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White House to Meet With Top A.I. Firms Ahead of Big Regulation Push; El-Sayed & Stevens Face Off in Pivotal Michigan Senate Democratic Primary; Blanche's A.G. Nomination Advances, Teeing Up Full Senate Vote; Suspect in Court Accused of Setting Devastating Washington Wildfire; Federal Emergency Declared for Eastern Washington Wildfires. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired August 04, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": What can you tell us about that?

LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECH EDITOR: Yeah, so this meeting that's happening at the White House, there are representatives from top A.I. firms, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta, and they're discussing a framework that would allow the government to review frontier A.I. models ahead of their public release.

Now, this is part of an executive order that was signed by the president in June, but it is also coming at a very interesting time, right after Anthropic and OpenAI have said that they have found instances of their test A.I. models breaking into other companies. So this also comes as there's heightened concerns over cybersecurity as well, and that's likely part of what this meeting will be discussing.

ABEL: All right, Lisa Eadicicco for us. Thank you, Lisa.

A new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Showdown in Michigan. A primary election pits two Democrats against each other, and the winner could tell us a lot about the future direction of the party.

An unusual request. A lawmaker wants the House Ethics Committee to investigate him. Congressman Max Miller says he wants to clear his name, even as the calls for him to resign grow louder. And three fires, zero containment, and one arrest for arson. As firefighters struggle to stop the wildfires threatening so much of Spokane County and Washington State, the smoke is also a growing threat in the entire region.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

Right now, polls are open across Michigan, where primary voters are choosing between two Democratic Senate candidates with two different visions for their party and their country. Former public health official, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is looking to ride a wave of progressive momentum in this primary as he goes head-to-head with moderate Democratic establishment-endorsed, Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

Both Democrats and Republicans see Michigan as key in claiming control of the Senate in November. And tonight, we may finally get some answers with just under six hours until the first polls close.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny is at a polling place in Detroit. And Jeff, clearly, so many eyes on this Senate race. But what are voters there telling you as they're making their choices?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: I mean, all eyes have been on Michigan for several weeks about the Senate race, Brianna, but voters here have a variety of things they're voting for in the governor's race, for key House races, local issues as well.

But it is that Democratic Senate nominee that's driving so many voters to the polls at polling places like this one at the First Congregational Church here in Detroit. And we've been talking with voters as they've been coming out of casting their ballots. And it's clear that that Democratic Senate primary is something that is really driving their vote.

They are aware of the stakes of this. They know that Democrats have to hold this Michigan Senate seat, as well as flip four Republican votes. And just a few moments ago, we talked to a Detroit voter, Ashley Brenner, about a question hanging over this race on electability.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEY BRENNER, MICHIGAN VOTER: I think electability is huge, and Democrats have fallen on the wrong side of electability. I think Dr. El-Sayed has made a great point that if Michigan has voted for Donald Trump several times, clearly, they want something different. They want change. He is a type of change.

What we voted for in the past, these middle-of-the-road candidates don't seem to really be standing up to the snuff here in Michigan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So, Ashley Brenner, who is a real estate investor here, she said she is voting for Abdul El-Sayed in that Democratic Senate primary. Of course, he is running against Congresswoman Haley Stevens in this race. And this has been a vicious Democratic primary. There is no question about that.

More than $60 million has been spent by outside groups on her behalf. That also is turning off some voters here. Perhaps it's motivating some as well, but, as we talk to voters, there is no doubt that Abdul El-Sayed has momentum and energy behind him.

But, Brianna, this is a classic case of the Democratic establishment versus this progressive insurgency that we have seen really playing out across the country this year. But we were in Grand Rapids, Michigan, earlier this morning, and it's clear that there are slightly different views there.

I mean, Haley Stevens has been a member of Congress since 2018. She flipped a Republican House seat back then in the first midterm of the Trump administration. So, it is anyone's guess what the outcome of this race will be tonight.

So, despite this progressive energy, which is very clear, talking to voters here in Detroit, this is a statewide race. So, that is going to be the first big test for this direction of the Democratic Party. Brianna?

KEILAR: All right. We're watching. Jeff Zeleny, thank you so much. And tune in tonight. CNN will have all the primary election results from Michigan and across the country.

[14:05:00]

Our coverage begins at 7 p.m. Eastern on CNN and on the CNN app. Brian?

