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Todd Blanche Sworn In As New Attorney General; At Least 111 Dead Following 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake In Colombia; Trump Signing Order Reducing Recommended Childhood Vaccines; Jury Selection Begins In Trial For Man Accused Of Murdering Tupac. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired August 10, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Now, as you might have noticed, Jalen was wearing that brace there with a bit of recovery going on. So, he didn't participate in the golf charity event as a player. But I also asked him whether they had made any decisions about going to the White House as a team, as many league champions typically do. And he told me no decision has been made as a team yet and that they haven't talked about it as a team yet.

But for the most part, he kept the focus on the offseason, enjoying some well-earned time with family. And he's got a children's book coming out this fall. So, even in the offseason, busy times for the Finals MVP.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Yes, staying busy. Great to see what he's doing with the foundation. A non-answer when it comes to LeBron, I bet the Finals MVP uses that as motivation that he's asked about.

JIMENEZ: That's pro.

SANCHEZ: Arguably the GOAT while he's the Finals MVP. Omar Jimenez, thanks so much for bringing us that.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Sworn in. Todd Blanche, officially the U.S. Attorney General. We'll break down what to expect as the President's former personal attorney takes the helm at the Justice Department.

Plus, urgent rescue operations underway in Western Colombia, at least 111 people now confirmed dead after a powerful earthquake hit that country.

Plus, how one Nashville police officer's compassion and simple gesture helped save the life of a man who is threatening to take his own life.

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

We are following some breaking news. Just moments ago, Todd Blanche was officially sworn in as the new attorney general. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posting a video of the ceremony, which was closed to the press. Blanche was sworn in by federal judge Emil Bove, the two former colleagues. Both served as President Trump's personal attorneys during Trump's various criminal cases. CNN Crime and Justice Correspondent Katelyn Polantz is with us now.

That is just unprecedented to -- really to see that Emil Bove and Todd Blanche, both of them sort of in these roles and in this situation together. Tell us more about what you're learning here.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Both in these roles and also to lawyers that as the attorney to Donald Trump, then leading the Justice Department, came under immense criticism with how they -- what they did. Whenever they got to the Justice Department, Todd Blanche had been the deputy attorney general. Emil Bove, he is now a judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He's Senate confirmed for life there.

Blanche now as the Attorney General, it's possible he will have cases before Bove. It's not that unusual for judges to be swearing in people, but it is unusual to have two personal lawyers to Donald Trump there now in the Oval -- as -- as Todd Blanche becomes the Attorney General.

One of the things here, Brianna, is the amount of criticism that Blanche is facing. I was looking through all of the -- the statements I've gotten from different organizations and many of them are criticizing Blanche much less for the tactics that he is using as the Attorney General or the policies that the administration is putting forth, though there is a lot of criticism around that. Much of what they are criticizing him of is what he has done to remake the Department of Justice.

Here's a quote from Stacey Young, the executive director of Justice Connection, which represents a lot of former career officials at the Justice Department. She says, "As DAG Blanche used that time to shred DOJ's institutional norms, destroy important offices, re-victimize sex crime survivors," that would be Epstein victims, "eviscerate accountability for January 6 and attack the career workforce. Nearly 20,000 career employees have left the department, many of whom were fired or forced out for doing their jobs. This is a generational loss of institutional knowledge and expertise that will be impossible to replace at the Department of Justice."

Now, today is the day that Blanche will formally come into office as attorney general. He'll be clapped in by the people in that office, including many of these career employees who have seen their colleagues fired really just for doing their jobs, for being assigned to certain cases that this administration has wanted to remove them over.

It really is a spectacular turn of events for Todd Blanche being the - the defense attorney attacking the Justice Department, now leading it as attorney general.

KEILAR: Twenty-thousand.

POLANTZ: It's a lot of people.

KEILAR: That is a lot of people. Katelyn, thank you so much for that. Boris? SANCHEZ: We're also following breaking news on a powerful earthquake

in Colombia. The President says the death toll has now risen to at least 111. Experts warn that given projections, that number could top 1,000. The major 7.4 magnitude quake, the strongest to hit Colombia in the last decade.

[15:05:03]

A view overlooking Cali, the -- an area close to the epicenter, shows these plumes of smoke and dust billowing in the air. Each of those plumes believed to be either a partial or total collapse of a building. Videos captured from street level capture the terror.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Foreign language) ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language) ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Rescue crews and volunteer teams are now racing to clear debris in search of survivors. World leaders are also pledging to send support.

Let's discuss with Maureen Long, she's a Seismologist and Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Yale University. Planetary Sciences

Maureen, thank you so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us.

The epicenter was located in San Jose del Palmar. What does it feel like to be at the epicenter of a 7.4 magnitude earthquake?

MAUREEN LONG, SEISMOLOGIST: Well, as you -- as you said, you know, this is a 7.4, that is a large earthquake. And in -- for this particular event, we know that over 10 million people in Colombia experienced strong to very strong shaking. So, you know, it's -- it's heartbreaking to watch those videos, but you can really only imagine how terrifying it must be to feel strong shaking and to be watching for some people buildings -- buildings come down around you.

