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First Responders Work to Open Roads to Aid Flooding Rescue Efforts; 150 Plus People Dead After Flood Disaster on Nepal-China Border; Meta Urges YouTube, TikTok to Adopt New Standards from Settlement; Fans Flock to Dolly Parton Exhibit to Honor & Remember Icon; Testimony Ends in Lindsay Clancy Trial 3-3:30p ET

Aired August 26, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: ... China border, 157 people are confirmed dead, but authorities worry that may just be the beginning.

Landmark settlement, Meta agrees to pay $18 billion as part of a settlement over claims that it intentionally designed addictive platforms that hurt young people's mental health. We'll take a look at what's in that agreement.

And no one could match Dolly Parton's talent, kindness or generosity. We'll look at her incredible life and legacy with the curator from the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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

We are starting to understand the magnitude of this tragedy that is unfolding right now along the China and Nepal border, where you have catastrophic flooding that just ripped through remote villages earlier today. Officials are now saying that at least 157 people were killed. Nepal's tourism board says at least 47 Americans are among the hundreds of people who are still missing right now.

When you see the following video clips, you're going to understand why authorities are worried that this death toll could rise dramatically. And a warning here, these are really tough pictures to watch. These may be disturbing to some viewers.

But this -- what you're watching right here was that a prominent border crossing between the two countries. And you see what is coming there behind those people, an enormous wave crashing down, destroying everything in its path. And then, in another video, you can see the sheer force of these floods, water and mud just picking up tour buses and buildings, leaving this trail of destruction in its wake.

And now, the frantic search for survivors of this is on. Helicopter rescues are underway. As many roads and bridges are still impassable. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here with us.

Allison, I don't know that I've ever seen anything like this. How did this happen?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. So, it was initially believed that this point may have been an earthquake. But the U.S. Geological Survey has now come out and said actually the five point two tremor was caused from a landslide. So, the sheer force, the sheer volume of rock and water that was caused by the landslide shook the ground enough to actually register as a 5.2 tremor.

Now, we kind of explain this general area. So, here you can kind of see the overall map. Here is India. There is China. And this is the Nepal region. Now, when we kind of zoom into this particular area, you will get a better idea of where the landslide started.

This was plotted by the USGS based off of satellite imagery. This is where they believe this actually began. So, we kind of zoom in a little bit more to explain kind of how this -- this started. So, here you can see -- this is the point, so this is likely where the landslide began. All of that ice, all of that water, all of the rock and debris flowed down here into the valley and the glacier tongue that's there and then continuing down through the river valley itself into what we know are communities and villages that were along this area.

Here's are some before and after images to show, you know, this image right here. This is from yesterday. You can see right through here. There's the tongue of that glacier that we showed you just a different angle. But notice all of this green shaded area right through here. When we push this forward, it is now all brown from all of the debris that flowed through that area and not just here, but then continued down along the river valley as all of it just continued to flow down.

So, again, just kind of giving you that before and after look of what took place there. So, again, here's the landslide and then we'll kind of show you another view because it continues to flow down through the river valley into these areas and continues even on past that.

Now, we kind of hone in right through here, this area. So, the water is flowing down from this direction and it kind of gets to this point where normally it would flow this way. But there is so much flow, so much volume that it actually ends up going in both directions. And you can see that from some of the video that we have for you.

Again, look at this. So, this is that first view. This is again here. Notice this parking deck that's right through here and the building that's off to the side. This is what would be normally going upstream. But there is so much power behind this. It is able to spread all the way down through these areas, unfortunately hitting all of these areas that you go through. Again, just to show you the sheer volume behind this particular landslide.

KEILAR: It's unbelievable and terrible, Allison. We'll continue to watch this story and we thank you for explaining what happened here. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Child safety advocates are calling Meta's multi-billion dollar settlement today social media's big tobacco moment. Meta will pay out nearly $18 billion to 52 states and U.S. territories, ending its federal trial where it stood accused of designing apps to be addictive, harming the mental health of young users. [15:05:00]

Meta admits no wrongdoing, but it will pay out the billions to fund youth online safety programs for states. And it will now implement major limits on those under 18, like two-hour daily limits that can only be turned off by parents, and a default block on nighttime use.

The deal also appears to put pressure on other social media giants. As Meta says, it will pay out 70 percent of the settlement money in annual installments over the next decade, but it'll only pay out the remaining 30 percent if YouTube and TikTok agree to also make payments to the states and make similar changes to their apps.

With us now to discuss, veteran technology journalist Jacob Ward. He hosts "The Rip Current" podcast.

Jacob, thanks for being with us. You spent time in the courtroom for this trial. Why do you think both sides ultimately decided to settle?

JACOB WARD, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, Boris, this was a really interesting thing. I think that, you know, for the states, the calculation seems to have been here that the uncertainty of not knowing which way a verdict might go was enough to push them to take this on. And for Meta, it's a very, I would say, a very strategic move here.

What they've basically done is created an environment in which, as you mentioned there, their competitors are going to be under pressure from state AGs to basically pay the same kind of money and institute the same sorts of limits. And so the question becomes, will Meta be more interested in saving the $5 billion in a few years' time, or are they willing to pay that money in order to make sure that everybody else has to play by the same rules.

Again, as you mentioned, there's no admission of wrongdoing here. And I think worth knowing that there's some really important things excluded from this. For instance, Instagram direct messaging is not covered by this. The limits that you spoke about there are not going to apply to that. And your interactions with the products -- the A.I. products that Meta makes, that doesn't seem to be covered here either.

