Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Apple Announces New AI Product Features; Jury Deliberating in Hunter Biden Federal Gun Trial. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 10, 2024 - 15:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:33:40]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Apple is turning to artificial intelligence to reinvigorate its iPhone sales.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Yes, today, the tech giant announced a partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI. It's part of a new effort by Apple to supercharge its products and draw in customers with new AI features.

CNN's Clare Duffy joins us now. So Clare, what do we know about Apple intelligence? How is this going to work?

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Right, so Apple intelligence is what everybody has really been waiting for today. This is Apple's new AI model that will create new AI capabilities across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. And what's interesting about Apple intelligence is it's going to use a lot of the personal information that's stored about us in our devices, and it can learn from that and use that to inform its responses.

So just to give you a few examples about how this will show up on our devices. Apple intelligence is going to make Siri a lot smarter. So I could ask Siri to tell me about my dinner plans with my mom tonight, and it could go pull out the name of the restaurant and the time from my texting conversation with my mom, as well as travel time and directions from Apple Maps, all without me having to go and look for that information.

It will also allow people to use AI to get help writing emails, doing proofreading, or adjusting the tone of their emails. Users will also be able to create AI-generated images and emojis in text message conversations.

[15:35:00]

And then, as you said, Apple also announced this major partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI. So if a user's query is better suited to ChatGPT technology rather than Apple intelligence, they can opt in to use ChatGPT right from their Apple devices.

And I just want to briefly touch on one more really important element of this announcement today, and that's that Apple has really prioritized privacy in building out this AI technology. It said that most of the data processing for these Apple intelligence questions will be done right on a user's device, and that means that their information, their personal data, won't be going to an Apple server to be stored or used to train Apple's artificial intelligence technology.

KEILAR: And so, Clare, beyond those new AI features, what else did Apple announce?

DUFFY: Yes, it was a very busy two hours. We got a number of other announcements. Ways to personalize your iPhone home screen so you can change or customize the color of app icons.

We have things like the ability to lock certain apps on your iPhone so that only you can access them using your face ID or your passcode. There are new gesture controls for AirPods so you can answer a phone call just by nodding, and your AirPods will know you want to pick up the phone. And there are also new vital sign monitoring on Apple Watch.

So lots of exciting new announcements although these artificial intelligence updates are certainly the biggest news from today.

KEILAR: All right, we'll be looking for that, Clare. I really hope you are having dinner with your mom and it's not just a hypothetical.

DUFFY: I wish!

KEILAR: Oh, too bad. Well, hi, Mom, says Clare. Claire, thanks so much. We appreciate it.

SANCHEZ: Breaking news. Closing arguments are over in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial and jury deliberations have begun. Let's bring in former federal prosecutors Elie Honig and Elliott Williams.

First to you, Elliott, what do you think?

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: We shall see. Exactly. We shall see.

I mean, I think, you know, as we talked about a little bit earlier, this could sort of go either way based on the fact that clearly Hunter Biden's drug use came up at trial and was established at trial. However, prosecutors did not establish that Hunter Biden was using drugs on the days that he possessed the firearm. Now, common sense would dictate that he was.

I think, and this is what the prosecutors tried to tap into, you ought to believe that based on the evidence in the record, you believe this individual was addicted to and using drugs and knew he was addicted. But defense did poke holes, I think perhaps successfully, but we'll see into sort of the timing.

KEILAR: Does he need to be doing it on the day or just this idea that he's addicted on the day is enough?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: It's the latter. I mean, the defendant tried to -- the defense lawyers tried to say, well, if he's, you know, not doing drugs at the moment, he fills out the form because it's present tense, right? So the defense lawyer, Abbe Lowell, made a big deal about it.

It says, are, are you? Meaning now it's a little bit like Bill Clinton, is there a relationship?

We're now in the unknown. We're in the great black box of our jury process. We don't know what they're doing back there. They could be back with a verdict in an hour. They could be back with a verdict later today. They could take till the end of the week. We just don't know.

I do think this is a case, I agree with Elliot, I think he's pretty clearly guilty under the -- a reasonable take on the evidence, but there's also a lot of reason here why a jury may just say, we don't like this charge. We don't like this case. We don't like the way it was handled and therefore find a way to not return a guilty verdict.

WILLIAMS: And so we were actually talking about this a little bit earlier in the green room. The same statute provision involves barring the possession of firearms by someone convicted of a felony, right? That's easy.

You come into court with a certificate of conviction that says this guy is convicted and therefore shouldn't have had a gun. This idea of, and this is your question, Brianna, this idea of, was he using it on the day or the day before? Was he addicted after?

