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Dallas Cowboys Player Dies; UPS Cargo Plane Crash Investigation; Video Shows Pastor Being Hit With ICE Pepper Bullets; Small Walks Equal Big Benefits; Could Supreme Court Overturn Same-Sex Marriage?. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired November 06, 2025 - 11:30   ET

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

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WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: At least seven New York City firefighters are recovering this morning after a car fire ended in an explosion in the Bronx. The blast sent debris flying into the street. Several firefighters suffered burns to their hands and faces.

Fortunately, they're all expected to make a full recovery. Officials say it's unclear what started the fire.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Well, there is growing concern among some that the Supreme Court could be on the verge of overturning same-sex marriage here in the United States.

Tomorrow, the court is set to discuss whether to hear a challenge to Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 decision that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples nationwide.

I want to discuss this now with James Obergefell. He was a lead plaintiff in that case. He also is the author of "Love Wins," which chronicles his fight for marriage equality.

James, nice to see you. I will never forget that day. After you won your case, I was interviewing you on the steps of the Supreme Court, and President Obama called you, and we put it on speakerphone, and they had the mic right there for that conversation. It was a historic day, for sure.

And now here we are with this challenge being brought by former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis. She denied, as you well know, marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the ruling in your case. Davis' attorney says Obergefell -- quote -- "has no basis in the Constitution."

How concerned are you the Supreme Court decides to hear her case?

JAMES OBERGEFELL, LEAD PLAINTIFF IN OBERGEFELL V. HODGES: I am very concerned. At this point, I do not trust the Supreme Court. This court in their confirmation hearings, all of those justices either said or intimated that they considered Roe v. Wade's settled law, precedent. Well, that certainly did not stop them from overturning that decision, a decision that was law and a right that people relied on for almost 50 years.

So I don't believe marriage equality is safe with this court. So I am very concerned about them hearing her case and considering whether or not to hear it in court and release a new decision.

So, yes, in my opinion marriage is at risk.

BROWN: Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett doesn't think the Supreme Court should be -- quote -- "imposing its own values on Americans," arguing in her new book that rights to marry are fundamental.

What does that tell you?

OBERGEFELL: Well, if rights to marry are fundamental, then she should vote to retain Obergefell v. Hodges. She should vote not to hear Kim Davis' appeal.

And Kim Davis -- I would just like to remind people that there are people of faith in this country who believe that divorce is wrong. Kim Davis has been divorced three times. How would she have reacted if the judge appointed to hear her divorce petition said, well, I'm sorry, Ms. Davis, my religious belief is such that divorce is wrong, and, for that reason, your divorce petition is denied?

That's no different than what she is attempting to do to the queer community in the United States. This country is a country founded on freedom of religion, the right to practice your faith at home and in your place of worship without government interference or government persecution.

Well, what Kim Davis and others are attempting to do is to use their religion, their interpretation of their particular religion to persecute others who do not believe the same way. Kim Davis was a civil servant. She was there to serve every person in Rowan County, Kentucky, not just some.

And her faith, her beliefs were not harmed by those couples who came for a marriage license. Do your job, Kim Davis. And she was found in the wrong for that. And she should have to pay those fines.

And for her to go to the Supreme Court and say, well, marriage doesn't exist, the right to marry for queer couples doesn't exist in the Supreme Court, I would like to remind Justice Thomas, whose very own marriage relies (AUDIO GAP) Supreme Court (AUDIO GAP) and Obergefell both relied on the 14th Amendment.

So, if our marriages are not protected by the Supreme Court, why is his? And where does this end?

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OBERGEFELL: If we can allow public servants -- oh, I'm sorry, Pamela. Go ahead.

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: Oh, no, no, that's OK. I just had another question for you.

And I do want to note for our audience we have invited Kim Davis and her attorney on as well. As you know, her argument is that it was a violation of her religious liberty. Again, the justices today are going to conference about this and decide if they're going to take this up.

