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CNN Headlines: Trump To Host Zelenskyy & Netanyahu, Both In D.C. For Senator Graham's Funeral; Savannah Guthrie's New Message: "Tell Us Where To Look For Her"; Judge Expected To Sentence Georgia School Shooter Today. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired July 28, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:27]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Two high-stakes meetings today. Benjamin Netanyahu and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in D.C. to meet with Trump and for Lindsey Graham's funeral. What's on both of their agendas as they meet with the president?
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC ANCHOR: We have done our part and we will never stop looking for her. We will always ache for her and feel that hole in our hearts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Savannah Guthrie, breaking her month-long silence over the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. Hear her emotional new plea.
And a tornado ripped roofs off of homes and uprooted trees in northeastern Wisconsin. Thousands of people waking up to no power this morning.
And -- special delivery. And yeah, I would be turning in my resignation. Six-foot iguana jumps out of its shipping box. Don't worry, they did eventually catch it. We'll get to that.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Brad Smith, this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad that you're with us today. Let's get this started.
Two world leaders are in Washington, D.C. today. Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Later, they will both join President Donald Trump at the funeral for Senator Lindsey Graham, long considered a friend and ally to both nations.
But first, they'll each have their own one on one time with the president at the White House, starting with the Ukrainian president. The White House says the president will talk to Zelenskyy about Russia's war on Ukraine. And on Monday, Trump downplayed Zelenskyy's allegation that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence on U.S. military bases.
As for Trump's meeting with Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the war with Iran strained to be a top issue. Netanyahu has been pushing for a renewed U.S. offensive against Tehran. Trump has said the two have disagreed on Iran, but they are still closely aligned and then added this.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Frankly, we're being very nice to a lot of countries that would not survive without us. And you know, who wouldn't survive without us? Israel. Bibi's coming. He'll tell you. If I didn't get involved and if I didn't blow up those nuclear, essentially soon to be nuclear weapons, the dust, as I call it, Israel would have been terminated months ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Across town, funeral services for late Senator Lindsey Graham will begin today on Capitol Hill. There will first be a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, which will honor his military and political career. A funeral service will follow at the Washington National Cathedral. That is where President Trump and Fox News host Sean Hannity will be among those paying tribute.
Graham's remains will then return to South Carolina for another service in Columbia on Wednesday, which will be followed by a private burial.
We've got some new developments for you this morning in the case of Nancy Guthrie. Savannah Guthrie posting a new message about her mom who police believe was abducted six months ago. NBC anchor began her post by saying that she had, quote, "a very specific message".
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GUTHRIE: Our family is in agony. We are in a nightmare that will not end. Nothing about our situation has changed, we have done our part, and we will never stop looking for her. We will always ache for her and feel that hole in our hearts the world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way.
So, I'm asking you, begging you to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing. Help us bring this situation to an end for all of us. No matter where we've been and what we've done. I believe there is always a way home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: If you have any information about this case, you can call the numbers on your screen right now. The Pima County sheriff's department at (520) 351-4900, or the FBI's toll free tip line. That is 1-800- CALL-FBI.
Happening today, a judge is expected to sentence the teenager who opened fire inside his Georgia high school, killing four people.
[05:05:05]
Colt Gray has pleaded guilty to 55 charges. Prosecutors say the message is written before the attack points to a possible motive and his obsession with another mass shooter are also interwoven within that.
CNN's Isabel Rosales reports with more for us.
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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For the first time, prosecutors are laying out what they believe was a possible motive behind the 2024 mass shooting at a Georgia high school. The state, pointing to Colt Gray's social media, jail calls, medical records and a Discord chat written just two days before the shooting.
"My love for Nick has formed into something in which I can find no other resort that can prove my love and affection toward him." That was then 14-year-old Colt Gray, writing about Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz.
D.A. Brad Smith says Gray killed four students and teachers, in part to get Cruz's attention.
BRAD SMITH, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Mandy, I can't wait. Three days, Nick is going to be in love with us. Surprise! No mention about people at the school conspiring against him. Teachers are going to get him on that day. It is all to get Nick Cruz's attention.