What does it mean to be addicted? Are you using sort of, and it's just fuzzy enough that a successful defense attorney and the right jury could sort of get to a point where they just aren't convinced of addiction. And I think that's the gray area.

SANCHEZ: To your point about the jury using common sense to determine whether or not Hunter was using drugs when he bought the weapon, this reminds me of a conversation we were having only a few weeks ago when Judge Juan Merchan in the Donald Trump case told the jury the rain metaphor, right? You don't necessarily have to see it raining to go outside and see the ground wet and see sort of puddles to know that it rained. Does that sort of apply here?

HONIG: I think it does because it's clear that it was raining here. Hunter Biden was an addict both before and after that he actually possessed the gun for those crucial 11 days. I think the question is, well, did it stop? Did we have a break in the rain in the middle? That's what the defense is saying. Well, for these 11, a little more than these 11 days, but they haven't proved that he was still using.

But I think there's both direct and circumstantial evidence. I mean, there's the before and after. There's also texts that Hunter Biden sends during the crucial period that say he's using, and the defense tried to argue, yes, but he was lying or he was just sort of fabricating there. That's a little bit tough.

[15:40:00] WILLIAMS: The rain metaphor is a great one and something, you know, a law professor would use because here you would say the person looked out the window before and saw rain on the ground, looked out the window a few days later and saw people walking around with umbrellas and so on. But at the time in question, did you look out the window and see if people were holding umbrellas and see that the ground was wet? Probably not.

KEILAR: Do you live in Seattle?

WILLIAMS: Or do you live in Seattle? It's always raining. It's always raining.

KEILAR: Let's go to Paula Reed. She's outside of court. Paula, just tell us where we are at this moment in this trial.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, the jury has begun its deliberations. In this case, we have about an hour until court usually wraps up around 4:30. So it's unclear, like Eli said, you just have no idea how long it's going to take a jury to deliberate.

They have to deliberate on three different counts and we're just watching and waiting to see if there is a verdict or more likely with juries, a note, a question, something that they would like to see, something they would like to review. We learned earlier that they will have access to some of the evidence that was presented in this case, but not all of it.

For example, they're not going to have the gun at the center of this case. They're not going to have the infamous laptop. So they could potentially send a note this afternoon asking to see something or asking for clarification on the law. But we are here, we are watching, and we are waiting.

And of course, these deliberations come after closing statements from both prosecutors and the defense. I thought it was notable that the prosecutors kicked off their opening statement by pointing to the gallery. When I was in court today, it was notable just how crowded it was in there. So many supporters and family members there to show their support for Hunter Biden. And the prosecutors pointed to those people and said they are not evidence.

So that was notable to me because it suggests that perhaps prosecutors are worried about, for example, the presence of the first lady on most days of court and this large show of support somehow undermining their case. I didn't expect them to kick off that way.

And then the defense had their chance to go and they really focused on the idea that there is no direct evidence of Hunter Biden using drugs during the time he owned that gun. They tried to undermine the credibility of two of Hunter Biden's ex-girlfriends who testified in this case.

One, a young woman he met at a gentlemen's club who spent long stretches of time with him. In 2018, provided a lot of the photos that we see with him and drug paraphernalia, but had nothing to offer regarding October 2018. They also took aim at his sister-in-law and one-time girlfriend, Hallie Biden, saying that, look, she couldn't even remember key details about when she discovered that gun in his truck.

But I think one of the most difficult moments in these closing arguments was when prosecutors brought up the testimony of Naomi Biden, Hunter Biden's daughter. She testified on Friday. Look, I was in court for that. It was clear it was very difficult for her. But she did, that testimony did provide an opening for prosecutors. And they reminded the jury that she testified that when she returned her dad's car to him on October 19th, 2018, she saw no evidence of drugs in the car.

But they reminded people that Hallie Biden testified that on October 23rd, when she discovered the gun in that same car, that she found it alongside drug paraphernalia. That is a really important connection that prosecutors have made. But bringing that back in the opening statement, something that is likely going to be very painful for the family, because that was, of course, a very difficult thing for Naomi Biden to have to get on the stand and talk about her father's addiction and what she observed in October 2018.

Even though she consistently said that she believed he was clean during the time he owned the gun, her testimony, her appearance on the stand, did give a valuable piece of evidence there to prosecutors. So we'll see what the jury thought of it. We're standing by, watching and waiting.

SANCHEZ: And Paula, if we could for a moment, let's take a step back and think about the extraordinary circumstances that got us here. We watched something happen that almost never happens with defendants. The plea deal that completely disintegrated as it was about to be certified, if that had never taken place and that had gone through, Hunter Biden wouldn't have gone through this trial to begin with.