ABEL: Thank you, Brianna. We are going to turn now to Ohio Congressman, Max Miller's embattled re-election bid. The Republican, who has been denying abuse allegations from his ex-wife, says he now plans to ask the House Ethics Committee to investigate himself. In a statement, Miller is saying, quote, "I am going to file my own paperwork for an ethics investigation into myself to clear my name." Miller adding, quote, "I have absolutely nothing to hide."

For days, the allegations have stirred a very public war of words on Capitol Hill between Miller and his former father-in-law, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, who says Miller should resign from Congress. Let's talk about all this. I'm joined now by Dave Aronberg. He is the Former State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida.

And Dave, the first question I have for you is, Max Miller requesting this ethics investigation into himself. What could that look like?

DAVE ARONBERG, FORMER STATE ATTORNEY, PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA: Well, Brian, it is kicking the can down the road. These are secret investigations. They take time. And this is a way, I think, to project some confidence, saying I have nothing to hide. And he knows, though, that they're not going to release anything this close to an election. He knows that the committee, the Ethics Committee, is split 50/50 between Republicans and Democrats. So this is a way to say, we're going to launch an investigation and let the facts come out.

But the facts won't come out before the election. A decision won't come out before the election. So I think this is more of a political ploy.

ABEL: Will facts eventually come out from whoever is the investigative body there, eventually?

ARONBERG: You would hope so, yes. Generally, though, the House Ethics Committee focuses on financial impropriety and campaign finance violations, misuse of official resources, not necessarily things like this, although they can go into personal conduct that goes to bringing dishonor to the House. Remember, they went into an extensive investigation into Matt Gaetz. And then it was really embarrassing for him. So yes, it could eventually come out. But by that point, he could be re-elected.

Remember, Max Miller is concerned about his re-election. And there's a deadline coming up for the Republicans to replace him on the ballot. And if he doesn't go away peacefully and quietly, then he's going to be their nominee. And they're going to have to live or die with him on the ballot in a very close election that could help decide who controls the House of Representatives.

ABEL: All right, let's turn now to Attorney General nomination, Todd Blanche. Senator Cornyn says Blanche's decision to rescind this anti- weaponization fund binds not only him, but also the Department of Justice as a whole. Blanche signed the memo, but Trump's current personal lawyers have not. Could the fund still be reviewed without those signatures?

ARONBERG: So this is where it gets a little tricky, because the fund was a settlement. And you have the signatories being the Department of Justice and Trump's own personal lawyers. And in the settlement, it says that it cannot be modified or canceled unless both sides agree in writing. Well, apparently right now, we only have one side agreeing in writing to cancel it, and that's the DOJ. So that's why I don't see this settlement really being dead and buried.

I mean, it does create a situation where it can be litigated in court as to whether it can be resurrected. But until both sides sign off on its cancellation, it's still possible. And that's the problem here, because it goes against what Senator Tillis and Senator Cornyn said. They wanted this thing gone. It is not gone.

ABEL: But seemingly, they would know that, right? So there maybe is some other agreement between Trump's personal lawyers now and those Senators that that will happen, those signatures will happen?

ARONBERG: Remember what Reagan said to Gorbachev, "Trust, but verify." Here, we're trusting Todd Blanche to do the right thing here, but it's really not his call. It's up to President Trump, who's still on social media saying how he wants this fund, how this fund has a lot of support from both sides of the aisle, not true. And so until that changes, I think this thing's going to get resurrected at some point, and then we'll have to deal with this down the road.

Plus, you still have the tax issues, which is still in there. So that's why I think that this is more of a capitulation by these two Republican Senators. They got some of what they want, but not really what they said they want.

ABEL: Yeah. Let's talk about those tax issues quickly. Blanche clarified the IRS immunity deal was limited to the parties to the lawsuit, seemingly Trump, his sons and the Trump organization. How do you understand that clarification?

ARONBERG: I think that's what it is. I think they're going to clarify that it is retroactive. It doesn't give immunity against audits for the future. So that's a good thing. But on the other hand, President Trump made a lot of money in crypto, and this would prevent the IRS from auditing his taxes.

[14:10:00]

And so that's why I think it's really not good for the taxpayers, for the IRS, or for the rule of law that you're giving special privileges to someone here. I mean, really, we're making the presidency into a monarchy. And in the future, could he be audited? Yes, but right now is really where it matters based on how much money he's made in the past year.

