directly targeted, which of course, is in violation of humanitarian law by the parties on the ground.

I want to let you listen to what one of the doctors told us, Poppy. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were living in a real battle. Can you believe that we left the hospital and left behind children in incubators and patients in intensive care without any medical personnel? I can't believe that I survived dying at the hospital where the smell of death is everywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELBAGIR: Doctors organizations tell us that they are unable to reach so many of the wounded and are unable to bury most of the dead.

It is an absolutely appalling situation, Poppy, and it is heartbreaking to hear it in people's voices when we speak to them.

LEMON: Nima, if I can jump in here, it's Don. How long could this go on?

ELBAGIR: That is the question, especially as it seems to be intensifying. We know that Russia had given significant support to both these men in the past, specifically Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the paramilitary group. There is real concern that Russian equipment and Russian training is allowing for him to hold out against Sudan's Armed Forces, which outnumbers him.

And again, it speaks to the malevolence of Russia's influence in much of Africa and specifically in Sudan, that this has come to this point. This really is a result of Russia's power play and their exploitation of Sudan's gold resources that someone like Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a paramilitary force leader with a long stretch of human rights violations to his name could be in this position to hold the country hostage, Don.

[08:20:17]

ELBAGIR: You know, my family are in Sudan currently. It is absolutely terrifying, and I know that they are in a better situation than so many of those people who are living through what we're showing on air.

LEMON: If you could talk to us a little bit more about the toll on the people, your family is there. Go on, please talk to us about it.

ELBAGIR: I spoke to my mum just before I got on air. They are running out of food. Most shops are closed. In fact, all shops are closed, the banks are closed.

There was an attempt at a humanitarian corridor or a claim at a humanitarian corridor yesterday when one of the people working for my parents was able to get to the shop and get some flour.

It is also, this is the last week of the Holy Month of Ramadan. I spoke to some of my cousins who are lying on the floor with their children, and I say this with the awareness that my family is still incredibly lucky because they are not in areas, neighboring garrisons, which is where some of the fighting has been strongest.

But frankly, there's a garrison four streets away from my parents' house. It is really, really terrifying. I mean, my parents would hate that I'm getting emotional because of course they are just angry like so many Sudanese people are and in fact, they're probably holding it together better than those of us stuck on the outside looking in on this.

But, you know, we have to remind our viewers that these are the same men who subverted Sudan's nascent democracy. You know, we all remember those pictures of thousands of Sudanese, tens of thousands of Sudanese risking their lives and now these same men are holding an entire country hostage and the world seems only able to look on.

LEMON: Well, Nima, we appreciate your candor. With that, we are wishing your family well as well as everyone else.

ELBAGIR: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you for sharing. Thank you so much.

ELBAGIR: Thank you.

LEMON: We really appreciate that.

HARLOW: It is what makes Nima's reporting standout.

LEMON: She is so outstanding.

HARLOW: Because she makes you understand the human toll and she feels it, and her family is living it and experiencing it right now and it is so important that we have her.

LEMON: Everything you just said, absolutely.

HARLOW: All of it.

LEMON: Bowing out, pausing plans, and lost support -- the latest shakeups in the 2024 Republican race for President. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:26:29]

LEMON: Okay, so, there has been yet another round of shakeups in the potential 2024 Republican race for President.

Trump's former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo says he is not running because the time is "not right." All right.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin is pausing potential plans so that he can focus on flipping his State's Legislature. That is according to "The New York Times."

And Donald Trump's potential biggest challenger, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has reportedly lost his support of a GOP megadonor, that billionaire, Thomas Peterffy told "The Financial Times," "Because of his stance on abortion and book banning, myself and a bunch of friends are holding our powder dry."

So joining us now, Astead Herndon, CNN political analyst and national politics reporter for "The New York Times."

Hello, sir.

I almost said good evening, because I'm used to talking to you at night for such a long time. Good morning.

ASTEAD HERNDON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.

LEMON: So, how is this going? Do you think this is going to affect Ron DeSantis now having this major mega donor, someone who I think, gave like $8 million to Republicans last year, or last cycle?

HERNDON: Yes.

LEMON: How is this going to affect him?

HERNDON: I mean, this is -- it is a dual problem. It's the problem of the donor stepping away, but it is really the problem of the donor telling everyone, they are stepping away because it really speaks to a signaling shift on the candidacy of Ron DeSantis.

There was real excitement. There was real energy coming out of the Midterms when he was seen as the permanent other than Donald Trump in this race, but over the last couple of months, as Donald Trump's hold on the Republican base has continued, as we haven't seen the indictments drop off Donald Trump's support, and as DeSantis has been challenged by other candidates in the race, and had some stances that really caused some blowback, thinking about his position on Ukraine initially, and particularly this abortion ban, six-week abortion ban that they just pushed through the Florida State Legislature.

He has been squeezed by the pressure to appease Donald Trump's base and for a donor class that is looking ahead to a General Election and saying, we thought you were not like the MAGA type. We thought that you are going to represent a different style of Republicans, and he has chosen to really mold himself in the fashion of someone more like a Ted Cruz or a Tom Cotton style rather than being someone who was going to represent a full rejection of Trumpism.

And I think for some of those donors, that's what they were looking for Ron DeSantis to be maybe a year ago.

LEMON: That's interesting that abortion is a thing that you know, this donor --

HERNDON: A hundred percent.

LEMON: And book banning, because that's like -- it is like abortion has been the stance, right?

HERNDON: Yes.

LEMON: Banning abortion for Republicans forever. Book banning now and the whole CRT thing has been a really galvanizing component for Republicans.

HERNDON: But it's been galvanizing among the Republican primary electorate, but we haven't seen that become galvanizing nationally, and I think that's some of what you're seeing these people respond to is they're looking at Ron DeSantis, and saying, does that person -- does he have appeal on core issues that would drive a General Election appeal?

Because remember, this is a candidate whose argument against Donald Trump is mostly going to be electability driven, that you can get Donald Trump's policy, but I can win.

If you have a six-week abortion ban hanging over you in the General Election, those donors are looking around and saying, is that proposition still true? Are you still molding yourself as the type of person who can win a General Election because that distinction has kind of fallen away for him as he has tried to really appeal more to the Trump side, the primary side of the equation.

HARLOW: A lot of people, and correct me if I'm wrong, you're the DC reporter who knows all things, but I think many people thought that Biden would have announced officially already.

HERNDON: Yes.

HARLOW: And now, there has been reporting that it will get pushed off even further. Do you think any of this goes into his calculation? He said he intends to run, but you know with a lot of these GOP potentials dropping out or not running, a DeSantis-Trump matchup -- would any of it change Biden's calculation?

[08:30:21]