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CNN Headlines: Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Push To Deny $5.6 Million Payment To E. Jean Carroll; NAACP Joins Legal Team Representing Family Of Mississippi Teen Nolan Wells; Investigators: Two Fraternities Tied To Cocaine Trafficking Ring In Pennsylvania. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired August 18, 2026 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:31:00]
BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: It's half past the hour. Let's check our top stories now.
It's primary election day in several states and in California there's a special election to replace former congressman Eric Swalwell. Florida is drawing the most attention with several high-stakes primaries on the ballot, while Alaska Democrats hope to flip their Senate seat.
The parent company of Facebook and Instagram is set to go on trial today. Meta being sued by 29 states who accuse the company of designing its platforms to addict kids, harm their mental health, and violate their privacy. The states are seeking nearly $1.5 trillion in damages. Meta denies the allegations.
And in the Tupac murder trial, day two is set to begin in a few hours. Duane Davis -- "Keffe D" -- is the first and only person ever charged in the 1996 shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur. Prosecutors called the murder an act of revenge and said Davis showed visceral anger at Shakur for years. Meanwhile, the defense argued there is a lack of facts in the case.
And one of the witnesses who testified yesterday was Garry Dale. He's a former police officer who actually rode in the ambulance with Tupac after he was shot. Here's what he had to say.
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MARC DIGIACOMO, CHIEF DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA: Did you wind up riding anywhere with Mr. Shakur?
GARRY DALE, RETIRED LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT: Yes. I rode to the hospital in the ambulance with him.
DIGIACOMO: During that time period between the time you get to Mr. Shakur and the time period he gets taken into the hospital, are you able to have any sort of communication with Mr. Shakur? DALE: He was still talking and I was trying to -- I was trying to convince him to tell me the name of whoever his assailants were.
DIGIACOMO: And did he ever respond?
DALE: Yes. He responded, "No, we'll take care of it." Something like that.
DIGIACOMO: "No, we'll take care of it."
DALE: "We'll take care of it." Something like that.
DIGIACOMO: And that's the only thing you were able to gather from Mr. Shakur?
DALE: Yeah. I couldn't get him to talk to me further than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff has caught the ire of President Trump after bringing up his personal aide, Natalie Harp during a re-election rally. Take a listen to what Ossoff said in the speech over the weekend.
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SEN. JOHN OSSOFF (D-GA): And while the sailors on the Lincoln fight his war while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings. He golfs and trades stocks. See, he doesn't want to do that job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar.
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ABEL: Trump responded to those comments in the Oval Office yesterday when questioned by CNN's Kristen Holmes.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yesterday Jon Ossoff said you'd rather travel with your aide Natalie Harp and build the ballroom than do your job as president. What is your response to Jon Ossoff?
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Who said that?
HOLMES: Jon Ossoff.
TRUMP: You mean Pee-wee Herman -- Pee-wee Herman lookalike? No, I would much rather do other things. It's a -- we're building a great facility here. We're fixing a White House that hasn't been taken care of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: Ossoff is up for re-election in November where he's facing Republican Congressman Mike Collins, a close Trump ally.
The Supreme Court has once again refused to consider President Trump's longshot effort to roll back his multimillion dollar payment to former magazine writer E. Jean Carroll.
CNN's Kara Scannell reports.
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KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. Supreme Court said for the second time that it would not hear President Donald Trump's appeal of a jury award to E. Jean Carroll. This involves $5 million that a jury awarded her after finding that Trump had sexually abused and defamed Carroll for actions in the 1990s.
Now this is the second time the Supreme Court has done this. Back in June they initially said they would not take up the appeal. And at that time the trial judge allowed for the transfer of $5.6 million that has been held in a court-controlled account that Donald Trump had deposited the money into. They allowed that transfer to E. Jean Carroll.
[05:35:10]
Trump's lawyers were fighting over whether that transfer was legitimate because they wanted a second chance to go to the U.S. Supreme Court to try to get them to take up the case.