7.4 is a large earthquake. In this particular example for this event, this event actually happened at a depth of over a hundred kilometers, so about 70 miles down beneath the earth's surface. So, for an earthquake that deep, the shaking actually was less pronounced than it would have been for an equivalent earthquake at a shallower depth.

So, in that sense, this was maybe not quite as bad as it could have been.

SANCHEZ: Wow.

LONG: But for deep earthquakes, that shaking is typically felt over a very broad area. And we certainly saw that today.

SANCHEZ: Absolutely. Tremors were felt in several cities across Colombia. Help us understand how widespread that impact can get relative to how deep the earthquake is and whether that means that the damage is perhaps less severe than it could have been, but more widespread.

LONG: Yes, that's exactly right. So -- so because this earthquake happened relatively deep beneath Earth's surface, the shaking tends to be felt over a very broad area. And we certainly saw that today. You know, the -- over hundreds, you know, hundreds of thousands of square miles, a very large population felt this shaking.

This event was tectonically happened in a subduction zone earthquake. So, all of Western South America is what geologists call a subduction zone. That's when one tectonic plate is diving beneath another. And in this case, the earthquake actually happened within that tectonic plate that is sinking back down into the mantle. And again, because of the depth of that event, it was felt quite broadly for an earthquake of its -- of its size.

SANCHEZ: How do you see this in relation to the earthquake that hit Venezuela, Colombia's neighbor, fewer than 50 days ago, one of the worst they've seen in decades? I -- I imagine that's also part of that subduction zone.

LONG: That's right. So, Venezuela, of course, is located a bit off to the -- to the east and north of -- of Colombia. The - the tectonic setting in Venezuela is a little bit different, but it's all kind of part of that same tectonic setting where we have a subduction zone to the west, where the Nazca plate is subducting beneath North America. And then, for Venezuela, you have the Caribbean plate kind of to its north.

So, the two Venezuelan earthquakes, they were shallower. And so about the same magnitude, I believe one was a little bit bigger. One was a little smaller. They were shallower. And so, that meant that the -- the damage, certainly in -- in certain, you know, very localized areas in Venezuela was even worse than we saw today.

But as the videos show, I mean, there were parts of Colombia today, despite the fact that this was a -- an earthquake that happened at 70 miles depth. But despite that, plenty of places saw very, you know, strong to very strong shaking and in building damage as well.

[15:10:02]

SANCHEZ: Yes, we're going to stay on top of this story. At least 111 killed following this big 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia. Maureen Long, thank you so much for sharing your expertise on this.

LONG: Oh, my pleasure. Good to be with you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Still to come, happening now in the White House, President just signing an executive order on childhood vaccines. You see the health and human services secretary, RFK Jr. speaking from some prepared remarks. We're going to tell you exactly what the White House is pushing here.

Plus, the long awaited trial for the murder of Tupac Shakur, how prosecutors will use some of the defendant's own words against him.

And later, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez going public about her decision to freeze her eggs. That and much more coming your way next.

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[15:14:58]

KEILAR: Breaking news right now, President Trump is about to sign an executive order that makes new recommendations to limit the number of vaccines that children receive. He spoke about this from the Oval Office moments ago.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I saw this early on and I've seen proof of it where they have a vaccination that looks like the size of a bottle of soda poured into a little child's body. And bad things happen in many cases -- in too many cases, because this is an explosion. This is an epidemic.

KEILAR: CNN Health Reporter Jacqueline Howard is monitoring developments from Atlanta.

I don't know about a bottle of soda. I've seen a lot of childhood vaccinations and that volume certainly doesn't pass muster on the fact check. But Jacqueline, tell us about what this order does here.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: It's interesting, this order basically separates childhood immunizations into three distinct categories. So, all of the immunizations I'm going to go through now were originally recommended for -- for all children. But this executive order shifts that.

So, the first category of immunizations will be immunizations recommended for all children. This category includes measles, mumps and rubella, DTAP, HPV, polio.

The second category includes immunizations recommended for certain high risk groups. This second category would include the RSV vaccine, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal.

The third group are immunizations that should be administered based on shared decision making between the doctor and the patient. This third category includes vaccinations like the flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, hepatitis A and hepatitis B appears again in this third category.

So, it seems like what this overhaul of the childhood immunization schedule is, Brianna, is that they're essentially taking all of the vaccinations and putting them into these three different categories. And this essentially could reduce the number of total immunizations a child may receive if they don't fall under the high risk group, in the second category, for instance, or if in the third category, they decide with their doctor that they will decline the vaccine. So, that seems to be what's happening here. But it's also interesting,

Brianna, that the President has mentioned separating the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three separate shots instead of a combined vaccine, which this has been a combination vaccine since 1971. And -- and the idea is that when you have combination vaccines, it's more convenient for -- for the patient and you kind of lower the risk of children falling through the cracks and not getting the vaccine at all.