ABEL: All right. Dave Aronberg, appreciate you lending us your expertise. Thank you, sir.

ARONBERG: Thanks for having me.

ABEL: Still to come, an arson arrest and the devastating wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. Straight ahead, we will speak live with the governor of Washington about what's being done to help the families who have lost their homes.

Plus, what we are learning about the death of a man at a controversial Immigration Detention Center in New Jersey. And later, two Senate Democrats are demanding an investigation into President Trump's Memecoin alleging possible fraud after investors lost billions. That and much more coming up on "CNN News Central."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:15:39]

KEILAR: Here in a few hours, the man suspected of igniting one of Washington State's worst wildfires this year is set to face a judge. This is an image that shows Spokane County officers arresting 37-year- old Aaron Farinacci yesterday on a charge of first-degree arson. Investigators say a witness watched a man, who was later identified as Farinacci, kneeling where the Old Trails Fire started.

Later, the witness spotted smoke in the same place. The sheriff says Farinacci was found with waterproof matches and a butane lighter. Old Trails is one of three huge wildfires that is torching some 10,000 acres in the eastern part of Washington. More than 65,000 people evacuated due to these fires. And we're going to get the latest now from Washington's Governor, Bob Ferguson. Governor, thanks for being with us.

The suspect here in this Old Trails Fire had served time in prison in Arizona for a manslaughter conviction. Had he been on the radar of law enforcement in Washington State before this arrest?

GOV. BOB FERGUSON, (D) WASHINGTON: That's really a question for local law enforcement, so I'm not aware of that. What I can say is that the news that arrests have been made for arson for what's truly been a devastating fire that has just wiped out neighborhoods in the city of Spokane just really adds to the nightmare, I think, for so many people here in my state.

KEILAR: Yeah, and he was arrested in connection with this one fire, the Old Trails Fire. Do you have any reason to believe that the other fires burning could be the result of arson as well?

FERGUSON: We don't have that information. Again, that's for investigators to determine. So I've spent the last two days in Spokane and eastern Washington. What I can say is in meeting with local law enforcement, first responders, everybody's working extremely hard to do multiple things at the same time. One, deal with the ongoing fires that are still very much happening.

Number two, get assistance for folks who have literally lost everything. And number three, just make sure we're coordinating all across eastern Washington on multiple fires that are impacting many, many communities. And in addition, find the cause for these fires.

So again, it's just so heartbreaking to realize that one of these fires that has been especially devastating, that an arrest was made for arson. The fact that this could be human caused, intentionally caused, it's hard to find words for I think what that means for the people of our state.

KEILAR: Yeah, it's horrific. We've been listening to residents who have been absorbing that news and it clearly is impacting, I think, how they're experiencing that loss. So many of them have been talking about losing pets. We've been watching this number, of course, of unaccounted folks. And the Spokane County Sheriff's Office just said that the 14 people that authorities were working on getting in touch with yesterday, they have now been contacted, which is -- I mean, that is great news to hear.

Does that mean that everyone is accounted for at this point? How are you understanding it?

FERGUSON: So as we understand it, those 14 names were individuals who at some point had contacted first responders or local governments in some need during the fires. Those folks being now accounted for, that we've contacted them is great news. So at this point, there's no reported deaths.

But I really want to emphasize the area where these fires have happened. And again, it's just in the city of Spokane. This is a city of about 230,000 folks. Neighborhoods have just been leveled. This is an area I know very well. And so obviously, folks have to go home by home to see what they find.

And so it's just way too soon to determine what there may be in terms of fatalities. Fingers crossed, we're so thankful right now there have been no reported deaths, which to me is a minor miracle when you look at --

KEILAR: Yeah.

FERGUSON: -- the incredible damage across so much real estate. KEILAR: Yeah, that reality of the going back and serving the scene has become all too familiar from the wildfires that we've seen across the region here recently. You announced this afternoon that your request to the federal government for an emergency declaration has now been granted. What help is that going to provide? And what else does the state need?

FERGUSON: Yeah, so first, I'll say I'm deeply grateful that the administration, the federal administration, granted our request so quickly. So this is an emergency declaration. And what that means is it moves very short-term assistance.

