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Georgia School Shooter Pleads Guilty; New Trump Tariffs; Measles Cases Hit 35-Year High; U.S. Launches New Attacks on Iran. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired July 24, 2026 - 13:00   ET

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

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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: No respite. The U.S. carries out its 13th consecutive night of attacks on Iran, the strikes coming amid confusion over a potential cease-fire proposal.

BRIAN ABEL, CNN HOST: Plus: a grim milestone. The latest figures from the CDC show measles cases in the U.S. have hit a 35-year high. We will break down what this means for you and your family.

And powerful scenes inside a Georgia courtroom after a teen school shooter pleads guilty to killing two teachers and two students, survivors and loved ones describing how the attack changed their lives forever. You will hear their emotional statements ahead.

We are following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KEILAR: Happening now, we're following new strikes between the U.S. and Iran, as officials from both sides are now disputing a report in "The New York Times" that Tehran rejected a cease-fire proposal from President Trump.

But, this hour, no cease-fire appears in place, the U.S. launching its 13th straight night of attacks, while Iranian state media says Tehran targeted U.S. assets in Bahrain and Jordan. Earlier, sirens were heard blaring over Bahrain, and Kuwait's military now says it's intercepting hostile targets from Iran.

Questions are hanging over President Trump's next move after he told Axios: "I am considering a massive attack, bigger than ever before."

CNN's Betsy Klein is live at the White House with more.

Betsy, that kind of warning would carry a lot of weight, except we have heard many warnings from the president where he's made them and then backed away. So what are we making of these conflicting statements about the cease-fire and about this threat from the president? BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Brianna, if

you're trying to make sense of both the state of this conflict and the strategy going forward, you are getting very mixed signals right now, as you just mentioned, President Trump telegraphing this idea of a massive attack.

This is something that he has threatened before. He has said he could go after critical infrastructure, things like roads, bridges, Kharg Island, that key oil hub, as well as Pickaxe Mountain, which is believed to be an Iranian nuclear site.

It's unclear if this is just a strategy to get Iran back to the negotiation table, but this comes as we have seen those 13 consecutive nights of U.S. strikes in Iran. And we are getting new intelligence from the U.S. intelligence community, according to two sources, that the strikes that the U.S. is currently carrying out are unlikely to shift Iran's negotiation position.

Meanwhile, "The New York Times" reports that Iran has rejected a cease-fire proposal that was delivered to Tehran by Iraq's prime minister, who recently met here at the White House with President Trump. According to Iranian officials, they did not want this temporary deal that did not ultimately resolve the idea of who has control over the Strait of Hormuz, which has been really at the center of this conflict.

Now, Iran's state media is pushing back. They say that this is -- quote -- "diversionary and misleading." A U.S. official also saying that this "New York Times" reporting is -- quote -- "not accurate."

But, in President Trump's words, Iran, he says, is not ready yet to get back to a diplomatic solution, to come to the negotiation table. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also very notably telling "The Wall Street Journal" that the U.S. strikes will continue until they come to the table in what President Trump deems a meaningful way, no real clarity there.

But the president also said today that he doesn't believe that China and Russia, two key U.S. rivals, are providing weapons to Iran. He did issue this warning in a new post to social media, saying -- quote -- "Two major countries that people speak of often in terms of Iran are, in my opinion, not participating. If they did, it would be very bad for them, certainly not in their best interests."

Of course, we should also note that this directly contradicts testimony from Pentagon official Pete Hegseth. He said that China and Russia are at different labels -- at different levels enabling some of Iran's activity.

KEILAR: And, Betsy, the four soldiers who were killed over the weekend have actually been removed from the Pentagon's list of casualties. They were on the Web site Wednesday. It was listed as 18 who had died in this war with Iran. Thursday, it was at 14.

What are you learning about this?

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KLEIN: Well, this was first brought to our attention by a report in "The New York Times."

And "The New York Times"' reporting indicated, according to three military officials, that there had been some internal disagreement about whether those four U.S. service members who were killed over the weekend should be included in the count because they were all killed after President Trump signed that cease-fire deal, which, as we know, has fallen apart, but a Pentagon spokesperson providing some clarity.

They say that this is a temporary data disruption and it will be resolved. But we just checked right before I came on air. That count right now is still 14, Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Betsy, thank you so much -- Brian.

ABEL: New data from the CDC now shows that measles cases in the U.S. have hit a 35-year high. More than 2,300 cases have been reported this year, already surpassing all of last year. It is a grim milestone, given the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. more than a quarter-of-a-century ago.

CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell joins us now.

And, Meg, it's now the second year here that the U.S. has seen record- breaking measles cases. What more are you learning?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brian, the trajectory of measles cases in the United States is really not what you want to be seeing.