REID: Yes, and this is the first of two federal trials that he will now face. This was expected, he expected, his lawyers expected, in many ways the Justice Department expected, that his legal problems would be resolved in terms of the federal investigations he was facing by a plea deal that imploded roughly a year ago. His lawyers were not satisfied when it could not be agreed upon that this would resolve all outstanding matters.

So it would absolve him of any future charges. They would not agree to that. And his lawyers objected to that. The whole thing imploded. He switched up his legal team. And now he faces this case here in Wilmington.

But then in September, he's also facing another trial out in Los Angeles. That trial in many ways is considered even more significant because it is more sort of roundly considered to be a more valid prosecution where even Senator Lindsey Graham, for example, a staunch Trump ally, has said this case here in Wilmington, quote, no good can come of that.

[15:45:00]

There's a lot of questions about whether anyone else would be charged here in Wilmington with this particular set of facts. But Los Angeles is a different matter. So we'll see what happens here. But then he goes to another much more lengthy trial in September.

So yes, this is not where they expect it to be. And in speaking with sources, there's also concerns about how he's going to fund this defense. He is not currently employed. His friend and attorney, Kevin Morris, has provided most of the funding, not only for his criminal trials, but also for his sort of litigious approach to his detractors. He has filed civil lawsuits against Rudy Giuliani, against his lawyer, Robert Costello, and other people who he feels have unfairly targeted him. That costs money, and he is running out of it. So yes, this is certainly not where Hunter Biden or his lawyer is expected to be.

KEILAR: Yes, it gets very expensive. All right, Paula, stand by for us. Obviously, a lot of things kind of moving and shaking there in Wilmington.

I do want to ask our lawyers here. It's about an hour, a little less than an hour. The jury may have this. Could they ask for extra time? I mean, just walk us through.

It was interesting talking during the Trump trial with jury consultants. They say a lot of times the jurors get into the room, and they just kind of do an initial gut check. Hey, this is my impression, or this is where I am. You know, if they're all on the same page, off the bat, there you go.

But if they're close, it might not be that far to come to agreement if they need just an extra hour or two.

HONIG: Yes, they might well do that. If the jury feels like they're close to a verdict, they can and will ask for more time, and they will almost always be given it. So we're being hypothetical here, but if a half hour from now they say we'd like to stay till 6:30, then stay close to your TVs, because that tells me they're getting close to a verdict.

SANCHEZ: We're going to actually stop for a moment and take a quick break. When we come back, the jury now has Hunter Biden's fate in their hands. Deliberations have begun in his federal gun trial.

Stay with CNN. We're back in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:31]

KEILAR: All right, the jury is deliberating in the Hunter Biden gun trial. He's facing three criminal charges, and it is now in their hands.

SANCHEZ: Yes, felony charges. It is obviously a serious case. He could be facing up to 25 years in prison, though it's not expected as a first-time offender that he would get the maximum sentence.

We're joined by our panel, Jamie Gangel, Elliot Williams with us. Jamie, first word to you. The challenge this is for President Joe Biden, watching his son. His fate is now in the hands of a jury. I imagine not what he wanted, especially going into a re-election campaign.

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: No parent would want it, and certainly from a political perspective, he wouldn't want it. And he has come out and said that if his son is convicted, he will not pardon him. So this has to be, you know, very difficult as a father.

I think it has been interesting. We talked -- this is like deja vu all over again after six weeks of the Trump trial, we're back. But it's very different at the same time.

So you've seen family come. Hunter Biden's wife's been there. First Lady Jill Biden's been there. His aunt, his uncle. The courtroom feels different from visitors.

And then also notably, there's just a big difference in, you know, Donald Trump was campaigning from not the courthouse steps, the courthouse lobby every day. This is very personal, but there is no question it has political ramifications. We don't know what they are, but of course it does.

KEILAR: Republicans are hoping that this sort of grime will rub off on the president. They're handling it very much as a family matter, as you said. But it is just so unclear whether that is going to be the way voters perceive it.

GANGEL: You know, if it wasn't for Donald Trump and all of his cases, I think we might look at it a little bit differently. You are all too young to remember Billy Carter, brother of Jimmy Carter. Roger Clinton.

WILLIAMS: Roger Clinton.

GANGEL: Roger Clinton. You know, different circumstances, different kinds of issues. But throughout history, actually, if you look at Neil Bush, who had some problems when his father was president. Members of presidential families do get more attention and do cause some ramifications, impact. But I think this is at a whole different level because Donald Trump's cases are going on and then Hunter Biden.

