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CNN Headlines: Jury Hears Opening Statements, Testimony Against Duane Davis; Family Testifies To Decline Of Clancy's Mental Health for Months; Primary Election Day In Several States; Trump Says USS Lincoln Has Enough Food, Calls Reports "Fake". Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired August 18, 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]
BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Witnesses take the stand in the Tupac murder trial as prosecutors make new claims about Duane Davis, the man accused of orchestrating the deadly shooting.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The evidence showed that cocaine was primarily packaged at the fraternity houses, and that packaging was done by fraternity brothers and oftentimes pledges.
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ABEL: Arrests made in an alleged fraternity drug ring at Penn State, who officials claim were the ringleaders of the operation.
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REPORTER: What is your response to Jon Ossoff?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You mean Pee-wee Herman, Pee-wee Herman look alike?
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ABEL: A growing personal feud between President Trump and Democrat Jon Ossoff. What the Georgia senator said to trigger that reaction.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God. Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
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ABEL: A gas tank erupts in flames with a crashing boom. What caused this massive explosion?
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 going to begin in Las Vegas, where details are emerging about
the murder of Tupac Shakur after the first day of Duane Davis' trial. He is the first and only person ever charged in Shakur's murder nearly 30 years ago. Members of Shakur's family were in the courtroom Monday as they and the jury heard opening statements and testimony from the first four witnesses.
Prosecutors said Davis harbored visceral anger toward the rapper for years and alleged that Davis orchestrated the murder after Shakur allegedly assaulted his nephew.
Sherrell Hubbard has details on what the beginning of this trial has revealed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thirty years later, it may finally be time to face the music for now 63-year-old Duane "Keffe D" Davis. Davis has pleaded not guilty, but prosecutors say he is responsible for the death of then 25-year-old rap extraordinaire Tupac Amaru Shakur on the Las Vegas Strip.
BINU PALAL, CHIEF DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CLARK COUNTY: You will learn when the opportunity presented itself for retribution. Duane Davis made sure that the shooters were armed and ready.
HUBBARD (voice-over): Davis has been charged with first degree murder with a deadly weapon, with the intent to promote further or assist a criminal gang. In opening statements, prosecutors said Davis did not pull the trigger but alleged he orchestrated a hit on Shakur as an act of revenge after his nephew, Orlando Anderson, was targeted in a fight with the rapper. Prosecutors argue Davis effectively implicated himself through media and police interviews and a memoir, he wrote.
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The defense, for their part, are really saying, hey, you know what? You can't even show he was there. Our client was engaged in puffery. This was pure fiction. It was entertainment.
HUBBARD (voice-over): The defense argued the case lacks evidence. Ingrid Stokes, a witness who was in a car just ahead of Shakur's vehicle when he was shot, testified. Also, former Las Vegas homicide detective Brent Becker. Also on the stand Monday, Garry Dale, a police officer who rode with Shakur to the hospital and tried to get him to identify the person who shot him.
GARRY DALE, FORMER LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER: I was trying to convince him to tell me the name of whoever was assailants were.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And did he ever respond?
DALE: Yes, he responded, no, no, we'll take care of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABEL: Sherrell Hubbard, reporting there.
And as you heard, the jurors also heard testimony from a woman who was heading to the same club as Shakur and Suge Knight that evening and stopped at the same traffic light when Shakur was shot.
Here's what she had to say.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While you're waiting at that light, does anything happen?
INGRID STOKES, WITNESS WHO HEARD GUNSHOTS: Well, me and Celine were going to change seats. I was going to drive. I'm the more aggressive driver. After what? You know, she was nervous with them coming back in front of us. So much. So I -- me and Celine were literally head down, taking our seat belts off when we heard the gunshots, when all hell broke loose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And to be fair, you didn't see those gunshots.
STOKES: No, no, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: Now, today, jurors will see another part of a recording of a former LAPD investigator interviewing Davis. Davis has pleaded not guilty.
And you can get continued special coverage of the Tupac murder trial on CNN, All access, HLN and Amazon Prime hosted by Laura Coates. It begins at 11:30 a.m. Eastern.
Witnesses for the defense will take the stand for a second day in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. She's the Massachusetts mom accused of killing her three children.
On Monday, jurors heard from members of Clancy family, including her mother.
[05:05:03]
She testified that her daughters mental health deteriorated in the months before the children's deaths.
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PAULA MUSCGROVE, LINDSAY CLANCY'S MOTHER: One particular evening that was disturbing to me was that she was afraid. She was afraid to be alone, and she actually asked if she could sleep with me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When was that?
