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CNN News Central

Weather Complicates Fire Firefights in Nevada & Texas; Canada Announces Retaliatory Tariffs as U.S. Feud Escalates; Sen. Graham, Rep. Norman Face Off in South Caroline Senate GOP Runoff; Legendary Musician & Philanthropist Dolly Parton Has Died. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired August 25, 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]

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: -- ground are very, very dry. So that's not great. This is just being exacerbated by the ongoing drought over the western two-thirds of the country.

Both Reno and just west of Dallas, you can see the drought monitor here indicating the dry conditions and unfortunately, there is no rainfall in this forecast. So that is going to complicate the firefighting efforts on the ground. Not to mention, we have our heats that continues to scorch the Lone Star State. Temperatures well above 100 degrees, in the triple digits.

We have that southerly wind that is helping fan the flames here across the Ross Fire. There's the burn scar you can see it just running basically parallel with the wind streams that we've put over this map. The wind forecast expected to change direction, so that could complicate the front line for firefighters on the ground going forward. We don't want to see more scenes like this. Back to you.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Derek Van Dam, thank you so much for that.

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Paying the price, Canada set to match U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar, hitting more than 700 American goods with new import duties, an escalation of a trade war that could raise prices for consumers. And a new threat against the president's son, the Secret Service now reacting to a video that appears to offer $10 million bounty for Barron Trump.

And a new study shedding light on the threat of serious brain injuries among football players as millions of American teens and young adults hit the field this fall. We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

SANCHEZ: We start this hour with Canada taking a stand in President Trump's escalating trade war. Starting next month, Canadian officials say that dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs up to 50 percent will take effect on more than 700 American products. As for President Trump, forget calming the waters, he's looking at renaming them. Earlier he suggested he's seriously considering changing Lake Ontario's name to Lake America. CNN Business Editor-at-Large, Richard Quest joins us now live. Richard, walk us through these retaliatory tariffs that Canada just announced.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: When you come to tariffs, the devil's in the detail. Here we have pages and pages and pages and pages, the full list of everything that is going to be tariffed by the Canadians. And when I say detailed, you're talking about the level of detail of fish dried, salted, or in brine, smoked fish, whether or not cooked before or during smoking process. You're talking about articles for conveyance or packing of goods, plastics.

You get the idea. Wood, sewn, chipped, lengthwise sliced or peeled. The idea is to set a list of products that really hit the opponent, in this case the United States, and do minimal damage to your own industries, in this case Canada. Both sides are now tit-for-tatting. The ball is in, in a sense, the America's court, the United States, because now Canada has retaliated. It really will be up to the administration.

Do you just calm, leave it as it is, don't make things worse, or do you go for another round of tit-for-tat?

SANCHEZ: As you said, the devil is in the details when it comes to tariffs. But something we know about those details, they always wind up costing consumers who pay more for those products. So how soon will American businesses and consumers wind up feeling the sting of these retaliatory tariffs?

QUEST: I think it depends on the product. So, for example, if you're talking about fish dried, salted, or in brine, well, that'll be pretty quickly because that fish has been caught and shipped and the tariff comes in.

If you're talking about flat-rolled products of iron or steel of width of 600 millimeters, probably a bit longer because of the manufacturing. I'm being slightly facetious there, but when I put it, because really nobody wants any of these tariffs, because eventually you and I and the consumers on the northern side of the border in Canada will pay for that price.

But at the moment, the full-blown trade war is now underway. Canada is not going to back down because there are issues of sovereignty involved, and unless President Trump seems to want a rapprochement, then it's not going to happen and it's going to get worse. This is a full-blown trade war, exactly as predicted.

SANCHEZ: Richard Quest, appreciate that analysis as always. Thanks for joining us. Brianna?

KEILAR: South Carolina voters are casting ballots in a primary runoff election, seen as the latest test of President Trump's sway over the Republican Party. He's thrown his support behind Senator Darline Graham in her battle against Congressman Ralph Norman to see which Republican will replace the late Senator Lindsey Graham's name on the ballot this fall.

