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CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Headlines: U.S. Imposes New Tariffs On Dozens Of Trading Partners; NY Times: Iran Rejects New U.S. Ceasefire Proposal; Report: Disturbing Contents Of Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Revealed; Video Shows Police-Involved Shooting In Madison, Wisconsin. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired July 24, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:26]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Chilling new details now revealed in the first Nancy Guthrie ransom note. What it said coming your way.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
SMITH: More protests breaking out overnight in Wisconsin over the fatal police shooting of Corey Ruiz. We've got the latest from the investigation.
And 11 people were rescued after this sea plane crashed off the coast of Washington state. What we're learning about the incident this morning.
And -- take a look at this scary rollover. More on that story later on this morning.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Brad Smith, this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad that you're with us today.
Let's get this started.
New this morning, Donald Trump reigniting his global trade war with new tariffs going into effect today. Dozens of America's trading partners now being hit with levies of 10 to 12.5 percent on goods that are imported into the U.S.
Now, CNN's Mike Valerio explains here the administration's thinking this time around.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are trying to safeguard against the importation of products that were made with forced labor. But when we're talking about trade partners like Japan, South Korea, Australia that are being hit with these tariffs, you know, you might be thinking -- well, Australia doesn't use forced labor. South Korea doesn't use forced labor. What's going on here?
The rationale from the trade representative and people who are working on this in Washington is that these nations, from their point of view, do not have protections strong enough, like American protections, to safeguard against products made by forced labor entering their country. So, the rationale is, if you have country X, that's allowing a product made with forced labor into their market, that harms American producers, because the price of product X is coming way down. It's made with forced labor. So, that's harming American producers because they have to compete with these products that are made with forced labor, that are being sold at very low prices.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Now, these new tariffs, they replaced the temporary 10 percent tariffs that are now expiring. But it is unclear if this plan is going to survive. After a past attempt at sweeping tariffs were shot down by the Supreme Court.
Now to the latest in the escalating war with Iran. "The New York Times" reporting that Iran rejected a new U.S. ceasefire deal delivered by Iraq. It's not clear what was in it, but this morning, Iran is pushing back on that report, calling it diversionary and misleading. But it comes as the U.S. military completed a 13th straight night of airstrikes. Iranian state media reports at least four people have been killed.
In public, President Trump is showing little appetite to return to the negotiating table.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're doing very well against the Islamic Republic of Iran. We're doing extremely well. They would like to do something, but I say they're not ready yet. They need more of the same. They're not ready yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Iran says that any further attacks will be met with a, quote, "severe and escalatory response". New video released overnight purports to show the Iranian army launching drones towards fuel storage tanks, warehouses, airplane hangars and the living quarters of American forces at two air bases in Jordan and Bahrain. It is unclear when or where the video was shot, and CNN can't independently verify Iran's claims, but Kuwait claims that Iranian forces launched repeated drone attacks on Thursday, as Tehran continues to bombard U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf.
The United Nations secretary general is warning that the situation in the Middle East is getting out of control.
And all of this is driving oil prices higher. Brent crude jumped more than 6 percent yesterday, hitting $100 a barrel before pulling back a bit. There are some growing fears about the world's oil supply after Houthi rebels in Yemen targeted Saudi tankers in the Red Sea.
We'll continue to track any developments there. We're also watching this as a frightening scene off the coast of Seattle played out. A float plane headed for the San Juan islands. It crashed into Puget Sound shortly after takeoff, catching fire this. Some of the images from the aftermath.
Amazingly, no one was killed. Officials say that ten passengers and a pilot were on board. A spokesperson for the charter service says four passengers are being treated at area hospitals for injuries ranging from head trauma to broken bones and cuts.
The others were taken to a nearby coast guard station.
We have some new developments concerning what was written in the first Nancy Guthrie ransom note. According to journalist Briana Whitney, who read it out loud on the podcast "Crime Junkie".
It says, quote, "Hello, Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy. She is safe but scared. She will be held for ransom. And once payment is received, she will be released unharmed.
