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CNN Headlines: South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham Dies at Age 71; Parents of Nolan Wells Demanding a Thorough and Transparent Investigation into Their Son's Death; DOJ Subpoenas Four New York Times Journalists. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired July 13, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
BRIAN ABEL, ANCHOR, CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS: We are learning more about the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham from a preliminary finding from a medical examiner review.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE WONSLEY, MOTHER OF NOLAN WELLS: Transparency is important. Since we started this, that is all we asked for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: The parents of Nolan Wells are demanding a thorough and transparent investigation into their son's death. The latest developments in his case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(FLOOD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's scary, no! Oh my God!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: These Missouri highway troopers safely escaped from a boat just moments before it capsizes in flood waters. A look at the devastating floods across the state. Good morning, I'm Brian Abel, and this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad you are with us this morning.
Let's get started. We're tracking a developing story this morning. Iran claims its military has launched a quote, "new wave of drone attacks targeting American forces." The Islamic Revolutionary Guard releasing this video here a short time ago, which it claims shows a drone-launch targeting U.S. forces in Kuwait.
Iran has also issued a warning to its neighbors against offering any help to the United States, and accusing the U.S. of violating international law. The purported attack comes as U.S. Central Command said on Sunday night that it had completed an hours-long wave of strikes in Iran, hitting dozens of targets. Here's what President Trump had to say about the American strikes. (BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I will say we hit them very hard last night. We had a deal with them yesterday. They were giving up everything. And then all of a sudden, two hours after that, they hit a ship with a drone. And I said, these people -- there's something wrong with them.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ABEL: Meanwhile, oil prices are reacting to this latest round of strikes by climbing higher, which means gas prices may soon follow. New details are emerging on the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham. A preliminary finding from the medical examiner says he died following complications from cardiovascular disease.
The long-time South Carolina Republican died Saturday night at the age of 71. He served in the Senate for nearly a quarter of a century, and was known for his willingness to work across the aisle. Graham was a leading voice for American support of Ukraine.
In fact, he had just returned from his tenth trip to Kyiv prior to his death. CNN's Reid Binion looks at how the late senator is being remembered across the political world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): And all of us across South Carolina are shocked today. No one saw this happening.
REID BINION, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): The political world stunned by the sudden death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
MACE: To those who serve in the state legislature and in Congress today, he was our senior senator.
BINION: Condolences pouring in for Graham, not only from fellow Republicans, but also from Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is hard to lose him.
BINION: And from world leaders.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: Israel has lost one of the great champions of the American-Israeli alliance, and frankly, I've lost a beloved friend.
BINION: Graham died on Saturday, just after returning from a visit to Ukraine, citing preliminary findings from the Washington D.C. medical examiner's office, Graham's communications director released a statement, saying he died following complications from cardiovascular disease. George Washington University Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Dr. Jonathan Reiner explains.
JONATHAN REINER, CARDIOLOGIST & PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE & SURGERY, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: The innermost layer of the aorta is called the intima, and an aortic dissection is a tear in that innermost lining that allows blood to get into the actual wall of the artery.
BINION: Graham was up for re-election this year. Republicans must now find a candidate to replace him with a special primary on August 11th. In the meantime, South Carolina's governor can appoint a temporary replacement to fill Graham's vacant seat.
MACE: I told the governor this morning that I suggested that he should nominate himself. He can do that to be a sort of caretaker in- between now and January 3rd.
BINION: I'm Reid Binion, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABEL: And former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was a close friend to Senator Graham. He's also remembering Graham by his ability to work with those across the aisle. Sanford says that's a quality you don't see much in Washington these days.
[05:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK SANFORD, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR: I just have seen the different folks from different walks of life and different political parties, different political perspectives, they respected him for his ability to strike a deal.
To say, OK, you're over here on the left and you're over here on the right, how do we come together on this? I think that was a real skill set of his, and I think it will be missed in this very much divided world of politics that we see these days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: President Trump has ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-staff until Saturday. Trump has described Graham as, quote, "a dear friend of mine and a truly great man." Developing this morning, the mayor of Toronto is calling a deadly shooting at the nation's largest Latin Street Festival, a despicable act of violence.
And vows authorities will work tirelessly to identify the suspects. Two people were killed and at least, four taken to hospitals with serious injuries after Saturday's deadly shooting. Officials believe that the suspects were shooting at each other in the crowd of roughly 13,000 attendees.