MUSCGROVE: That was late November, early December.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And did she indeed sleep with you on that occasion?
MUSCGROVE: She did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: Her mother also recalled the moment Lindsay told the family she was afraid of hurting her children.
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MUSCGROVE: I remember her being very nervous. I remember her saying, I just have to tell you guys something. And then she told us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did she tell you?
MUSCGROVE: She told us that she had thoughts of harming the children.
(ENDVIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: Testimony resumes this morning at 9:00 Eastern. Clancy has also pleaded not guilty.
Happening today, voters in several states are heading to the polls for another round of high-stakes primaries, and there's a special election, too. Alaska has a senate seat Democrats hope to flip. Among others, Wyoming Republicans are also weighing their options, but it's Florida drawing the most attention. One House GOP race there was called a clown show by a Republican observer.
All the candidates are eager to replace Congressman Byron Donalds, who is running for governor. As for that race, Donalds is likely to defeat Jay Collins and the rest of the very crowded field. He never earned Governor Ron DeSantis endorsement, however, but he did get the presidents nod over the weekend. The winner is likely to face Democrat David Jolly.
Meanwhile, Democrats have their own crowded race thanks to redistricting. Longtime Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to run against four Black candidates in a historically Black district after Republicans wiped out her old district.
And on Monday, the White House defended President Trump's decision to vote absentee in the Florida primaries. He has repeatedly sought to limit the use of mail in ballots, claiming without evidence that it's a major source of election fraud.
And in California, a special election to replace former Congressman Eric Swalwell. You may recall he resigned from congress in April after several women accused him of sexual misconduct, which he denies.
President Trump is pushing back on reports of poor conditions and low morale on board the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: The Lincoln has been out there for a period of time, good period of time. But over the years we've had them out there much longer. I was at a group meeting and an admiral came up to see me over the weekend, and it was at a big group, and he happened to be an admiral, retired. He said, I've been on ships that are out there much longer than that, sir. And I know people on the Lincoln. They say it's beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of. And other people went out and they found out to be true. It was fake news reporting from CNN.
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ABEL: Sailors and their families tell CNN the ship has sometimes run short on food and hygiene supplies and has also had problems with its water system. The aircraft carrier has been deployed for nearly nine months after being sent to the Middle East to support U.S. operations in the war with Iran. The ship may actually break a record for the longest trip away from its home port for a U.S. carrier since the Vietnam War.
The White House is sending mixed messages about the top priority in the Iran war. President Trump undercutting some of his top officials, saying this.
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TRUMP: They want to make a deal, but they're not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary. Look, we're in there for one reason. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. You understand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon.
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ABEL: Those comments come after the vice president said last week there are two war goals, and one of them includes keeping up the flow of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf. Trump also threatening to bomb Oman, a key regional ally, if it interferes with his objectives in the Strait of Hormuz. He says his comments on fox news came as the 60-day deadline for peace talks between the U.S. and Iran expired, with no end to the war in sight.
The Pima County sheriff's department says human remains have been found in the desert not far from Nancy Guthrie's home. But it says those remains are not connected to the case at this time.
CNN's Samantha Lindell reports.
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SAMANTHA LINDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Police say human remains have been found in a desert around 15 miles from Nancy Guthrie's Arizona home. The Pima County sheriff's department said there's no indication at this time that the remains, which appear to have been at the location for an extended period of time, are connected to the Nancy Guthrie investigation. Deputies were seen at the reported location of the remains in southwest Tucson. [05:15:02]
Guthrie vanished from her home on February 1st, and investigators are continuing to run lab analyzes on DNA found at her home. Savannah Guthrie and her family have offered a $1 million reward for intelligence that could lead to her mother's recovery
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ABEL: Lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a dad had just dropped off his twins at his ex-wife's house when somebody shot him. Now a jury will hear evidence against his accused killer, the ex- wife's new husband.
And the case against Luigi Mangione. Why he may not face a state trial in the death of a UnitedHealthcare CEO.
And Netflix pushing back against a lawsuit filed by Tyra Banks over a documentary on "America's Next Top Model". That's ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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ABEL: Federal officials say a controversial construction project along the U.S.-Mexico border has been temporarily suspended. CNN previously reported crews were using heavy machinery to clear land inside Big Bend National Park for projects tied to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Now, the agency's commissioner says he's heading to Texas to see the site for himself.