And this is such -- look, this is about drugs. This is about addiction. It just raises the whole level.

SANCHEZ: Partly because of the way that Hunter's substance abuse and his missteps have been used as political attacks in the 2020 campaign especially.

Elliot, something that Jamie said struck me, the fact that his entire family is effectively there, except obviously for his father, the president. What effect does that have on a jury when they're sitting there and behind the defendant is the first lady? [15:55:00]

WILLIAMS: And they're aware of the fact that it's the first lady. It's an interesting contrast to the trial we saw play out in New York before where there were a number of guests, high-profile guests, that sat in the courtroom. But I can assure you that most New Yorkers and, frankly, most Americans can't identify who, for instance, the Speaker of the House or Congressman Matt Gaetz are. Now, these are high- profile people that you see on CNN and other news networks, but many people just simply aren't familiar with who they are.

The first ladies across history, Hillary Clinton, let's go back, or Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, are immensely popular and also recognizable people. And I think the jury sees that. Now, whether that factors into their deliberations now, the judge will instruct them that it should not.

And prosecutors made the point to start off today that, you know, you're not -- don't worry about who's sitting in that gallery. But human beings see a mother that they know happens to be, by the way, the first lady of the United States, and maybe that plants something in their heads.

KEILAR: The fact that they had to say it is telling, right? Because there's sort of a fear of that. And the other thing that is also interesting, which has to do with the family, and because, as Paula had earlier pointed out, that there was this -- if there is at all sort of the piece of evidence or the testimony, it is that on October 19th, was it? You had -- 18th?

WILLIAMS: I think, yes.

KEILAR: 18th was when -- October 19th is when Naomi Biden returned the car and said that there were no drugs in it. And the gun had been purchased the day before. The day prior, I believe. And it was on the 23rd when Hallie Biden testified that there was the gun in the car and there was drug paraphernalia.

So in a way, you can see how the trouble that Hunter Biden may be in here because of testimony is because of what his own daughter testified to, right? That's going to weigh on the jury. And what I found interesting was Abbe Lowell, his attorney, really hammered the prosecution in his closing statement saying that the questioning of Naomi Biden was extraordinarily cruel.

WILLIAMS: Well, it might have been, but it was perfectly within bounds of what can happen in a courtroom. But it is the essence of circumstantial evidence. Now, a jury does not have to believe what they heard. They don't have to believe the prosecution's theory of it. But the simple fact is, someone is accused of having been addicted to drugs and possessed a firearm, and prosecutors have introduced evidence that prior to and after the date of the possession of the firearm, there was drug paraphernalia around.

Now, that's circumstantial evidence that there was a chain through that period where the person was using, but it's not direct evidence. No one saw him using on that day or during that period. And it's an open question as to what the jury will choose to believe. And more to the points we've been talking about here, this is intensely emotional evidence and with families and people weeping on the stand and so on.

And maybe juries consider some of that and thinking, wait, I just, I'm not buying what I'm hearing here. But who knows?

SANCHEZ: Jamie, we saw President Biden, the way that he handled the Trump conviction. He held a press conference at the White House and it was sort of a portion of what he was discussing. The bulk of it had to do with promoting this deal between Israel and Hamas.

He spoke about it maybe five minutes and we obviously heard what he said. How do you anticipate he might handle a verdict here?

GANGEL: So clearly it's probably going to be very different if it's an acquittal versus a conviction. But, you know, I don't know how he's going to handle it. I assume he will address it in some way.

But I think to your point, he tucked in the Trump verdict in a bigger announcement. It was not just an announcement about that. I also think it's very important to your point how differently the Bidens are handling this.

So, you know, we discussed earlier, Hunter Biden is not a candidate for president. That's one big difference. But also they are letting the justice system work. They are not fighting this. Hunter Biden does not come out every day and say the judge is crooked or judges corrupt. The system is rigged. It's a hoax. It's a witch hunt.

So here they are in the most personal kind and painful kind of case. But they've kept, you know, the justice system is working and they're not fighting it.

KEILAR: This is a critical moment here as we wrap up our hour that you have the jury now deliberating. And they may be here for a short while unless they ask for some extra time. They normally wrap up around 4:30 p.m. But they are deliberating in the federal gun trial of the president's son, Hunter Biden. He's facing three charges.

[16:00:03]

SANCHEZ: Yes, a potentially historic verdict, really no matter the outcome. Plenty of news to keep track of. Elliot and Jamie, thank you both so much.

"THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts in just a few seconds. Thanks for being with us this afternoon.