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CNN Live Event/Special

CNN Headlines: 1,000+ Dead, 4,400+ Still Missing in Nepal's Catastrophic Disaster; 2 Dead, At Least 1 Still Missing After Grand Canyon Flooding; Duane "Keffe D" Davis Convicted In Tupac Shakur's 1996 Killing; Supreme Court Allows Trump To Build White House Ballroom. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired September 01, 2026 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[05:00:28]

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that if they heard the alarms and the warnings, they either drove or they ran.

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BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: A desperate search in Nepal. A daughter looking for her parents. More on her story and the rescue efforts going on right now.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Count one murder with use of a deadly weapon -- guilty of first degree murder with use of a deadly weapon.

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SMITH: A guilty verdict in the Tupac murder trial 30 years after the rapper's death. We have reaction to the jury's decision coming up.

And a teen in North Carolina is charged in connection with a mosque shooting in California, even though police say she wasn't even there when it happened. We've got that full story and much more.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Brad Smith. This is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad that you're with us this morning.

Let's get this started. We begin with the urgent search and rescue efforts still underway in Nepal, and a warning that some of the videos you're about to see are disturbing.

But first, new video from that fateful day last week. It shows the power and the speed of that deadly wave of water filmed safely from above.

But so many people didn't have anywhere to go. A U.N. assessment suggests tens of thousands of people in Nepal currently need emergency aid. Police found 24 bodies in just one house alone. Local officials say morgues and hospitals are running out of space to

store bodies. Some were forced to dig mass graves for unnamed victims. Nepal's prime minister says that more than 11,000 people have been saved so far, but more than 4,400 people remain unaccounted for across both countries.

CNN's Anderson Cooper is in Nepal telling those stories.

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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360" (voice-over): We've seen remarkable rescues of workers stuck in sludge filled tunnels. But six days after the flood, hundreds may still be trapped. Hope is getting harder to hold on to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hope that we find somebody alive. Otherwise, we should be able to at least recover the remains of those people.

COOPER: And did you have any communication from them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We try to communicate voice communication. So we couldn't because, you know, there were a lot of debris in the tunnel, in the small tube. And so we couldn't make any visual communication, but we try to shout and things like that. But nothing.

People were stuck tend to panic much more than when they're outside in the open. And, you know, at least they can breathe fresh air. Getting stuck in a tunnel. You can't see anything. You generally see if you stay in the dark, you get disoriented about 24, 25 hours. So I think the first 48 hours is the most crucial.

COOPER (voice-over): Further down river at the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant, we find another rescue operation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Multiple are from Nepal police, Nepali army and special forces, and even the sniffer dogs here. So you can see here, this is a cable tunnel. So 170 meters inside. There's a powerhouse. So, I think there are about 45 to 50 people inside the powerhouse.

COOPER: That many 45 to 50.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because they are the working team inside the powerhouse.

COOPER: And they were here when the when the flood came.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the flood hit this area. They were inside, right? So we are trying now to exhibit all this away. And you can see the guys there. They are running there.

COOPER: Do you have any sign that they're alive?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, earlier, earlier we tried a -- the -- we tried a drilling there so that they might be some presence of oxygen so that we can send some oxygen there. I hope -- I hope they are.

COOPER: But you have -- you haven't had signs of life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have nothing yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Thank you, Anderson, for bringing us their stories.

Developing this morning, visitors to the Grand Canyon are being warned to stay away from closed areas after Saturdays deadly flash floods in the south rim. You can see the deluge of water rushing down this cliff over the weekend. Officials confirmed the park is currently open to the public following the flooding.

Two people were killed and at least one person is still unaccounted for as the National Park Service says search and rescue efforts are underway, but warned that other visitors may have been in the area without their knowledge. You can imagine just how powerful the overwhelming force of the water was. One hiker that was airlifted out, they say that the rising flood waters, quote, sounded like a train that was getting closer and closer.

Nearly all footbridges and many trails in the impacted area were destroyed by flooding and debris, making it difficult for emergency responders and heavy rain and the threat of more flash flooding. Complicated search efforts on Monday, but conditions are expected to improve.

[05:05:08]

Meanwhile, we now know the identity of one of the victims killed in the historic flooding. He's been identified by his family as the 53- year-old John Giusti. His wife calls him her whole world. The Texas chiropractor was camping and fishing in the canyon with two friends when the flood hit.