So, if you go back over the past few years, this is where we are right now in 2026. Halfway through the year, as you noted, we're already higher than this record year we saw last year for measles cases in the U.S. Even just in the past couple of years before that, you're seeing much more typical measles years in the U.S., only 63 cases in 2023, but now, in each of these two years, surpassing 2,200 cases.

And, of course, we're still going here this year. And that's because we have had a couple of very big outbreaks, and there are also multiple outbreaks that are still going on. So, last year, of course, we had that big outbreak in West Texas, where two children died.

We also had a big outbreak that started in October in South Carolina and which ended in April. Right now, there is a simmering outbreak still going on in the border between Arizona and Utah. That one is still recording new cases. It began last summer. And if it's determined that one has ongoing transmission for more than a year, that puts us at risk of losing measles status, which, as you noted, we earned in the year 2000.

And so if you look historically at where we are just compared with going back to 2010, these are obviously very outsized years we are seeing for measles in the U.S. And a lot of that can be traced to where we are with vaccination rates. If you look at vaccination rates for kindergartners, going back to

before the COVID-19 pandemic, we were above 95 percent nationally. And experts say that's the threshold we really need to get to with measles vaccination because it is such a contagious virus, the most contagious that we know of. So we need 95 percent vaccination to reach herd immunity to protect folks who don't get enough protection from vaccines.

Now, though, after the pandemic, we're down to 92.5 percent on a national basis. And if you look state by state, that really varies. These green states are the only ones that have that 95 percent status. And if you go even deeper into counties, communities, and schools, you see much lower vaccination rates.

We also have been seeing that the majority of these cases have been in school-age children, kids under the age of 19, and the vast, vast majority not vaccinated or their vaccination status what is contributing here, and to this concern that, when officials meet in November, they could say we have lost that elimination status, Brian.

ABEL: Certainly not the direction that we want.

We're learning also that the CDC has now linked four more states to that cyclosporiasis outbreak. That now makes it nine states with related cases. What more can you tell us about this expansion?

TIRRELL: Yes, so, of course, this is this parasite which causes this horrible diarrhea that thousands of people across the United States now have recorded to have had.

And this is really focused in the Midwest, but it had been this one outbreak thought to be in five states. They have now linked four additional states to this outbreak. They're Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Pennsylvania joining these.

This really has been centered in Michigan, which was reported the most cases. This is still tied back to that iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms. Many of the people in this investigation reported having eaten at Taco Bell. And so they are still conducting these interviews. They're still trying to trace this back and to try to link all of these states and to see which outbreaks might be related.

Right now, we know from state health departments there are about 12,000 cases that are included here, which is just a historical level for this outbreak. We also know, though, that the federal regulatory agencies, the oversight agencies are tracking multiple clusters. So it may not just be iceberg lettuce. However, that's the main culprit in this now nine-state multistate outbreak -- Brian.

ABEL: All right, Meg Tirrell for us.

Meg, thank you.

Still to come: Despite the Iran war driving up prices, President Trump has just slapped new tariffs on virtually every foreign product Americans buy. We'll take a look at the impact ahead. Plus, we're going to talk to a Marine and lawmaker about what is now

one of the deadliest weeks since the start of the war. Does he see an exit plan?

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And later: The White House Correspondents' Dinner is back on, but with enhanced security.

Those details and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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KEILAR: New tariffs are now in effect on virtually everything imported into the U.S., as President Trump reignites his global trade war.

Sixty of America's trading partners, including the European Union, China, and India, face taxes of 10 to 12.5 percent. The new duties replace the administration's 10 percent global tariffs that just expired.

CNN senior business reporter David Goldman is with us on this story.

David, are Americans going to feel this? How soon?

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: It's a really important point that you just made that 10 percent is replacing what was here before, right? So we're not going to really feel this, because we are already paying 10 percent on everything that comes into the United States.

Now, some of it's going to get a little bit more expensive, but it's going to be noticed, I think, soon. I'm going to explain why. So there are 60 trading partners, as you mentioned, but that represents just about everything that's coming into the United States; 99.4 percent of U.S. imports are now subject to these tariffs.

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Now, the old tariffs, as we mentioned, were 10 percent. And they used this new authority. Remember, the president was told by the Supreme Court, you can't use your emergency authority. You need to use something else. This problem is that it only lasts for 150 days. That expired today and has been replaced by this new regime, Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, Brianna.

I know you know that well. They are citing forced labor as the reason why we need these tariffs. Now, this might be a pretext, because the administration has said we want to get back to where we were with all of the tariffs. But forced labor is the legal authority that gives them the right to put these tariffs in place.

We're not done. So Canada is soon to be subject to an additional 50 percent tariff using a different authority, one that goes back to 1930, on select goods, and then Brazil, as we know earlier this week, subject to an additional 25 percent tariff on several goods, although some were left out.