Now, Monday the court is saying they would not do so. And E. Jean Carroll's lawyers saying that Trump's efforts now to try to stop this money is moot and that the money is hers in a restricted way.
Now this is not the end of the road for Trump's litigation with E. Jean Carroll. A jury separately awarded her $83 million after finding that Trump had defamed her for repeating many of these same statements, and that case is up on appeal. Trump's hoping that the Supreme Court will take that up though there is no timeline of when the Supreme Court will make that decision.
Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABEL: And now to an update in the mysterious case of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells. The NAACP is now working with attorney Ben Crump to push for information and accountability. It's been more than a month since the 18-year-old's death and still no clear answers on why he didn't come home from a July Fourth boating trip with friends.
NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson says the family deserves to know what happened.
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DERRICK JOHNSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NAACP: Actions speak louder than words. I'm still a resident of Mississippi and the state needs to deal with the perception with some real actions. It is unfortunate we are a month out. The initial response to the case was from the sheriff who took the words of the four young men as if it was fact and had not done a true investigation.
We are entering this conversation with no preconceived notions of anyone's involvement. But what we are saying is up to this point the family have not gotten the type of support and transparency from local or state law enforcement agencies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: Nolan Wells would have been celebrating his 19th birthday tomorrow.
The trial over the fatal shooting of a Microsoft design manager is underway. Prosecutors alleging it was a murder-for-hire plot hatched by his ex-wife and her husband.
CNN's Isabel Rosales has a closer look.
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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A tire sits in the middle of a dark Florida road. A father gets out of his car to move it -- his 2-year- old daughter still inside -- and seconds later he's shot dead.
Prosecutors say while the Microsoft executive didn't know his killer, the ambush shooting in February of 2022 was personal and allegedly, a murder-for-hire plot by his former wife and her husband.
More than four years after Jared Bridegan was shot dead the man accused of arranging his murder is now on trial in Jacksonville. Prosecutors say Maria Fernandez Saldana, who was married to Bridegan's ex-wife Shanna Gardner, hired a gunman to kill Bridegan after years of bitter conflict between Bridegan and Gardner.
The couple divorced in 2015 but continued fighting over how to raise their twin children, including arguments over doctors' appointments, school, and religion.
In opening remarks, prosecutors said Bridegan was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Gardner did not want her children to grow up to be Mormon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jared was very religious. He wanted to raise the children in the church.
ROSALES: Fernandez is the one currently standing trial. Gardner faces her own trial in September on four specific charges, including first- degree murder.
Prosecutors also point to a key break in the case -- a tire found at a rental property owned by Fernandez similar to the one that blocked Bridegan's car. Investigators says that tire was linked to Henry Tenon, a former tenant, who prosecutors say was the triggerman. Authorities say records show Tenon received $10,000 from Fernandez
after the killing, although the checks were signed off for reasons like landscaping and roof repairs. The defense says Tenon was hired to do work, not to carry out a killing, and that Fernandez had no motive or desire to get rid of Bridegan.
Tenon initially pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against Fernandez, but he withdrew that plea earlier this year. Now a jury will decide whether Fernandez was behind Bridegan's murder with two more trials still to come.
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ABEL: Investigators in Pennsylvania say two fraternities linked to Penn State are connected to a major cocaine trafficking case. More than a dozen people are charged.
Here is Pennsylvania's attorney general.
[05:40:00]
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DAVE SUNDAY, PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: What we learned during this investigation was that between 2023 and 2024 large amounts of cocaine kilos were brought from Philadelphia and New York to State College where they were cut and packaged for sale, primarily to Penn State students.
The two main dealers -- the top of the chain if you will -- were senior members of the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities. The evidence showed that cocaine was primarily packaged at the fraternity houses and that packaging was done by fraternity brothers and oftentimes pledges. In fact, we found a pattern of events that showed cutting and bagging cocaine was, for some pledges, an indoctrination into the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities.
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ABEL: Authorities say most of those who are charged were students at or around the time of the alleged crimes in 2023 and 2024. As for Penn State, the school says it's horrified by the allegations. It says the Delta Upsilon fraternity is on immediate interim suspension.