Congress passed the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022 under President Biden to protect same-sex and interracial marriages at the federal level. Does that bring you any comfort, even as you're concerned about the Supreme Court's path forward with this case?

OBERGEFELL: I mean, it does bring me some comfort, because that Respect for Marriage Act means that every marriage is -- has to be respected and recognized by all states.

But what it does not do is guarantee that a queer couple in a state like Ohio, which still has a Defense of Marriage Act on the books, doesn't guarantee that (AUDIO GAP) marry in their hometown in the state where they live. That is not marriage equality.

So I love that that law exists. I thank President Biden for signing it. And it gives me some comfort, but not full comfort, because people should not be forced to leave their home to go to another state to exercise a civil right that millions of others can do where they live.

So, yes, it's good, but it doesn't go far enough, in my opinion.

BROWN: I should note that conference with the Supreme Court justices is tomorrow.

James Obergefell, thank you so much. It's good to see you again after all those years from the Supreme Court steps.

We will be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of CNN's "Chasing Life" podcast.

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And you can hear more about how to optimize your health and chase life wherever you get your podcasts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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BROWN: Well, new this morning, we were getting a new look at a video showing a controversial incident where a Chicago pastor is hit by pepper balls during a protest outside an ICE detention facility.

And it comes from a lawsuit filed by the ACLU alleging law enforcement agents used brutal forces against protesters outside its Broadview facility. The video appears to show Pastor David Black being hit several times in the head and the body. The lawsuit claims Reverend Black was -- quote -- "doused with chemical spray that ICE agents directed at his face."

So let's bring in our Priscilla Alvarez with more on this.

So what more can you tell us about the video and the lawsuit here?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, by the way, what is currently happening right now is the federal judge is on the bench. So we are hearing from her as she reflects on what she heard yesterday and these videos that she has received from the federal government.

Now, the video there shows the pepper balls that rained down on this priest who was hit. Also yesterday, they talked about a photographer who was shot in her rib cage with a pepper ball, a local business owner who witnessed federal agents to pull away chemical weapons.

And the overall theme as this testimony was happening in the hearing yesterday was essentially that these tactics are so heavy-handed they have scared people, protesters, journalists, and have sort of had this chilling effect about recording these incidents and what's going on.

Now, what we are anticipating today is a ruling from the judge on the very matter of whether federal agents can be using these types of chemical weapons when they are confronting protesters, when they are engaging in these immigration enforcement actions. That has been the crux of this lawsuit. And, excuse me, what she said just moments ago is that the evidence --

she does not find the evidence credible from the government. So she has heard testimony. She has seen videos. There has been a deposition in this case with Gregory Bovino, the top official who has been leading the charge here.

And we are waiting to hear what she ultimately rules. But, clearly, she is not convinced that the times that the federal agents have used these heavy-handed tactics was warranted. So we will see if she changes the temporary restraining order in any way. Up until this point, it's that they could not use this force unless there was an imminent threat.

So we're still waiting to hear what she ultimately decides. But certainly, she has not been convinced by what the federal government has put forward so far.

BROWN: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thanks so much.

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BLITZER: All right, Pamela, happening now, multiple families are missing loved ones after a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff and tore through local businesses in Louisville, Kentucky, this week.

Officials say at least 12 people died as a result of the crash. Here's Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear describing the aftermath of the fiery crash.

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GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): As governor, I have seen a lot. I have had to order freezer trucks in a pandemic. I have walked the line of an F- 4 tornado through my dad's hometown. I have seen towns hit by flooding we would only describe as biblical. And what this scene is, is violent.

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BLITZER: And this morning, the National Transportation Safety Board released this photo. It's an image of the recovered cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the flight.

CNN's Leigh Waldman has the latest from Louisville.

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LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the first full day for the NTSB investigators looking into that deadly crash involving a UPS cargo plane here.