Sources tell CNN that U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has submitted his resignation following months of friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. We've learned Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Trump after speaking with him about the current state of the Army.

A White House spokesperson said Driscoll has been highly effective in advancing the presidents agenda and providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations. His departure comes six months into the war with Iran, which shows no signs of ending. It's unclear when Driscoll will officially leave the role.

A guilty verdict in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur. Duane "Keffe D" Davis was convicted after jurors deliberated for just three hours.

Here's CNN's Josh Campbell with more.

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JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: A stunning verdict coming nearly 30 years after legendary rapper Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in Las Vegas. Just moments ago, a jury in this courthouse behind me rendering a verdict for the man that prosecutors said orchestrated the killing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The verdict reads as follows. We, the jury in the above entitled case, find the defendant Duane "Keffe" Davis as follows: count one, murder with use of a deadly weapon -- guilty of first degree murder with use of a deadly weapon dated this 31st day of August 2026.

CAMPBELL: Now, throughout the trial, prosecutors had focused on Davis's own statements that he gave to the police and recorded interviews. When he spoke to the media over the years, he even wrote a book about the case in which he described his actions that night here in Vegas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do we honestly think a guy who was dumb enough to write a book could keep this story straight, this many times, this many times over? Mr. Davis is attempting to escape responsibility for a crime everybody knows he committed, even him, and he admits to it for seven or eight times over the course of 30 years. And there's no evidence contradicting that fact.

CAMPBELL: Now, for their part, the defense had implored the jury, sure, our client had spoken over the years about this case, but they asked the jury not to believe any of that, saying that Davis made all of those admissions up for money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're reading a book that is fiction and not fact, but the state wants you to believe that this is somehow a confession, that he was there and present at the time of the shooting.

The question is always going to be asked, why would he say these words? Well, obviously it was because he wanted to protect himself. He wanted to protect his family, and he wanted to make money.

CAMPBELL: Now, all of us who have followed murder trials always have the question, how long will jury deliberations actually go? Sometimes it can last days. In this case, just a matter of a couple, a few hours. The jury rendering their verdict.

Sentencing in this case is set for October 13th.

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SMITH: In a separate case, verdict watch enters a fourth day as jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial resume deliberations. Jurors have now spent more than 17 hours weighing the case. The outcome could mean life in prison or commitment to a psychiatric facility.

CNN's Ivan Rodriguez breaks this one down.

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IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN REPORTER: There's still no verdict in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial as jurors end their third day of deliberations. Back on Friday, we did hear from inside the courtroom as jurors requested to review Lindsay Clancy's prescription medications, as well as the knife she used in her attempted suicide. On Monday, there were no questions or requests reported from the jury.

The jury is deciding whether Clancy should be held criminally responsible for the 2023 killing of her three children, which she admits to her defense argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible. Prosecutors dispute that. Jurors are expected to resume deliberations on Tuesday.

In Plymouth, Massachusetts, I'm Ivan Rodriguez.

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SMITH: Thank you, Ivan.

New York police shot and killed a woman after they say she stabbed two people in Times Square, one of them fatally. We want to warn you that this next video is disturbing to watch.

We paused the video just before the suspect was shot. You could see dozens of stunned witnesses watching the incident unfold along the very busy intersection. According to police, it all started yesterday afternoon when a woman threatened people with two knives and then stabbed a man and a woman. Officers say they first used Tasers when she refused to drop the knives, but eventually opened fire.

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JESSICA TISCH, NYPD COMMISSIONER: The whole incident unfolded from the first stabbing until the conclusion unfolded in approximately five minutes. Four of those minutes were the police engaging the subject in dialogue, trying to get her to drop the knives. But the two stabbings happened within approximately 20s of each other.

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SMITH: And these are the two knives that police say were recovered at the scene. The man who was stabbed is in stable condition. Authorities say the suspect has a documented mental health history with the NYPD.

Massachusetts voters head to the polls today in a closely watched Democratic Senate primary that has become a debate about the party's future. Eighty-year-old incumbent Senator Ed Markey is asking voters for another six years. His challenger, 47 year old C Congressman Seth Moulton, says it's time to turn the page and make room for a new generation of leaders. Markey says he's still fighting for left wing ideals, while Moulton argues Democrats need fresh voices.