Here's CNN's Ed Lavandera.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We know that Commissioner Rodney Scott of Customs and Border Protection is going to meet with various officials from border counties all along the Big Bend border region. Many of these people have been very critical of the Trump administrations plan to build these border barrier systems in various different ways all along the river, the Rio grande in the Big Bend region.
And this comes a day after the commissioner announced that he is pausing construction work inside Big Bend National Park. We spoke with various people, residents, local business owners in the region who have been protesting and pushing back against the administration on these plans.
They say that while they welcome Commissioner Scott's visit, they are very cautious and apprehensive about what it will ultimately really mean for these border barrier system plans throughout the region. One person said that if Commissioner Scott doesn't alter any of the plans, people will go absolutely, quote, "nuts".
Another person said that it reeks of irresponsibility, that just now someone like Commissioner Scott is coming down to the region to talk to residents and business owners and local officials, given that the construction inside Big Bend National Park started almost two weeks ago. So, there's a great deal of apprehension and uncertainty about what this ultimately will really mean.
And we should also point out that after our reporting last week and the reporting of others, that the Department of Homeland Security went out of its way to say that the mainstream media was fear-mongering, what was happening inside Big Bend National Park? They said that it was not construction work, that it was survey work being done inside big bend national park.
But Commissioner Scott, in his own words, in announcing the pause of the work inside the park, described it as construction work. And I point that out because it's the kind of details and the kind of conversation that has really created a lot of distrust among residents and business owners in the Big Bend region, with the Trump administration right now.
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ABEL: All right. Ed Lavandera there.
A judge has delayed the state murder trial of Luigi Mangione until December. It was scheduled to begin next month. He pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week. His lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the state murder case. They argue trying him in New York would amount to double jeopardy and violate his constitutional rights.
We are learning new details about the sudden death of actress Hayden Panettiere at just 36 years old. That includes a 911 call about a reported cardiac arrest at the South Carolina apartment complex where she died.
CNN's Omar Jimenez has more.
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OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We're learning new details about the death of Hayden Panettiere, including that emergency officials were responding to a 911 call about a reported cardiac arrest when they arrived and found her unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex from their medical personnel tried to resuscitate her. It wasn't successful, and she was pronounced dead about a half hour after the initial 911 call. This is all according to the Greenville County coroner's office.
An autopsy performed on Monday showed that there were no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death. That's again according to the coroner's office. But the official cause and manner of death are still pending. The results of additional testing. As we understand from Greenville police, the 911 call came from an
acquaintance. Panettiere has been known for decades across film and TV, going back to when she was a kid on "Remember the Titans", but also for shows like "Heroes" and "Nashville" as well. But she's also been open about some of the struggles she's faced off screen.
And while we still don't know the exact cause of her death, some of those off-screen struggles have included postpartum depression, alcoholism as well. A lot of it was detailed in a recent memoir. Bottom line this news has come so suddenly for so many fans.
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ABEL: Omar, thank you. Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, two little girls missing but now found. And police say their babysitter is the kidnapper. More on that story coming up.
And a reimagined version of a popular '90s Black college sitcom is about to make its debut. Get ready for a different world, literally in a different world.
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[05:24:21]
ABEL: Booking a trip. Getting more expensive and on top of the regular price, many airlines and hotels now offer travel insurance for an extra fee. Is it worth it?
Jenn Sullivan takes a look
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JENN SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Vacations are expensive. High airfare, hotel stays, fees, taxes.
And then there's the option of spending even more money for travel insurance. So, what is travel insurance? Do you need it?
BRIAN KELLY, TRAVEL EXPERT: Travel insurance is like all other insurance. You should have it, but hope to never use it.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): Travel expert Brian Kelly, known as the points guy, says if you're booking your trip on a travel credit card, you likely have some coverage for your trip.
[05:25:00]
But beware, many travel credit cards only ensure the cardholder and immediate family.
KELLY: The rule of thumb is travel credit cards often have coverage, and the more your annual fee, the better the coverage or the better the terms of the insurance.
SULLIVAN: Kelly suggests looking at the site insuremytrip.com for travel insurance and even health insurance, which you need if you're traveling abroad. According to their site, the cost is about 4 to 10 percent of your total trip, and its nonrefundable.
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ABEL: Thank you, Jenn Sullivan.
Today, Palm Beach International Airport changes its three-letter code to DJT, reflecting its new name, President Donald J. Trump International Airport. So, you will now see that new DJT code in flight searches, baggage info and airline schedules.
Ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, two fraternities, one alleged cocaine trafficking ring. More on what investigators say was happening inside those frats.
And the big Lakers sale is now at the center of a family feud. That's coming up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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