We will be holding her for a maximum of seven days. Once payment is received. At the bitcoin address below, she will be released within 12 hours of deposit to a safe drop off location back in Tucson.
If the payment is not received by the last deadline on Monday, the ninth at 5:00 p.m., she will be killed. Your mother is aware of this and her life is in your hands. It is in the best interest of everyone to have this completed as soon as possible.
You will not be able to contact me from here on out. There will be no negotiation. Do not play games. Law enforcement will not be able to help you," end quote.
CNN recently reported on the second note, sent a few days later. That one said Nancy Guthrie died shortly after the kidnapping.
Briana Whitney, the journalist that we just mentioned, also revealed the second note said that her death was, quote, "heart related" and said the message was, quote, "We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical conditions."
Here's CNN's senior law enforcement analyst and former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe breaking down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: The first note probably the two points that stand out, most notably in that note. In that note, bolstering its, quote/unquote, "legitimacy" are the facts that they identified and described Ms. Guthrie's watch and exactly where it was left on the floor inside her residence. And the fact that there was a nonfunctioning floodlight in the backyard. Those are probably the factors that are leading the bureau to put some stock in that note.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And if you have any information about this case, you can call the number on your screen right now. The FBI's toll free tip line, that is 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit FBI.gov.
We take you to Wisconsin now, where were tracking new details in a deadly police involved shooting that has sparked outrage in Madison. And we have to warn you that the images that you're about to see are graphic.
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SMITH: The video later shows one officer moving what appears to be a knife from the front of the suspect's body and then putting it behind. You can't see where the knife came from in the video, and it's unclear which of these officers fired the shots. On Thursday, a vigil was held for the man who was identified as Corey Ruiz. That is the man that was killed.
According to police, Ruiz pulled the knife on officers who chased him after someone reported a person checking parked vehicles on Wednesday. Overnight. Angry protesters marched in the streets.
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SMITH: That anger was felt during a police news conference about the incident. Take a listen to what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JOHN PATTERSON, MADISON, WISCONSIN POLICE: The thinness of trust in the city right now did not start --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just shut this down. You can stop talking because we don't want to hear anything you've been saying. You're going to say the same thing you all say. Every time a black body gets shot down in this city.
SABRINA MADISON, COUNCIL PRESIDENT: And I'm angry, there's like, no way around it. And while we know that there will be investigations and all of that, the thing for me is that his -- his death is final.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Police say that they are now conducting an active homicide investigation. They also called for an independent investigation. In New York, police are working to determine if two stabbings are hate crimes. Crews helped a man who appears to have been stabbed. Police have identified the suspect as a 51-year-old, Raul Morales. Now officials accuse him of stabbing an Asian man and a Jewish man multiple times. Both are now in stable condition. Police say that the attacks were unprovoked and mental health may have been a factor.
Well, happening today, a redo of the White House Correspondents Dinner, which is, of course taking place after it was interrupted earlier this year by an unarmed -- well, an armed man who rushed through a checkpoint. A key difference here is that several people from President Trump's inner circle will not attend. Melania Trump, along with the vice president and the secretary of state, will not attend tonight due to prior commitments. [05:10:04]
The rescheduled event comes three months after the original dinner shut down early during what authorities called an assassination attempt. The Secret Service says it already has a security plan in place.
We've got lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
The district attorney at the center of Nolan Wells death investigation, has a message for the community as many are demanding new answers.
And the Tate brothers, the White House, has weighed in on whether it will get involved in the case against them. That is coming up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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[05:15:04]
SMITH: The Georgia teen, accused of killing four people and injuring nine others in a school shooting, is set to be sentenced today. Colt Gray is expected to enter a non-negotiated plea in the 2024 shooting. His father, Colin Gray, was convicted earlier this year on charges tied to allowing his son to access the AR-style rifle used in the shooting.
The White House says that President Trump has no plans to intervene in the extradition case involving Andrew and Tristan Tate. The two were arrested in Miami last weekend after the U.K. requested their extradition to face rape and human trafficking charges. Both brothers deny the accusations, and the case is now moving through the courts. But any final extradition decision would ultimately require the secretary of state's approval.