Tropical Storm Edouard is closing in on the Gulf Coast this morning. Happening now, outer bands are spreading onshore with bursts of heavy rain and strong winds ramping up. Now, meteorologists say that it could approach hurricane strength before landfall near the Texas- Louisiana border later today. Parts of the coast are already under a hurricane watch. We'll continue to keep tabs on that.

We've got lots more to come your way on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.

The Trump administration ramping up efforts to search out alleged voter fraud just weeks from the midterm elections.

And, war of words. The tense back and forth between the vice president and the Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan. That's in the details coming your way.

Plus, a rising music star appears in court for the murder of a 14- year-old girl. New developments in the case of singer D4vd.

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SMITH: The singer, known as D4vd, pleaded not guilty to murdering 14- year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Twenty-one-year-old David Anthony Burke is accused of killing the teen after prosecutors said she threatened to expose their relationship and damage his career as a rising music star.

Now, during the hearing, Burke also lost his high profile attorneys, and he now has public defenders. The next court date is set for October 19th.

Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee is pushing back against J.D. Vance. He says that Vance is using misleading statements to paint him as, quote, "very, very evil". Vance made those comments during a rally in Michigan, but El-Sayed, for his part, says that the Trump administration is the one perpetrating evil with its policies, trade wars and physical wars.

And to add to that, Vance suggested El-Sayed cared more about the members of the Muslim community than other voters. He also issued this warning when it comes to his wife.

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J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whatever you want to talk about, Abdul, keep my wife's name the hell out of your mouth because she's way out of your league.

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SMITH: Vance's remark comes after El-Sayed made a comment on social media that some viewed as racist about Vance's wife meeting the vice president's late grandfather.

But last night, El-Sayed told CNN he'd rather not talk about spouses.

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ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: Look, I'd rather not talk about spouses at all. The truth of the matter is that Donald Trump, almost as soon as I was nominated, tweeted a picture of me and my wife relative to him and his wife, trying to highlight the fact that my wife wears a hijab, as if to make an argument that that's somehow less American.

And they have this interesting dynamic. Donald Trump says one thing, i.e. data centers or tweets a picture of my wife, and then J.D. Vance pretends like it would be impossible for anybody ever to do something like that. So I'd like them to actually face down their own hypocrisy.

The point that I've been making about his wife is that he believes in a political philosophy that says that some people are somehow more -- more American.

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SMITH: As far as the comment about Vance's grandfather, El-Sayed accused Vance of invoking a time where people like me were less than normal.

We'll continue to track that.

Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, carry on. That is the word from the Supreme Court on the construction of Trump's $400 million ballroom project. More on the ruling, straight ahead

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SMITH: A new CNN exclusive reveals the Trump administration is ramping up its search into voter fraud with the midterm elections just around the corner. CNN has obtained internal guidance showing homeland security is sending more agents into the field and stepping up investigations in nine states. Those include Washington, Wisconsin, Missouri, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New York and Connecticut.

The agency has already assigned an unprecedented number of agents to election related cases. At the same time, DHS has pushed states to turn over voter rolls and warned it could withhold grant money from those that reject a broader package of election changes. Experts say that there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in recent elections.

The Supreme Court gave the green light for President Trump's new ballroom, at least for now. It rejected a challenge from a preservation group.

CNN's senior legal analyst, Elie Honig, breaks down this ruling.

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ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYS: This is the big decision. This is a 5-4 ruling where the five justices in the majority were five of the courts six conservatives. Importantly, the Supreme Court did not reach or rule on the actual legality or illegality of the ballroom construction. Instead, what the majority said today is we don't even reach that because as a threshold matter, we find that the plaintiffs here cannot establish standing, meaning they can't show that they stand to suffer concrete, specific harm.

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Now, the plaintiff here is the National Trust for Historic Preservation. That's a nonprofit, and they base their standing argument on the claim that one of their members, who happens to be a professor, sometimes walks through the area and would suffer esthetic, cultural and historical damage.

And the Supreme Court simply says the majority, that's just not enough. That's not concrete enough. That's not specific enough.

So they never reached the merits. And they say it's unlikely this lawsuit will succeed. Therefore, we are not going to block the construction, which can continue now.

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SMITH: Thank you, Elie.

The decision will likely allow Trump enough time to finish the project, while the legal fight plays out.

Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, the search for victims goes on in Nepal as others are trying to pick up the pieces from floods that have claimed more than a thousand lives. Coming up, the latest on the situation there.

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