But the president's preferred candidate flubbed a question on foreign policy during her debate with Norman, raising some big doubts about her candidacy.

[14:05:00]

Trump responded to the gap by holding a last-minute rally for Graham, and his MAGA Super PAC has pumped more than $800,000 into her campaign.

We do have some Breaking News that we need to announce. Kristen Holmes, I'm going to put you on hold here.

We have some Breaking News that we are very sorry to report and that is that Dolly Parton has died. Country music has no bigger or more beloved star than Parton of course. Her career has spanned decades. This is a social media video making the announcement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRYAN SEAVER, NEPHEW OF DOLLY PARTON: Hey everyone, my name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I'm representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean. Sister, sis, aunt granny to one generation and Gigi to the next.

This video announcement is a thing Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven't truly felt it until now. It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness, but sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.

Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed for her to meet them in the heavens. I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn't even know was possible.

Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent. By her example, we believe that anything was possible. She never saw a door she couldn't open and the door she opened made and changed history.

My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you. She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family whether you liked it or not. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever.

Dolly was a farmer just like her daddy. He farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.

Rest in peace, Aunt Dolly, and Granny, Gigi. May God bless Dolly Parton and may God bless you all. She will always love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: That emotional message coming from the nephew of Dolly Parton, Bryan Seaver there with a tribute to the late singer who was 80-years-old. Just a few days ago, she gave an interview to People Magazine talking about recent health challenges, but saying that she is going to continue working. Suffice to say that, in light of that interview, this news is a surprise to us all.

KEILAR: Yeah, it's a surprise, it's a shock. She had a beautiful long life and has been an inspiration to many, but this is something that a lot of people are certainly going to be feeling. Let's take a look back at Dolly Parton's legacy. Here's more from Elizabeth Wagmeister.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A beloved country queen known for her vulnerable and poetic lyrics like in her classic hit, "Jolene." Dolly Parton's music was as popular as her bold style, composing and performing booming anthems like "9 to 5" that resonated with office workers everywhere.

She ranks among the most successful country recording artists of all time, with nearly 50 albums and more than 25 number one hits. A superstar who often sang about her humble small-town Tennessee roots.

The fourth of 12 children, she started singing hymns in church. Dolly moved to Nashville after high school graduation, aiming for work as a songwriter.

DOLLY PARTON, AMERICAN MUSICIAN AND ACTRESS: I was just trying to make a living, trying to find what I wanted to do to have my songs recorded.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): The petite singer modeled her signature style after a woman known for her promiscuity in her hometown.

PARTON: She was the prettiest thing I'd ever seen. I was very impressed by the big hair she had, the lipstick and the nails and the high heeled shoe.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Dolly got notice quickly, scoring a recording deal and a regular gig on "The Porter Wagoner Show." Their collaboration lasted seven years. She wrote a song about parting ways with Wagoner and it became a smash, first in 1974.

[14:10:00]

And again when Whitney Houston recorded it nearly two decades later

PARTON: Her version of that was spectacular. I always think of it as being our song.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Dolly said music made her a crossover success.

PARTON: It was a song that got me everywhere I've ever been.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): She wrote the theme to "9 to 5" and landed a lead role in the movie.

PARTON: And I shot a hole clean through my purse.

(LAUGH)

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Some of her other films include "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Steel Magnolias." Her many job titles included author, theme park owner, and philanthropist, from setting up a literacy program for impoverished children to funding research for a COVID vaccine.

She stayed low key about her charity work, insisting she saw herself as a musician first.

PARTON: My music is everything to me. And I just, that is what I grew from.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Dolly said her career was shaped by her family, faith, and ambition.

PARTON: God first, me second, and I've been able to maneuver and live my life based on that and use my talent to the best of my ability.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Indeed she did, writing an estimated 3,000 songs and earning countless awards and honors, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and enshrinement in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, an event Dolly dominated, even out rocking the rock stars in 2022.

She released her first rock album at the age of 77 and often collaborated with younger singers. It all helped make Dolly Parton one of America's most beloved artists with fans and admirers that spanned generations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Elizabeth Wagmeister for that report. We're joined now over the phone by Marcus Dowling. He interviewed Dolly Parton multiple times. He is a former writer for "The Tennessean" who focused on country music. Marcus, thank you so much for being with us.