The Justice Department is dropping subpoenas that sought to force four "New York Times" reporters to reveal confidential sources. The subpoenas grew out of reporting that security concerns not a tour for U.S. troops, actually prompted President Trump to switch from the new Qatari gifted air force one to the old presidential jet. After a federal judge questioned prosecutors over errors in their court filings, the DOJ backed down.
Well, on Thursday, one of the world's top financial executives faced some pointed questions about his ties to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Jes Staley, who is a former executive with JPMorgan Chase and Barclays CEO, was on Capitol Hill testifying behind closed doors. It's part of the House Oversight Committee's Epstein investigation. Staley exchanged more than a thousand emails with Epstein, with some describing their relationship as profound and calling him family.
Staley has maintained that he was unaware of any of Epstein's crimes, but some Democrats accused Staley of lying during the voluntary interview. That includes over the allegations of sexual abuse included in the Epstein files.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): Mr. Staley is clearly, in our opinion, just not being truthful and flat out lying. The reality is, is he's claiming first that he had no real friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. I mean, that is just ridiculous.
There is documented evidence, including in the Epstein files and numerous emails of a decades long friendship, and not just a friendship. references of being best friends, of close friends. And so, that is a start. Just he's become incredibly an incredible witness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: CNN has reached out to a representative for Staley for comment. Staley isn't charged with any crime and has previously denied accusations of assault. He is the 19th witness to appear before the committee as part of its investigation into Epstein.
Well, still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, the murder case against the singer known as D4vd. What investigators say they found as they looked into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
And the latest on peptides, those shots that you've probably seen all over our social media feeds. Why they could soon end up at your local pharmacy. That's coming your way on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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[05:22:37]
SMITH: The senate health committee delayed a vote which would have moved the process forward for President Trump's nominee to lead the CDC. There weren't enough members present for Thursday's scheduled vote, so it's been moved to next week. Trump's pick to lead the CDC, Dr. Erica Schwartz, is expected to get enough votes to reach the full Senate for a confirmation vote.
Well, controversial health shots that you may have seen all over social media, they're a step closer to heading to your local pharmacy. FDA advisers are narrowly voting on Thursday to clear the way for the drugstore chains and pharmacists to legally make peptides like BPC 157, which is said to speed up recovery and slow down aging. Now, it's so popular that videos about it have been viewed more than 50 million times on TikTok. And even Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted that he's a huge fan.
But the decision was far from unanimous on Thursday, as FDA experts themselves warned there is no clinical proof that peptides actually work and dismiss it as no better than a placebo.
Well, oncologists are testing a new treatment for stage four pancreatic cancer, one that does not require hours spent in a chemo chair. For patients that qualify, it's a pill that you can take once a day at home, and it's been so effective in trials that the University of Nebraska successfully petitioned to give it to patients before FDA approval
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. KELSEY KLUTE, ONCOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICINE: The patients who are treated with chemotherapy had an average survival of only six months, 6.5 months. The patients who were randomized to get daraxonrasib had an average survival of 13 months. So that's a huge difference, a difference that we almost never see in clinical trials now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Former Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse is also using this drug as he battles stage four pancreatic cancer. He went public about his diagnosis late last year, and researchers say that the same gene mutation that this pill targets can also be found in lung and colorectal cancer.
All right. A lot of promise on that particular remedy. We'll continue to track any developments there.
Plus, ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, protests erupting overnight in Wisconsin over the deadly officer involved shooting of Corey Ruiz. Weve got the latest on the investigation.
Plus, the outbreak of diarrhea caused by a parasite. New details from the CDC about how fast this outbreak is growing. What you need to know when CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS returns.
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[05:29:48]
SMITH: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories. Donald Trump is reigniting his global trade war. Dozens of countries now being hit with levies of 10 to 12.5 percent. These new tariffs will replace the temporary 10 percent global tariffs that are now expiring, but it's unclear if this plan will survive legal challenges.