Police identified at least three different crime scenes and found two guns, and several suspects are believed to be at large after the shooting. You could see throngs of people running for cover here following the shooting.
One restaurant owner's patio was full of customers when those shots rang out. He says everybody ducked, and that once the shooting stopped, he brought in as many people as he could. The parents of Nolan Wells are demanding a thorough and transparent investigation into his mysterious and tragic death.
The 18-year-old disappeared during a 4th of July boating trip off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Investigators say his friends came back without him, telling officials he planned to get a ride back with somebody else. Two days later, Wells' body was found just off the shoreline.
Authorities say they don't suspect foul play, but Wells' parents are questioning the circumstances around his death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
C. WONSLEY: Transparency is important. Since we started this, that is all we asked for. And it's just a lot of things with this case that's going on that's not clear. I know locally, it's being pushed that oh, it's likely a drowning. Well, you know, you have all these other things that have kind of happened in between and it makes you wonder, you know, could there have been anything else?
And again, like I've stated this time and time again, I would expect any parent or person to want to use any resources available to them to find their loved one. This was our baby boy, you know, I birthed him. This has been a difficult situation.
Like I cannot express how hard this has been on not just us as parents, but also his siblings. They are struggling too with the fact that they do not have their brother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: The family's attorney says that billionaire director Tyler Perry will pay for Nolan Wells' funeral. Let's go now to Texas where Houston officials are calling out the lack of federal collaboration after a man was killed during an immigration operation last week.
Local authorities say they are learning details from government agencies on social media, just like everybody else. Fifty-two-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed Tuesday by an ICE agent. ICE says he rammed a law enforcement vehicle and refused to follow verbal commands.
However, an attorney representing two witnesses say that's not what happened. On Saturday, more than 200 people gathered to honor Salgado Araujo's life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALDO SALGADO, SON OF LORENZO SALGADO ARAUJO: Every single person that I've met with, all the messages and comments, all the positive comments that I've been getting, all say the same thing, they're all saying, and you guys are all saying and thinking it. And I hope you guys are thinking it that I'm making my father proud.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I love you, Ronnie!
SALGADO: But I don't think I'll ever believe that if I don't hear it from him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: In the moments leading up to and after the deadly shooting were caught on surveillance camera at a local business, however, no ICE footage has been released. Well, after weeks of speculation, Senator Mitch McConnell is explaining what led to his lengthy hospital stay. Here's Samantha Lindell with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAMANTHA LINDELL, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Releasing a photo of himself and his wife, Elaine Chao, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell released a statement on Sunday saying he had a fall last month that landed him in the hospital.
This statement comes after weeks of speculation on his health. The Republican from Kentucky said in a statement, quote, "I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I've also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia."
McConnell said he's now out of the hospital and in a rehab center to continue regaining his strength. The former Senate Majority leader said he won't be able to return to the Senate floor to vote right now, but has been, quote, "working closely with legislative staff in the meantime."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[05:10:00]
ABEL: New York City launching an investigation into the building in Manhattan that had buckling columns, which led to mass evacuations. Temporary structural supports and beams have been installed. The contractors say the buck columns were not properly reinforced.
The building was once the Pfizer headquarters. It's now undergoing a renovation to convert it into luxury apartments. We have lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we go --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No! Oh my God!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: A close call as this boat capsizes. More on a dangerous flooding that hit over the weekend. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(DIVER DIVES INTO WATER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: Officers jumping in to save a woman clinging to a piling in the water. See more of this dramatic rescue. And subpoenas just went out to journalists because of what they reported about the new Air Force One.
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[05:15:00]
ABEL: The Trump administration has subpoenaed the four "New York Times" journalists who reported on security concerns surrounding the Qatar gifted jet serving as a new Air Force One. CNN's Kaitlan Collins has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT (on camera): There's a pretty stunning headline today after the Justice Department issued subpoenas to journalists who reported on security concerns related to President Trump's new Air Force One.
Now, the Justice Department issued these subpoenas to several reporters from the "New York Times" attempting to compel them to testify in court before a grand jury next week, and even went as far as to deliver the subpoenas to several of the reporters' homes, according to "The Times".
Now, this all stems from what happened this week when President Trump was unable to fly his new Qatari gifted jumbo jet home from the NATO Summit in Turkey. We were told this was due to security concerns, that the new plane did not have the same security capabilities as the old version of Air Force One.