ROSALES: And the state says there was another reason for Gray to leave behind coded easter eggs like dyeing his hair, similar to the Aurora theater shooter, destroying and staging his computer's hard drive, like the Sandy Hook shooter and even picking a date for the shooting, similar to Cruz. The state says it was all about status and fame within the self-identified true crime community, where a fascination with true crime can, for a small minority spiral into extreme violence.
A year before the shooting, Gray wrote on Discord, "I want to make history. To put in short, I want people to remember the pain I caused and research me for hours."
Meanwhile, the defense called a forensic psychologist who testified he believes Gray is redeemable mostly because of how young he was when he carried out the shooting. The doctor also said he could not give Gray a diagnosis that aligned with the hallucinations and voices he claimed to hear.
DR. KEVIN RICHARDS, FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: I never believed he had schizophrenia. I never believed he was anywhere near the neighborhood for an insanity defense. It was never on the table. He could talk about it until the cows come home. But there was no evidence for it.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SMITH: Thank you, Isabel.
A Los Angeles judge has ruled that there is enough evidence here to send singer D4vd to trial. This is for the murder of a teenager whose mutilated body was found in the trunk of his car. The decision follows a five-day preliminary hearing, which included more than ten witnesses. The musician, whose real name is David Burke, is accused of killing and dismembering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez last year.
Prosecutors allege that he committed the murder to prevent the teen from disclosing details about their relationship, ahead of the release of his album
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NATHAN HOCHMAN, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We believe that the evidence at trial will be overwhelming to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt on the three charges with which Mr. Burke will be charged. You got a small preview of some of that evidence, including the text messages and the video and photographic evidence that was also presented directly to the judge. This was difficult evidence to even hear, but also the crime that we are dealing with is incredibly horrific and barbaric.
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SMITH: D4vd will be held without bail until an arraignment next month. He is pleaded not guilty to the charges.
An extremely dangerous tornado ripped through northeast Wisconsin yesterday, causing major damage. And according to a CNN analysis, there was no warning in effect before the storm touched down. A preliminary damage survey by the National Weather Service says the tornado was at least an EF-2. And here's another view of that devastation in the town of Appleton.
At least three tornadoes were reported in Wisconsin and Illinois. More than 250,000 customers across those two states are still without power this morning. We'll get you any updates as we get them into our newsroom.
Lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, including this. An intense rescue at the beach as a lifeguard battles the waves to save someone.
And President Trump is turning to the Supreme Court to try and change the way that some Americans vote. We've got those details for you.
And the TSA makes an unusual find in somebody's bag. Cannonballs? Yeah, that's coming up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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[05:14:13]
SMITH: A 15-year-old is in juvenile detention this morning in connection with Sunday's deadly shooting at a festival in Seattle, court documents reveal that police believe that he was involved in a gang related shootout at the event.
CNN's Julia Vargas jones walks us through what we know right now.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down, get down, get down, get down.
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Festivalgoers in downtown Seattle fleeing and ducking for cover as gunfire erupted. After at least two people started shooting towards each other Sunday, shortly after 6:00 p.m., according to court documents reviewed by the "Associated Press".
CHIEF SHON BARNES, SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT: Our officers, as well as members from the fire department, medic team, ran toward gunfire and in an attempt to render lifesaving aid and to disarm someone who was actively firing a weapon into a crowd.
[05:15:09]
JONES (voice-over): The shots were fired close to the city's landmark space needle at a popular food festival that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Machine gun just went off. Oh my god.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw families, kids, everyone. Just like running out of the out of the fair. Someone was yelling active shooter! I jumped the fence quickly and I ran.
JONES (voice-over): Three people, including one of the shooters, according to "The A.P.", were killed. A 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman.
At least four others were injured, including a two-year-old boy. Dispatch audio captured the tense moments after shots were fired at the bite of Seattle festival.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Suspect may have an automatic weapon. A rapid fire, rapid fire.
JONES (voice-over): Including calls to treat the child.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anyone have a small child tourniquet size?
JONES (voice-over): Only the toddler still hospitalized and he is in satisfactory condition, according to the hospital. It took stunned festivalgoers just moments to realize something was terribly wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shooting, shooting, shooting. Oh, right here.