So as we talk about Dolly Parton and reflect on her life, you're looking at a 70-year career. Someone who recorded her first song when she was 10 or 11 years old. Talk to us about the legacy that she now leaves behind.

MARCUS DOWLING, FORMER NASHVILLE COUNTRY MUSIC REPORTER, THE TENNESSEAN: I'd like to say foremost that the thing that made Dolly unique amongst all humans is that she tied art, community, and humanity with the softest, smartest hand. I think that that's the thing that makes her so incredible, is that that's her superpower.

And she leaned into that in a way that taught everybody something about themselves and made everybody a better person.

KEILAR: Yeah, and also, Marcus, there's just something about Dolly Parton that makes her so singular in how she blended, like, the best of folksy Americana and something, I think, from yesteryear with someone who is always learning and accepting and looking forward in a way that I don't know -- I don't know of any other figure that is quite like that.

DOWLING: I think that there's something about Dolly, and I've interviewed Dolly, gosh, maybe a dozen times. And I've spent three years in Nashville, largely around Dolly Parton. It was one of the great joys of my life. And the thing that you learn is that it's honesty and it's the ability to not see what the person is looking like or listening to what the person is saying, but empathetically understanding the honesty at the core of their humanity.

And looking at that and saying, OK, above all else, that's the true thing that matters. That's what I'm going to focus on and glean that and then be able to respond and communicate. That's one of the rare skills of any human that's ever lived.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, rare is one way to put it. One of a kind. Marcus, please stand by for us.

Let's go to Elizabeth Wagmeister now, CNN Entertainment Reporter. Elizabeth, I mean, this news comes as a shock in part because, as we mentioned a moment ago, she'd done this interview with People Magazine that was published last week in which she acknowledged health challenges, but she said that her work still continued, that she was still staying busy.

WAGMEISTER: That's right. And we all have known that Dolly has been suffering from some health challenges in recent years. She was very public with that, always coming forward to share videos with her fans. And she was always as spunky as ever.

I mean, there was only one Dolly Parton. So even though we knew that she had some health struggles in recent times, this does come as a shock because, as you said, we just heard from her and we've seen her recently, and there's only one Dolly, and look at her.

[14:15:11]

We see her right there. That's how she looked the last time that we saw her. So, this does come as a shock. And you know, in her family statement, they say, quote, "A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see." And I can't think of a better way to explain Dolly than that.

We know that she loved her rhinestones, and she loved to be bedazzled, but that was really her. And she wasn't just an incredible artist who made an indelible impact on so many, but she also spread kindness. She always spoke about spreading kindness and being kind to one another. And that was something that I think will really stick out in her legacy, just beyond her career in music and on screen.

And this is someone who really, of course, her career spanned decades, but she has touched generations of fans. And it's hard to think of many artists who do that, who you can sit with your mother and your grandmother, and everybody grew up with Dolly.

And I just imagine, and I'm sure it's already happening, but in the minutes ahead of us, the Hollywood tributes that we are going to see pour out, just to think of the amount of artists that she inspired, the amount of people who wanted to get into this industry because of her. Of course, Miley Cyrus is someone who comes to mind. Of course, they were incredibly, incredibly close.

So this is a huge loss, not just for the industry, but really for society and for Dolly, of course, she lived -- I still can't believe that I'm saying this because I cannot believe that we have lost Dolly, but it kind of felt like she would live forever, didn't it? Because even though we knew her age and we knew her health struggles, it just felt like Dolly Parton would be with all of us forever.

KEILAR: Yeah. In a way, she is going to be with all of us forever. But I completely connect with what you're saying, that this comes as a shock, even despite what a long, beautiful life she had led. And Elizabeth, stay in the conversation with us as I go back to Marcus.

I mean, this American story of Dolly Parton, someone who just, Marcus, came from such humble beginnings, but also as she made such an incredible success story of herself, didn't forget where she came from and just made such an effort to bring other people along with her through her words, through her art, through her charity work.