President Trump then flew the old version from Turkey to the United Kingdom, where he boarded his new version of Air Force One and flew that back to the United States. But we're told at CNN that the President was so angry that it became public why he did not take Air Force One home directly from Turkey, and he was fuming, angry and embarrassed that it had become public.
That all led to a meeting with White House officials on Friday, including the FBI Director, Kash Patel, shortly before it became public that these subpoenas had been issued. Our CNN team spotted Kash Patel leaving the White House just before 7:00 p.m.
Now, "The Times" is vowing to fight this extraordinary step by the Trump administration in court, and we've seen before where the Justice Department has issued subpoenas to reporters only to later withdraw them after there was a court battle.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABEL: Two state troopers escaping raging flood waters after their boat capsized in southeastern Missouri. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's scary, no --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No! Oh my God!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: What a scary situation. This happened Friday in the Black River. Authorities said the troopers made it out of the water and nobody was injured in the incident. And a massive heat dome is moving across the U.S. with some places seeing up to 20 degrees jump in temperatures. CNN meteorologist Melissa Nord has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): We are starting the week tracking more of those tropical-like downpours across the southeast. We could see locally, heavy rains, some isolated storms with gusty winds as well.
But meanwhile to the north of there, we've got this heat dome which has been expansive. It was over the west and the Great Basin over the weekend, well, now it's migrating eastward. So, temperatures soaring 10 to 15 degrees above average for Monday across the northern plains, the upper Midwest as well.
We saw some all-time record-high temperatures. We were really close to them over the weekend. And now to start the week, daily records are going to be in jeopardy. Look at Bismarck 105, 95 degrees in Minneapolis there.
International falls, Minnesota could hit 100 degrees again on Monday. And prior to this heat wave, they'd only hit 100 degrees or hotter twice in history, 1912 and 1916. That adds a lot of stress on your body, so try to avoid spending a lot of time outdoors, over-exerting yourself during these hottest hours of the day over the next couple of days.
You can see the numbers in the next few days, we've got 103 in Rapid City on Monday, close to 100 in Fargo and Minneapolis, those mid-90s continue through at least midweek.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABEL: Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. A warning this morning about a toy and social media videos that are leaving some kids burned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM NEILL, NEW ZEALAND ACTOR & ENTREPRENEUR: I never expected to have a career in film at all. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: And we are remembering "Jurassic Park" actor Sam Neill, what his family is saying about his passing.
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[05:20:00]
ABEL: Some sad news to bring you this morning. Sam Neill, who was known for his role in "Jurassic Park", has died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEILL: Hanan(ph), after careful consideration, I've decided not to endorse your park.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: What a scene. He also starred in the show "Peaky Blinders". In a post on Instagram, his family says that Neill's passing was sudden and unexpected. Earlier, he had battled a rare and aggressive blood cancer, but at the time of his passing, he was cancer free. Sam Neill was 78 years old.
A social media trend involving gel-filled NeeDoh sensory toys is sending children to burn centers across the country. One Atlanta fifth grader suffered burns to her face and arm after microwaving the toy, causing it to explode with scalding hot gel.
[05:25:00]
Doctors say they've treated multiple similar cases and warn parents to talk with kids about dangerous online challenges. The toys maker says the NeeDoh products should never be heated, frozen or microwaved. This next story is going viral, following claims by some women that a pair of Zara pants are causing them to face-plant.
CNN's Ivana Scatola explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVANA SCATOLA, CNN SUPERVISING PRODUCER (voice-over): These women falling over all have one thing in common, they appear to be wearing the same Zara pants. Some people are claiming that the pants caused them to trip and get injured, with some people saying that they even ended up in hospital.
Most post injuries of scrapes on their knees or hands, but some others have posted about a bruised ankle and even a broken elbow. On social media, some jokingly say they've fallen victim to the pants. The flowing wide-leg trousers come in multiple colors online and are marketed at $45.
These women say it's not the length that's the problem, but more the width of the trousers. They're so wide that their feet get caught and then they trip. CNN reached out to Zara, but they didn't respond.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABEL: Ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, people took off running as shots rang out during a festival, and now, a manhunt is on for the shooters. And the Senate returns today after that shocking death of Senator Lindsey Graham. We'll look at what lawmakers hope to do in his honor.
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