But -- but he has, you know, made this -- this call to separate the MMR vaccine as well. So, those seem to be the highlights here from this executive order, Brianna. We have yet to hear from medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics on what their response to this will be. But it will be interesting to see what reactions may emerge in the moments to come, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, certainly will be. Jacqueline, we know that you'll be tracking that. Jacqueline Howard, thank you.

Coming up, jury selection begins in the trial for the murder of Tupac Shakur three decades after he was killed in a drive by shooting in Las Vegas. We'll have that next.

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[15:23:14]

SANCHEZ: Happening now, after nearly 30 years, the trial is officially underway for the man accused of orchestrating the 1996 murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur. Authorities arrested Duane "Keffe D" Davis back in 2023, charging him with one count of first degree murder. Prosecutors say much of the evidence they gathered against Davis is based on his own words. That includes a 2019 tell all book in which prosecutors allege that Davis laid out his role in the fatal shooting. Shakur was shot during a drive by after leaving a boxing match on the Las Vegas Strip. After six days on life support, he was pronounced dead.

Prosecutors say that Davis arranged the shooting, which also wounded Death Row Records CEO "Suge" Knight, who was in the car. CNN is learning that "Suge" Knight is among the potential witnesses in this case, as well as Sean "Diddy" Combs, who could be called to testify. Let's bring in CNN Legal Analyst and former prosecutor Joey Jackson.

Joey, great to see you as always.

First, as we talk about jury selection, talk to us about what both sides are looking for in jurors, noting that the judge granted only partial sequestration for this upcoming jury.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Boris, good to be with you.

And so, the essence of any jury is that they could be fair and impartial. We know that this is a murder case. No, prosecutors are not suggesting or saying that he pulled -- that is "Keffe D". Mr. Davis pulled the actual trigger. But under what's called accomplice liability, if you're aiding, abetting, counseling, encouraging, then you're equally as guilty.

But before you get down to the factual determinations as to whether or not he intended and engaged in premeditation with regard to this murder. And there's also a gang enhancement to the extent that they're alleging prosecutors that he was involved in a gang at the time, the Crips.

[15:25:03]

What you have to get down to is whether you can select a jury who can hear and be receptive to this evidence.

And so, the essence of it is jurors will be weeded out by making the determination as to first scheduling. Are they available to do the case, do they have any hardships that might keep them away from the case, and then you get to the core issues of, hey, what do you think about celebrity and what do you think about fame. And by the way, have you read the book that Mr. Davis has put out on this particular issue? Have you listened to any podcasts? Have you listened to anything else with respect to what may be in the public domain? And if you have, have you formalized any opinions that would not make you an effective juror? Last point on that issue.

In the event, jurors say, hey, you know, I -- I can't be fair. I can't be impartial. I love Tupac. Whoever did it -- and I think he did -- you know, should be held accountable. Then, you're excused for cause. When that happens, Boris, you -- anyone can be excused for cause if they exhibit that type of bias. And you could do that all day and all night. They're unlimited. And then you get down to after the -- for cause challenges, which they can't -- just can't sit, each side has eight peremptory challenges in which you can excuse jurors for any basis whatsoever, as long as it's not predicated upon some racial exclusionary ground. And that's how this will unfold as they ultimately try to. Prosecutors in the defense with the court, a select 12 judge -- select 12 jurors, excuse me -- who will hear this case and probably about four to six alternates because you want those people in place in case the trial goes on and it's expected to last a couple of months.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Joey, given that news we just got about "Suge" Knight and even Sean "Diddy" Combs potentially testifying, I remember watching an interview back in the '90s when "Suge" Knight was asked about this and he said something to the effect of I know who killed Tupac, but I'm not a snitch. I'm not going to say anything. Sean "Diddy" Combs has denied any wrongdoing, any involvement in this incident.

Do you think they actually will get called to the stand by the prosecution?

JACKSON: So, in the event, Boris, that they get called to the stand, they certainly do not have to be cooperative. I wouldn't expect and anticipate that they would be cooperative. "Suge" Knight being the person who was injured, as you noted at the outset, and apparently a bullet grazing his head, you know, he said very colorfully that he doesn't have much to say. I won't repeat what he actually did say in that regard.

So, I wouldn't suspect that he would say much. I don't think you're going to get anything else after -- from Mr. Combs. And I think to be clear, the all star witness here, if you can believe it, the pivotal witness is Mr. Davis himself. And so, prosecutors are going to try to string together his prior statements, what's in the public domain about him in order to build their case by suggesting that he, in fact, gave a confession. Mr. Davis did. Prosecutors would -- will argue as to him being involved in this case and him knowing all about the case and him being an actual co-conspirator in this particular case. So, that's what the defense is going to be up against.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Not much physical evidence in this case. It'll be fascinating to watch how ...

JACKSON: Exactly.

SANCHEZ: ... it unfolds. Joey Jackson, thank you so much for the expertise.

Still to come, why Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is opening up about her decision to freeze her eggs. We'll be right back.

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