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Niva Ben Zion is Interviewed about the Released Hostages; Supreme Court Rejects Alex Jones' Bid; Gov. Ned Lamont (D-CT) is Interviewed about Mamdani. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired October 14, 2025 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:32:52]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, after emotional reunions, the 20 hostages who returned to Israel woke up in Israel for the first time in more than two years. Their nightmare may be over, but they do now face a long road to recovery.

With us now is Niva Ben Zion, a member of the therapeutic team for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Thank you so much for being with us.

What are some of the immediate hurdles these hostages will face now that they've been released?

NIVA BEN ZION, MEMBER OF THERAPEUTIC TEAM, HOSTAGE AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM: Well, you have to understand that for them and their families, 7th of October was just yesterday. Time stopped for them.

So today, what we're facing is the first day of the journey towards recovery. So, that means that they are going to face the -- facing the gap of what happened meantime. And a lot happened (ph). Their families are not the same. Themselves, they are not the same. And, you know, it's like sheer joy to see it, isn't it? Watching them meeting with their families. And it was an amazing feeling, really. But they are facing quite a journey ahead. Also, their families are facing a journey.

BERMAN: What do you -- yes, what do you tell the families about that journey and how they should approach it, especially at the beginning?

BEN ZION: At the very beginning, the only thing that we are advising is to let them experience again the freedom of choice, since they were deprived of that for so many days. This is the first thing that we advise. I mean, not to push them, not to advise, not to suggest, but let them decide. From the bits and bytes of life, you know, what to eat, when to eat.

[09:35:07]

And the main thing, of course, is like being together with them. So, that's the hug that they need. Feeling safe again. Being able to choose.

BERMAN: You put it in such stark --

BEN ZION: This is what we advice.

BERMAN: Such stark and simple terms there. I'm not saying it is simple, but the idea of choice, just the idea of choice not having existed for more than two years and helping them understand and appreciate that it is now there.

What about change? The idea of what's changed. Because I don't know that you ever can have your October 6th life back. So, how do you approach that?

BEN ZION: First of all, you know, you probably know that there is no such thing as this button that we can press and go back. Nor can we have the crystal ball looking forward, you know. But no one can really have the life that he had before. So, the only -- the only way is forward. And what we look is -- is not necessarily a change, because change can be frightening, but development would be the -- development and growth because we know that families facing this ordeal needed to harness a lot of abilities that they didn't even imagine that they have within them. And they did that. Also the hostages, the survivors themselves, they harnessed a lot of abilities in order to survive their. So, it's about their abilities that has been developed and going forward from that, you can't go back, you can't rewind.

BERMAN: Niva Ben Zion, I have to say --

BEN ZION: I wish we could.

BERMAN: I understand why people like talking to you and how you have helped so many people. I really appreciate your time this morning. Thank you so much for coming on. Appreciate it.

BEN ZION: Thank you.

BERMAN: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem filmed a video that she wants played at airports across the country. Why some airports are refusing to show it.

And just moments ago, the markets opened on Wall Street. Oh, look at that. So, there have been some wild swings over the last several days. Way down at the end of last week. Then up again yesterday after the president threatened huge tariffs that appeared to back off. Well, today, after being down and up, appears to be down again. Whoo, down more than a percent after the opening bell. Going to look into what's going on here because this will not make people happy.

Stay with us.

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[09:42:47]

BERMAN: All right, we do have some breaking news from the Supreme Court. We just learned the court will not hear an appeal from conservative provocateur Alex Jones on the $1.4 billion judgment to Sandy Hook families.

Let's get to CNN chief Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic.

What does this mean exactly, Joan?

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN CHIEF SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Yes, that's billion with a b, and the rejection could not have been more out of hand. Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist, had made a last-ditch appeal to the Supreme Court. And today, without any kind of recorded vote or comment, the justices just outright denied it. In fact, they had -- once Alex Jones had appealed this ruling, which, as you know, had been assigned because of juries finding him liable for defamation and emotional distress for calling the Sandy Hook massacre of all those schoolchildren a hoax.

He had made this last-ditch appeal. And the Supreme Court justices didn't even call for a response from the parents who had won in lower courts, this huge billion-dollar award. This was predicted that they would not intervene here.

But what it means now is it's the end of the road for Alex Jones and what he had claimed, John, as our -- our viewers probably sadly remember back in 2012, some 20 school children were killed, six adults, educators were murdered then, and he -- he lied to his audience and called it a hoax. And the families sued, and they won. They won in two sets of courts. And he kept getting rejected in various attempts not to have to sell his Info Wars network and -- and have to pay up. But the Supreme Court itself is not going to be involved here. As you know, "The Onion," the satirical magazine, had made a bid to try to purchase that -- purchase his business entity. And this -- this might help that go forward now. But for him, he has no outlet from the nation's highest court.

John.

BERMAN: No help from up above on this.

BISKUPIC: No.

BERMAN: Some peace, more peace for these families that suffered so much.

BISKUPIC: Yes.

BERMAN: Joan Biskupic, thank you very much for that update.

Sara.

[09:45:01]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, new this morning, Instagram has some new restrictions now. Teens are getting a tighter digital leash. The platform's latest crackdown aims to clean up the teenage scroll.

And SpaceX Starship launching and landing for a test flight. It's most ambitious test yet. How it did, coming up.