This means that the president is getting back to where we were before. Tariffs could continue to go higher if this stands the test of legal scrutiny, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, and if you really enjoyed reading Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, you should really check out Section 305. I mean, that is...

GOLDMAN: It's a page-turner.

KEILAR: Page-turner, yes.

GOLDMAN: I know.

KEILAR: I actually don't even know if it exists.

GOLDMAN: Absolutely.

KEILAR: It may not be a thing, just FYI. I made that up. Putting it out there.

GOLDMAN: It is a thing. It is a thing.

KEILAR: It is a thing. So 305 is a thing.

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KEILAR: OK, well, look, there you go.

David Goldman, thank you so much.

Ahead: some highly charged moments in a Georgia courtroom, as victims' family members confront school shooter Colton Gray after he pleads guilty to four counts of murder and other crimes. We're live at the courthouse next.

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ABEL: It is an excruciating day in a Georgia courtroom, families confronting the school shooter who gunned down their loved ones at Apalachee High nearly two years ago, detailing the pain and grief they continue to endure.

The emotional victim impact statements taking place after Gray pleaded guilty today. During his rampage, Gray killed two students and two teachers and wounded nine others. He did not negotiate a deal with prosecutors before entering his guilty plea.

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JUDGE NICHOLAS PRIMM, BARROW COUNTY, GEORGIA, SUPERIOR COURT: You wish to voluntarily give up those rights and enter a guilty plea today? COLTON GRAY, DEFENDANT: Yes, Your Honor.

PRIMM: And that's a decision that you're making with your own free will, because that's how you have decided you want to resolve your case?

GRAY: Yes, Your Honor.

PRIMM: Do you have any mental health issues or mental health disabilities?

GRAY: Yes, Your Honor.

PRIMM: Is that why you take the medication?

GRAY: Yes, Your Honor.

PRIMM: Your mind is clear?

GRAY: Yes, Your Honor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: And Isabel Rosales is outside court in Winder, Georgia now.

Certainly, some difficult moments inside that courtroom, Isabel. And there were more than 100 people packed into it?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly.

And, Brian, I don't -- I don't want to lose sight of the significance of this moment, of having teenage survivors, the loved ones of these victims, going out there and confronting Colt Gray, the shooter, for the first time since this attack happened back in September 4 of 2024.

But I do briefly want to acknowledge what we just saw in court, which was the introduction of brand-new and stunning evidence,the lead investigator coming up with a black binder, a notebook, pages of Colt for the first time that we have heard even during his father's trial. This is the first time we're hearing his direct thoughts, a step-by- step guide of him planning out this mass shooting.

And we also could see a spiraling of his mental health, doodles and maps of the classroom, each page more disturbing than the prior one. That was an important bit that we just saw there when it comes to what happened and piecing this together.

But the most important part, of course, is hearing from these victims, describing the lasting anxiety, the lasting injuries that they will carry for the rest of their lives, what he stole from them, loud noises, the dark filling them with fear, some of them addressing him in anger and disgust, and others also in sympathy. Take a listen.

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BREANNA SCHERMERHORN, MOTHER OF VICTIM MASON SCHERMERHORN: I have no doubt in my mind, if Colt had actually attended school, as he should have, that Mason would have befriended him.

I want it to be very clear that I do not forgive Mr. Gray. However, I can acknowledge that there are two truths that can exist at the same time. The first is that the adults in that young man's life failed him. There's another truth that cannot be ignored. He knew the difference between right and wrong. He knew that pulling that trigger was wrong.

ALANNA SCHERMERHORN-WALLACE, SISTER OF MASON SCHERMERHORN: I honestly think he should have killed himself. Instead of killing four people and injuring others, he should have taken himself out. Instead of coming up with this whole elaborate plan, he should have made a plan to off himself instead.

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I'm not saying this just because he took Mason from me. I'm saying this because, if he had the sick and evil thought to be like that other worthless school shooter and inflict pain on a whole community, he doesn't deserve to be here.

NAUTICA WALTON, SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I hate everything about you. I hate the scars you left on my body. I hate that you took innocent lives in front of innocent people. Most of all, I hate that I let you live in my mind rent-free.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And Colt Gray will not face a death penalty. That is thanks to a Supreme Court ruling that determined that any juvenile who committed a crime like this under the age of 18 cannot be sentenced to death.

But this is a non-negotiated plea agreement, meaning that the district attorney does not have any sort of agreement with Colt. It'll be the judge to decide ultimately his sentence, which is mandatory life sentence in prison. The question here before the court is whether he is eligible for parole.

That is what the judge will determine -- Brian.

ABEL: And you can just feel the pain that the families continue to go through.

Isabel Rosales for us in Georgia.

Isabel, thank you.

Still ahead for us: As Iran launches new strikes on U.S. assets in the Gulf region, President Trump says he doesn't believe China or Russia is arming Tehran.

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