DOWLING: I mean, for sure. So I'll impart a brief story. So she in the musical about her life that had debuted in Nashville last year, and she had three actresses that played her at various points of her life. And I had the chance to sit with them before the Nashville debut. And they all mentioned the fact that like, they thought they understood like the impact of that time in her life on her.

But then when you actually talk to Dolly, it's like literally it was a part of every single facet of her life. She was able to tie her success and lessons she had learned and things that she wanted to do all the way back to her childhood. So that humility was a forever tie to every single facet of her existence.

SANCHEZ: That humility and that desire to give back as well, Marcus. She founded the Dollywood Foundation. It funds the Imagination Library, a program that provides preschool-aged children with a book, a new book every month from birth all the way to kindergarten. Literacy was obviously a huge cause for her.

Talk to us about what inspired that. What was it that drove Dolly Parton to offer a helping hand to those who needed one? DOWLING: The thing that Dolly understands is that everybody needs a chance to get ahead. Like she saw that very quickly. There was a period of time in her career in the 1970s in which she became a literal global television multimedia superstar. When you get to that point, you start to understand like the things that unify people across the board, like the things that are commonplace and necessary.

And when you understand that people need to just be able to know how to read (ph), to just have a simple leg up or just the ability to be conversational in life, I mean, you break it down to that simplicity. And giving somebody a book when they're a kindergartner, that starts them on the path and that allows them to be a part of humanity for their entire existence.

And when you break it down and you do that, that's incredibly empowering.

[14:20:00]

KEILAR: Yeah. I just have to tell you, I know this because every child in D.C., as in other communities, gets the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. They get it from birth. I think that when you give birth, they sign you up for it. And it's actually before you're five.

And so what happens is, and this is so essential because when you look at low-income kids, they're not getting those reading hours. And so before they ever even get to school, they are seeing that achievement gap start to solidify. And that is what her effort did. From the time that your child is born, with her library, your child starts to build this gorgeous personal little library of books.

I think of the ones in my house right now that were favorites of my child, "Road Builders" or "Baby Talk" or even "Coat of Many Colors" is one of the books, which is based on her song. And so you get also that taste of Dolly Parton. But mostly this is done just very selflessly and it's not very branded. It's just something that benefits the child.

Elizabeth, that I think was one of the things for me as when I was a new mother to realize just what a reach Dolly Parton had. And I would talk with my friends and I would see the impact just in my local community of what she was doing to make sure that kids had this opportunity that otherwise they wouldn't have.

WAGMEISTER: Absolutely. And that's what I mean when I say that she really dedicated her life to spreading kindness and to helping others. And she understood the impact that she had and what she could do with her platform as an artist who, as I said, spanned generations. And it is so fascinating to hear what you say that you were able to connect with others about that.

I think that Dolly would just be so touched to hear that. But she did know that because, again, she knew the impact that she had on her fans' lives. Now, this news is just breaking and is going to be tragic news to everyone who was touched by her, who knew her personally or who was a fan from afar.

But we are getting some immediate reaction here from country singer, Kacey Musgraves. I want to read to you what she posted, a series of three different posts on X. She wrote Dolly with a heartbreak emoji. She said, "This really, really hurt. The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden. So glad she's with her Carl Dean. No one talked to me today."

And I just want to point out the word 'sparkly' that she uses. It really is true. That's something that came across in her family statement. And that is the first thing that I think all of us think about. She just had this magnetic, magnetic presence and exuded it everywhere she went. I mean, we're seeing these images of her now.

We can't even hear what she's saying. And it doesn't matter because you just feel good when you are looking at her and when you see Dolly Parton. And as we were speaking about a few minutes ago, even though we know that she was struggling with some health battles and that she had to pull out of some shows and more recently pulled out of events, every time that we saw her, she looked so healthy and she looked so vibrant.

And it just -- even at 80-years-old, it just feels like how could Dolly Parton be gone? So I think that this is going to be a loss unlike any other. And of course, she lived an amazing, beautiful life. But again, it just feels like Dolly should be forever.