[14:20:00]

That could be temporary shelter. That includes medical supplies. That is search and rescue. And one thing I appreciate is we are hearing from FEMA that resources were already coming to our state even before it was granted. In other words, anticipating that would be granted.

So I appreciate the fact that the federal government was not waiting around for the final approval. They understand how dire the situation is for so many Washingtonians. Such short-term assistance will really help us, help folks who have just literally lost everything in the last 48 hours.

KEILAR: You met with members of the tribes of the Colville Reservation, I believe, yesterday. I think you were talking about that. You're requesting assistance for them. You're also requesting assistance for members of the Spokane Tribe and for those of the Yakama Nation.

At this point in time, what do they need specifically? Are there specific needs or is that something that is just logistical because of the -- just because of the way things are set up with accounting and that kind of thing?

FERGUSON: Yeah, I appreciate you mentioning those tribes and other counties that have been impacted by wildfires. So just to be clear, you know, there's a good chance this will be a record-setting wildfire season in Washington State and that's saying something, believe me.

And so, the request we had for an emergency declaration from the federal government was not just for Spokane, it was for six counties and three tribal nations, as you mentioned. We have more than a dozen fires just impacting hundreds of thousands of acres of land. So all those counties and those tribal nations, they're looking forward to the same thing everybody's looking for.

Hey, we need help with power. We need to help with more people power to address the fires. As you might imagine, the need is across the board through these governments and these tribal nations. That's why we're doing everything we can to move resources to all those individuals and communities.

KEILAR: Today's also, it is primary day in Washington and Spokane officials have made these special accommodations to preserve access to ballot boxes for people who have evacuated. And I mean, just the context of how many people have evacuated for the population of this area, it's truly staggering.

There's at least one drop box that is within an evacuation zone. It's been closed. This may not be, I think, top of mind for some people who are worried about their safety and their homes. That's understandable. But are you worried about people being able to vote and what can be done if that is something that they are understandably not able to take care of at this moment?

FERGUSON: Absolutely. You're right. Is that the top consideration for someone who's literally lost everything in their home? Of course not. But, you know, our right to vote in an election is sacrosanct. We really want to protect that.

So I know local election officials and state election officials are doing everything they can to figure out how best to proceed, given what's fairly described as an unprecedented situation. And just give to a sense of scale, the city of Spokane has about 230,000 residents. I think you mentioned over 60,000 had to evacuate in a matter of hours.

And it's just a credit to so many folks that we were able to safely evacuate that, many people in a very, very short period of time on crowded city streets. It's a minor miracle that we were able to move that many people with fires raging on all sides.

KEILAR: Yeah, it really is. Governor Ferguson, thank you so much for being with us. We are watching Washington very carefully. We're certainly thinking of all of the residents as they are weathering this. Thank you.

FERGUSON: Thank you very much.

KEILAR: Still to come, some new reaction from the family of a Salvadoran man who died at a controversial ICE facility in New Jersey. What he told his mother right before he died.

And then later, leaders of several top A.I. companies are meeting at the White House today in the middle of a major push to regulate the most advanced and potentially dangerous models. What it could mean for the future of this cutting-edge technology. We'll have that and much more coming up on "CNN News Central."

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[14:28:35]

ABEL: The family of a Salvadoran man who died at a controversial Immigration Detention Center in New Jersey says, he called his mother just a day before his death, telling her he felt sick. ICE says 39- year-old Edwin Lopez-Cornejo experienced a medical emergency while in ICE custody on Saturday and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital the same day. Lopez-Cornejo is now one of more than 50 ICE detainees who have died in President Trump's second term. That equates to roughly one death every week and a half. CNN's Maria Santana is in New Jersey for us now, where the Lopez- Cornejo family just held this press conference. And Maria, what more can you tell us about what they said?

MARIA SANTANA, CNN EN ESPANOL ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Well, yeah, Brian, this family is absolutely devastated. His mother, his 12-year- old daughter, demanded truth, justice, and accountability after the death of 39-year-old Salvadoran immigrant, Edwin Lopez-Cornejo.

His mother says that he died because of medical negligence while he was detained for six weeks at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey. She said she called him the day before his death, on Friday, to tell her that he was not feeling well, that part of his face and right hand were numb.

He said he had received some medical attention, but that he was promised more tests, but he did not know when these tests were going to be given. She also said that he suffered from diabetes, from seizures, and from high blood pressure, and that he was not receiving his medications. --