They have already unveiled the engine on the left side of that plane completely detached, this as we're hearing there are 12 deaths related to this crash with more expected. (voice-over): The debris field is a half-mile-long, a line of

scorched earth now running through local businesses that stood near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The impact and intensity of the wreckage, of the charred wreckage is unlike anything I have ever seen before.

WALDMAN: Graphic video shows the moment the MD-11 transport aircraft operated by UPS erupted into flames shortly after takeoff around the airport, leaving multiple people dead, likely including the three crew members who were on the flight, according to the mayor.

Videos from the scene show flames in an auto recycling yard and semitruck lot in an industrial area nearby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, right when she was FaceTiming me, a massive explosion occurred. And she said to me: "The scrap office blew up." And it was like hell's fury. I mean, it was indescribable, people screaming, people running, people trying to help each other.

WALDMAN: Investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board said the plane's black boxes have been recovered and will be taken back to Washington, D.C.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We feel comfortable, once we get these to our lab in D.C. that we will be able to get a good readout of the applicable data, and that will be yet another point of information that will really help us understand what happened during this point of flight.

WALDMAN (on camera): In addition to those black boxes, they're going to analyze any surveillance video, hoping that can piece together this puzzle. Last night, we saw them hauling away what appeared to be part of the engine that came off of that plane.

In Louisville, I'm Leigh Waldman.

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BLITZER: Thank you very much, Leigh.

Up next, new details about the death of a young Dallas Cowboys player who died earlier this morning.

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BROWN: Happening now: The jury is deliberating and the lawsuit filed by a Virginia teacher after being shot by her 6-year-old student. Abby Zwerner is suing former assistant principal Ebony Parker for $40 million, saying she neglected concerns the student had a gun.

Parker's attorney says that no one could fathom a child so young would bring a gun to school and shoot someone. We're going to continue to monitor the jury deliberations and, of course, we will bring you any updates. And we are also following before being, a huge fire at the home of

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. Our affiliate WSVN is reporting the blaze started at around 4:30 this morning. Spoelstra was just returning from an away game at the time. WSVN reports Spoelstra arrived on the property and he looked distraught, understandably, as he watched his home burn.

And this is what's left of his house, a smoldering shell completely charged -- charred. officials told our affiliate that no one was injured, fortunately. And we will continue to monitor this and bring you the latest -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And, Pamela, we're also following other breaking news. The Dallas Cowboys now say one of their players, Marshawn Kneeland, has died.

And we're getting new information on what happened.

CNN sports anchor Andy Scholes is joining us right now.

Andy, what are you learning?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes.

Well, Wolf, the Frisco Police Department, they put out a press release just in the last hour kind of detailing what went on last night that led to this. I will read part of it for you.

They say last night, about 10:39 p.m., Frisco Police Department, they responded to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety with locating a vehicle that had evaded Troopers during a pursuit that entered the city of Frisco. And after losing visual of that vehicle, Troopers located it minutes later crashed on the highway.

And initial reports indicated that a male subject later identified as Marshawn Kneeland fled the scene on foot. Officers established a perimeter. They started a search with dogs and drones. And during the course of that search, they were notified that Kneeland had expressed suicidal thoughts to his family.

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And then he was later located at about 1:30 a.m. deceased with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The cause and manner of the death are going to be determined by the Collin County Medical Examiner's Office.

But this is a tragic -- tragedy for the Cowboys. This comes just days after "Monday Night Football," where Kneeland, he scored the first touchdown of his career, second-round pick last year out of Western Michigan, Wolf. It's just heartbreaking. He was just 24 years old.

BLITZER: Heartbreaking, indeed.

Andy Scholes, thank you very much.

And this note: If you or a loved one is struggling, there is help. You can call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

BROWN: Well, thank you so much for joining us this morning. You can, of course, keep up with us on social media @WolfBlitzer and @PamelaBrownCNN.

BLITZER: And we will see you back here tomorrow morning, every weekday morning 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

"INSIDE POLITICS WITH DANA BASH" with our friend and colleague Dana Bash starts right after a quick break.