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SIDNER: New this morning, CNN has learned that New York Governor Kathy Hochul will hold an event alongside New York City Democratic Mayoral Nominee Zohran Mamdani later today. This will be the first time Hochul will be appearing with the mayoral frontrunner, with the election now just three weeks away.

[09:50:04]

She has already endorsed him. But a Mamdani win is leading to concern for another governor of a neighboring state.

Joining me now is Democratic Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut.

Thank you so much for being here.

Governor, you recently raised some concerns about what you see as the potential economic ripple effects in Connecticut if Zohran Mamdani wins as mayor in New York. What are those concerns?

GOV. NED LAMONT (D-CT): Hey, Sara.

What I did say was that the next mayor of New York City has got to be very cognizant that New York City is the financial capital of the world. And as governor of Connecticut, we're a big piece of that ecosystem. So, I want to make sure that they pay special attention to all the jobs and the productivity and GDP, that that's represented.

You know, my job is to work with whoever the next mayor is, because we have a very close relationship with New York City.

SIDNER: I'm curious, will you support the mayor if he wins? Do you support his -- his candidacy now?

LAMONT: If the mayor wins, absolutely. I'm going to work with the mayor. And I look forward to that. It's very important. It will be a transportation. Before that, it was Covid, financial issues where we share, we'll be working together.

SIDNER: Let me ask you about another huge issue that is affecting your state. You recently authorized using state funds to support Connecticut's WIC program that helps feed children under the age of five and gives nourishment to low-income pregnant mothers. In your view, should Democrats continue to hold out for the funding of health care subsidies set to expire, even if it means that people will get hurt in the interim i.e., what is happening with WIC?

LAMONT: I think they should hold out. I think the idea that you're going to jack up people's health care costs and health insurance premiums by $1,000 a month is unconscionable.

Hey, look, I hear this from governors on both sides of the aisle. You know, all the states, we have a balanced budget amendment. We have to get our budgets done on time. I think it's time for the federal government to step up and get their act together.

As far as I can figure out, Sara, they've all agreed they're going to negotiate about the health care costs. The question is, do you do it now during the shutdown, or you do it ten minutes after the shutdown ends? I think they can figure that out.

SIDNER: You yourself have -- have found yourself in a bit of controversy over funding when it comes to the WNBA team that exists in Connecticut, the Connecticut Sun. And you've proposed using the state's pension fund to invest in the WNBA team to entice it to stay there in Connecticut. Why is that? And what do you say to critics who worry that this might be playing with -- with state pensions?

LAMONT: Hey, look, I think Connecticut is the home of women's basketball, starting with UConn Huskies and Geno Auriemma. I love the fact that the Connecticut Sun play in Connecticut. I'd like to see them stay here. We're trying to come up with different ways that we can keep them here in the state of Connecticut. There's some boo (ph) birds on the sidelines who aren't sure if they want to keep the Sun in Connecticut. I'm going to try and put in place the best option I can for the legislature and the investors to decide upon.

SIDNER: Do you think it's a good idea to use the -- sort of invest in it with the state's pension fund? Because, as you know, the unions are --are very much against this.

LAMONT: Look, I think it's definitely an option. Look, the Mohegan Tribe made 32 to one on their money, on their investment in the Connecticut Sun basketball team going back over the last 20 years. So, I think it's, a, a pretty good investment, but we've got to decide that. I know it's also very important for the city of Hartford and the state.

SIDNER: Governor Ned Lamont, do appreciate you coming on this morning bright and early to start your day. It's good to see you.

John.

BERMAN: All right, this morning, Instagram is going PG-13 for teenagers. The social media platform says it is cracking down on what millions of young people can see. This includes, they say, not promoting and even hiding posts that contain foul language or show risky stunts or drug paraphernalia. Teenagers will also not be able to follow accounts that share inappropriate content. The changes take effect when users install the app's newest update.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right.

BERMAN: Or me?

SIDNER: No, I -- I'll take it away. I will take it away.

SpaceX's Starship mega rocket successfully completing an hour-long test flight. The company has had a rocky year of test missions. But Starship, the most powerful launch vehicle ever built, did manage to hit its goals yesterday, including deploying mock satellites and relighting an engine while in space.

[09:55:04]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's our landing burn. Three down to two.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Starship has landed.

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SIDNER: SpaceX says -- you hear the cheering there -- the focus of the shifts now to larger rockets and tougher tests, including fuel transfer in orbit. That step has never, ever been done. It is a key before real payloads and future moon missions. But you see there what happened. This was not intended. Another explosion, though it was after the mission had been completed there.

OK, a new blood test could help doctors rule out Alzheimer's disease sooner. The FDA just clearing a blood test for adults over 55 showing signs of cognitive decline. The test measures a key protein linked to Alzheimer's, helping primary care physicians identify who might need further evaluation. And experts call it another step towards earlier detection and treatment for millions of people who are at risk.

I'm definitely going to be taking that test because, honestly, like every time you lose your keys or you forget a word or you can't say the word gourd, you start to -- to worry that there's some decline going on here.

BERMAN: But we're way younger than that 55 year age. We're so much younger.

SIDNER: Oh, yes.

BERMAN: We don't have -- we don't have to worry about it for -- for minutes.

SIDNER: But we're close.

BERMAN: All right, thank you all for joining us. This has been CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM" is up next.

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