And as you said, Brianna, she will be here forever in many ways.

SANCHEZ: Given some unforgettable performances and songs and the philanthropy and legacy that she leaves behind. If you were just joining us, legendary musician and philanthropist Dolly Parton has passed away at 80-years-old. We learned this through a post on social media, on her official accounts, her nephew announcing the news.

Let's go ahead and listen to Dolly's voice, a singular one that moved so many people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

"I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton playing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:25:00]

SANCHEZ: Let's bring in Robert Oermann. He's a co-author of "Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics," and a country music historian. Robert, thank you so much for being with us this afternoon.

Obviously, someone that meant a lot to you is now a memory, and I wonder what it means to you that Dolly Parton has passed away.

ROBERT OERMANN, CO-AUTHOR OF "DOLLY PARTON, SONGTELLER: MY LIFE IN LYRICS" (through telephone): This is a day I never wanted to happen. This is somebody who should never die. It's like the heart of country music just stopped beating. It's unthinkable. A world without Dolly Parton is unthinkable.

She -- I have known her for 40 years, and we've done many stories and articles and stuff together, and T.V. shows and all kinds of stuff. It's like -- she was a -- Like many have said, she was a light. She was always a light, and she always represented the best of us.

And it somehow, the universe is not right that there's no Dolly Parton in it. I remember when I got the book deal with her and we started collaborating almost -- people who didn't even hardly know who she was went, oh, that's great. Everybody loves Dolly Parton, and it's true. She had a vast demographic. Blacks loved her. Gays loved her. Old people loved her. Children loved her. Rockers loved her. Folk music people loved her. Disco people loved her, name it, just she -- her appeal stretched across generations and communities.

It was like there is no more widely beloved figure in Nashville or even in the world than Dolly Parton. This is a day that should never happen.

KEILAR: Yeah, it is pretty unbelievable here, Robert. I wonder if you can speak a little bit to what made Dolly Parton the way she was, because on one hand, I mean, she was just -- you can't even imagine just the largesse of her personality and what she meant and how she spoke to everyone. Someone in their 70s who had the, you know, courage to put on and pull off a Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders uniform.

(LAUGH)

KEILAR: I mean, I don't think a lot of people can say that and yet make people feel so connected to her that she was someone like them as well. What made her like that?

OERMANN: All I can tell you is that, that isolated mountain upbringing, I mean, no toilet, no running water, no electricity, even the whole mountain poverty works. That was the whole deal in that family.

And small cabins, 12 children, you know, poor with five O's in it. I mean, it was really, really poor. And I think that sense of humanity, growing up in a confined space, in an isolated space with her family, that did something to her. It made her so human and so forgiving, so understanding of others. This is a woman who had a deep and profound understanding of the human spirit. It comes out in every song she wrote.

I mean, just listen to the body of work and it's there. Her deep, deep, deep humanity is there in her art and in her life. Many people point to her philanthropy. It's just beyond that. It's like she touched the world. Anybody who ever met her was profoundly touched.

SANCHEZ: I want you to connect something for us, Robert, that philanthropy and the cause of literacy being supremely important to her and that one-room cabin in Tennessee that you were describing, the fourth of 12 kids.

OERMANN: Her father was illiterate. (CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: And a father who didn't know how to read, right?

OERMANN: Right. He was as proud of the Imagination Library as he was of her music, and proud to read. And he did live to see the Imagination Library get launched. And he was so proud of her for that. And that family, it's still around her. I mean, there are family members all through that organization. And she lifted up an entire -- when she came from East Tennessee, she brought it with her.

She brought that entire culture and that entire community to the big city with her and taught us to love it on its own terms. She taught us to love country music. She taught us to love and respect songwriting. She taught us to love and respect women. There's everything that -- every positive thing you could possibly ascribe to a living person, that was Dolly. I never got over her.

Like I said, I knew her for 40 years. I never got over her. I never -- the first few times I interviewed her, I couldn't even look at her. I was afraid I would turn to stone. She was so beautiful.

(LAUGH)

OERMANN: And it turned out she was even more beautiful on the inside when I got past the --