JONES (voice-over): But soon, surprise turned to panic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a lot of chaos. You know, my brother actually got pushed, you know, and he fell. He's pretty bruised up right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Multiple shots. But I can't say how many. And then a lot of people didn't react at first because we thought, oh, it must be firecrackers or something.
JONES (voice-over): Two weapons were recovered after the shooting. So far, one suspect, a 15-year-old, is in custody.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Julia.
Police say that the 15-year-old suspect surrendered on scene. In court documents obtained by "The Associated Press", investigators said that they believe there were at least three shooters. The 15-year-old, an acquaintance who died at the scene, and at least one other unknown suspect. The teen is expected in juvenile court tomorrow.
Let's take you to Washington now, where President Trump is stepping up his fight for changes in the way that Americans vote. He is asking the Supreme Court to let his administration implement an executive order aimed at curtailing mail in ballots. This requires states to give the postal service lists of eligible voters. Anyone not on those lists would not receive a ballot by mail.
The president repeated some familiar and false claims in Michigan yesterday. Take a listen.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mail in ballots are inherently corrupt, except for illness, disability, military deployment, or travel. If you're in the military, you're far away. Absolutely. If you have to go someplace, absolutely.
But mail in ballots have proven to be a disaster. We're the only country in the world that in this form does them. There's no other country in the world because they're crooked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Twenty-three led states have challenged Trump's executive order, noting that the constitution leaves running elections to states, not the White House. A federal district court blocked its implementation for this year's elections in the states that sued, and a federal appeals court upheld that ruling over the weekend.
An update now on Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell. The 84-year-old Republican has not yet been cleared to leave rehab, where he's undergoing physical therapy. His office released a statement Monday along with a photo apparently taken Sunday with his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. Now, McConnell was hospitalized after a fall last month, raising questions about his health and when he'll return to the senate.
In his first statements, the senator says that he is, quote, "working hard" get back to his full schedule get back to his full schedule of work in the Senate. McConnell hasn't been seen in public in more than a month. And in a letter obtained by CNN, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear told the senator to disclose more about his health or resign.
We've got much more still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS including this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I asked her at some point, you know, do you feel like you need to be kept away from them? And she said, no.
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SMITH: A father takes the stand as the trial begins for his ex-wife, who's accused of killing their three children.
And listen to this new rule from United Airlines. No more robots. That is straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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[05:24:05]
SMITH: If you are in the market for a new car, be prepared for some sticker shock.
CNN's Jenn Sullivan explains what's driving the price higher.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENN SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That fancy high tech technology in cars is driving up the price. Last month, buyers paid an average of just under $49,000 for a new vehicle, according to Edmunds' transaction data. The average transaction price for a three-year-old used car was over 32,000.
IVAN DRURY, DIRECTOR, INSIGHTS AT EDMUNDS.COM: It could be everything from the powertrain to the infotainment system. Safety features, there can be a lot of change from one year to the next.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): Ivan Drury with Edmunds also says the car industry is still recovering from pandemic supply chain issues, when there was a very high demand for cars and not enough supply.
Sadly, the days of haggling over the sticker price are over, but Drury says you can negotiate things like your interest rate if you're taking out a loan or the car's warranty.
The best time of year to get a deal, Drury says January and February is when dealerships offer discounts on last year's models to try and move them off the lots.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[05:25:06] SMITH: United Airlines now says no robots on board. The company says it's specifically prohibiting humanoid and animal-like robots in the cabin, and as checked baggage. United says, those often use batteries not allowed on their planes. Other robotic devices, including some toys, may still be accepted if they comply with the existing requirements.
All right, let's stay in the skies here, or at least this item staying on the ground. A TSA officer in Alabama found something rather unusual in a checked bag. Five stolen cannonballs. They were stolen from a Civil War era fort that's now a museum.
That is the -- now, take a look at this here as we've got it on screen for you. The largest was the size of a grapefruit. Experts determined that they didn't contain any explosives, and they were returned to that museum. Good work.
Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, the man who pleaded guilty to killing four Idaho college students, now says he wants to go to trial. So, what are the chances that he'll succeed? That's coming up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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