The frats' national office says it's working with Penn State and says that those involved who had ties to the group were expelled or suspended if they did not resign. The school says Sigma Chi is not a recognized group there and operates outside of the university's oversight. And the frats' headquarters did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A family feud is now swirling around a record-breaking sale of the Los Angeles Lakers. Controlling owner Jeanie Buss is fighting the sale of her family's remaining 18 percent stake. Her lawyer says the deal was falsely reported and accuses two of her siblings of leaking damaging information. Buss has led the Lakers since 2013 but could lose her position if the
sale goes through. Last week, former Disney CEO Bob Iger and investor Josh Kushner were announced as the buyers of a majority stake in the Lakers, valuing the team at $12.5 billion.
Topping Buzz Express this morning Netflix wants a judge to toss Tyra Banks' defamation lawsuit. The former supermodel and "AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL" creator sued Netflix in June. She says selective editing created drama and pushed a false narrative in the docuseries "REALITY CHECK: INSIDE AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL." Netflix says Banks is objecting to "ordinary editorial decisions," and she signed an agreement allowing filmmakers to edit her interviews without giving her final approval.
And we are getting a new look at Netflix's reboot of "A DIFFERENT WORLD," the popular 1990s sitcom.
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Clip from Netflix's reboot of "A DIFFERENT WORLD."
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ABEL: The reboot's cast features fan favorites from the '90s series like actors Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, and Jada Pinkett Smith, along with newcomers. It follows Hillman College's couple Dwyane Wayne and Whitley Gilbert's daughter as she attends the fictional HBCU. And it premieres on Netflix September 24.
Well, remember the movie "10 Things I Hate About You" from 1999? Who could forget, right? It is now a musical coming to Broadway. The movie -- it starred Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles based on Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew." Lena Dunham, on the left, is behind the new musical and Carly Rae Jepsen will be the person putting the music together.
And next on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS --
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(Explosion)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God.
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ABEL: A major explosion. What investigators say caused this dangerous blast.
And why this is now the most expensive new car ever sold at auction.
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[05:48:27]
ABEL: Out in the Pacific Ocean, Lala has strengthened back into a hurricane just as it was when it first hit Hawaii's Big Island over the weekend. In its wake at least one person was killed and over 100 homes damaged.
CNN's Leigh Waldman has that and the rest of your weather headlines.
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LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): More than 120,000 customers are without power across the Hawaiian Islands.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's moving again.
WALDMAN (voiceover): This video shows some of the powerful water pushing a government vehicle.
Over 43 inches of rain fell on the Big Island's mountains causing landslides and flash flooding that wiped out roads. Maui's mountainous region saw up to two feet of rain.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just seeing this and seeing how the road got washed away, it's just catastrophic.
WALDMAN (voiceover): Hawaii's governor Josh Green announced schools, courts, and government offices were closed Monday as the community comes together to repair the damage left behind. At least 100 homes were damaged and lost in the storm.
GOV. JOSH GREEN (D) HAWAII: Hawaii always pulls together as an ohana. It's an extraordinary thing to see as governor.
WALDMAN: On the U.S. mainland, the Midwest is reeling from deadly flooding that left at least seven dead in Indiana. Governor Mike Braun is asking President Trump for federal assistance.
GOV. MIKE BRAUN, (R) INDIANA: They are in the process of galvanizing FEMA to do a declaration which then speeds up that process.
WALDMAN: Roads and bridges across the stat were heavily damaged from the water. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett posted online that the city was "experiencing its most severe flooding in 30+ years," urging residents in some areas to evacuate immediately.
[05:50:07]
I'm Leigh Waldman reporting.
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ABEL: Let's go around the globe and see what's making headlines now, starting in the southern Philippines where a student was killed in a high school shooting there. Officials say the gunman was also a student who brought both a pistol and a rifle to campus. He shot and killed a 10th-grader before turning the gun on himself.
It follows another attack back in June. Three students killed and 20 others wounded when two of their classmates opened fire. The Philippines has relatively strict gun laws and school shootings are rare there.
Thousands gathered in London for a vigil honoring former Cambridge professor Jason Arday. Arday died by suicide after weeks of scrutiny over his academic work. The group "Stand Up to Racism," which posted the memorial, called the media coverage a "racist witch hunt."
CNN's Anna Cooban was there.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm incredibly sad. Actually really, really sad that somebody who was a respected academic and known to be vulnerable has been essentially hounded to death by a culture that really, on so many levels, pays lip service to an inequality and diversity agenda. I just think it's -- I think it's outrageous.
ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: I'm here at the vigil for Professor Jason Arday. Now, Jason Arday was a Cambridge professor who died on Friday. This is after weeks of relentless media scrutiny that many believed pushed him towards his death.
Now there's a lot of anger in this crowd today towards the media. I tried to speak to some people, but they don't want to speak to the media because they believe that he was subjected to this relentless campaign that was totally disproportionate for anything that he was accused of doing. He's accused of plagiarism, which he denied, and he became a flashpoint in a cultural debate that really went beyond any sort of reason. And he was ultimately a loving father, son, brother that is no longer with us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First, rest well, Jason. Rest well, Professor Arday. Your family are held tonight and always.
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ABEL: And if you or someone you know is struggling, we want you to know help is always available. You can call or text 988 or you can also chat online with someone any time at 988lifeline.org.
We'll be right back.
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[05:56:55]
ABEL: In today's Money Express, opening statements are expected today in a landmark social media case against the parent company of Facebook.
Maribel Aber is joining us with that and the rest of your top money headlines. Good morning, Maribel.
MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: Hey, good morning, Brian.
That's right. Opening arguments -- you know, they start today in California. This is a landmark federal trial against Meta. A coalition of 29 states accuse Meta of violating child safety and consumer protection laws. The states claim the company's social media platforms are designed to addict children and have misled the public about their safety.
Now, Meta denies the allegations and the outcome of the case could force the company to make major changes to its platforms and protections for young users.
Earlier this year, Meta was ordered to pay more than $375 million after losing a similar case in New Mexico for violating the state's Unfair Practices Act. The company plans to appeal.
Uber has announced a new partnership with drone-maker Zipline to get Uber Eats orders to customers faster. The companies say the goal is to make one million drone deliveries a day by the end of 2029. The first deliveries are expected by the end of this year in Zipline's existing markets with plans to expand to dozens of U.S. cities. Uber estimates the drones could reach customers in five to 10 minutes. The move is part of Uber's broader strategy of partnering with companies developing autonomous technology rather than building it all itself.
Red Lobster is bringing back its endless shrimp promotion with some changes. The fan-favorite all-you-can-eat deal was removed from the permanent menu three years ago. The promo is back for a limited time, dine-in only, on certain dates with select shrimp dishes to mix and match. It first returned in the spring, and the company says that run exceeded expectations. Red Lobster's CEO says they proved they could bring it back in a way that works for customers and restaurant teams in the business. You can check with your local Red Lobster for availability.
Brian, last time it was breadsticks. Who's hungry now?
ABEL: Me, me, Maribel.
Maribel Aber, thank you.
All right. How's this for sticker shock? Ferrari just set a new record for the most expensive new car ever sold at auction. The carmaker's first-ever fully electric car -- it sold for $40 million. All proceeds from the sale do go towards the Ferrari Foundation.
Some other stories making headlines across the country, starting in Georgia where police arrested a babysitter accused of kidnapping. Police say the mother left her 4- and 11-year-old daughters with the babysitter Saturday night, but when she got home all three of them were gone. Authorities say they found both girls Monday using cellphone data and they took that babysitter into custody. The girls are said to be in good health. There's no word yet on a motive.
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(Explosion)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God. Holy (bleep). (END VIDEO CLIP)
[06:00:00]
ABEL: That's a big explosion. Officials believe lightning sparked the massive explosion in Oklahoma. The man who filmed it says it shook the whole entire Walmart. The tank held a liquid fuel used in the production of gasoline. No one was hurt and officials say there's no threat to the public.
That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brian Abel. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