And so, while your kid, you know, will have an automatic two-hour limit put on for the feed, there's no limit for the time they might spend chatting with A.I., and they can do it all night in theory under this provision. And so, it's an incomplete settlement, certainly in terms of what folks were worried about here. It also means they can't use a lot of this evidence going forward.

But there are all these other cases still on the docket. And so -- and now that all of this money has been, you know, shown to the world, I think blood is in the water for -- for other plaintiffs to come forward.

SANCHEZ: When it comes to these features, those are important details that you're pointing out. It also strikes me that some of them, these adjustments are very similar to features that Meta has rolled out in the past, including additional surveillance of some content that may be detrimental to young minds, content that features self-harm, for example, or eating disorders. How is this sort of regulation or oversight of that content any different?

WARD: Well, there is now supposed to be an independent audit process that would ...

SANCHEZ: Right.

WARD: ... give, in theory, the state some insight into how the company is running things. We didn't have that before. As you know, in this country, Boris, we don't have any digital privacy laws. You know, there are -- there's the child Online Privacy Protection Act that is why this was brought.

But for a kid over the age of 13, there's no real privacy laws around that. And so there's some independent auditor stuff that can come here. You know, there's some teeth that weren't there before.

But I think you're raising a good point. A lot of these, you know -- you know, one of the interesting things about spending time in the court and -- and listening to the witnesses is that, you know, these were folks inside the company arguing for the kinds of limits that we're now seeing that required state action in order to make possible.

And so, this isn't exactly inventing new and, you know, unprecedented forms of safety. These are forms of safety that the company itself seems to have been considering for a long time. But it's only now, under the threat of legal action and the terms now of this settlement, that the company seems to be going along with those.

SANCHEZ: You mentioned some of the other litigation that is out there, others -- other attorneys general that are pursuing some kind of action against these companies. Florida's attorney general says his state didn't join the settlement because these payouts were peanuts. He called them a slap on the wrist. He writes that we will see them at trial. What legal avenues does Florida have? Where do you see these other cases headed?

WARD: Well, Florida can certainly file whatever it wants to. And if that AG wants to go as hard as he -- as he wants, he certainly can. Anyone else who's party to this, and that's most states, is going to be, you know, basically agreeing to not pursue these particular claims for 10 years. But as you mentioned, there are a lot of other cases coming, more than 3,000 are coming in an MDL that will hit in February. And, you know, you have tribal groups that will be able to file, school districts can continue to file, and private individuals can continue to file.

[15:10:05]

So, this is not the end of Meta's legal troubles with Florida or with those thousands of other cases.

SANCHEZ: Jacob Ward, appreciate the expertise. Thanks for joining us. Still to come, tributes keep pouring in, honoring the life and legacy

of Dolly Parton. Up next, how Nashville's Grand Ole Opry plans to celebrate the music legend's work.

Plus, a forensic psychiatrist on the stand today in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, how he described her behavior the day she killed her three kids.

And later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth set to participate in a ceremony recognizing U.S. Marines who defended Abbey Gate and saved lives during the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. That and much more coming your way next.

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[15:15:09]

KEILAR: So, this weekend, the Grand Ole Opry will dedicate an entire evening to honor the life and legacy of one of their most beloved members, Dolly Parton.

SANCHEZ: Just last year, the Country Music Hall of Fame opened a new exhibit to display all things Dolly. And Dolly herself was there to get a first look at the space designed to showcase her nearly seven- decade career. We're joined now by Allison Moorer. She's a country music artist and curator for the Dolly Parton exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

Allison, thanks so much for being with us.

You met Dolly a few times. What was it like to be around her?

ALLISON MOORER, CURATOR, DOLLY PARTON EXHIBIT AT COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM: I think everyone would agree that when you were in Dolly's presence things were very calm and peaceful. She had a -- just sort of an angelic presence. Not in a high-up-above way, but in a way that really made people feel seen and understood.

KEILAR: Yeah, and we hear that from so many people. I think that's even what you get just watching her through a screen or watching interviews with her. Talk about the name of this exhibit. It's called "Journey of a Seeker." How did you all land on that?

MOORER: We landed on "Journey of a Seeker" because Dolly, first of all, wrote a song called "The Seeker," which is just an incredible song. And, you know, the -- the exhibition is about some points of conflict in Dolly's life and career. If, you know, looking from really far away, it would be easy to assume that she never had any issues in her career, that it was a predestined thing that she would be a global superstar.

But the truth is that she had to fight to be who she was. So, coming from Locust Ridge, Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains, raised in a four- room cabin, she was one of 12 children. They lived in a -- in a cabin with no electricity, no running water. She left there when -- the day after she graduated high school and moved to Nashville. When she arrived in Nashville, it wasn't just, oh, we've been waiting

on you. It was, well, you need to tone down your look and you need to sing these songs. When she first got started, it was thought that she would be a folk pop artist. And she was told to tone down her look. But she really had to advocate for herself and say, no, this is the way I want to look. I want to sing my own songs. I want to sing country music. I know me and you don't. I'm going to do what I need to do because that's me.

SANCHEZ: What's your favorite part of her exhibition and which part do you think encapsulates her personality and history the most?

MOORER: Oh, goodness. Well, every time I see the handwritten lyrics to "Jolene," I'm blown away. It's just -- you know, it's on these -- on these two pieces of almost like grocery bag looking paper. And it looks like she just grabbed a pencil and scrawled the lyrics.

The story behind that song is -- is incredible. It's a name -- she heard the name "Jolene" at an after show event when she was touring with Porter Wagoner. A little girl turned up who was very proud that she was in the Girl Scouts. So, she brought autographed photos of herself to Dolly and to Porter signed them, and which was so cute. Then Dolly said, you must be named after your father. Your -- your father's name must be Joe or something, Jolene. She said, no, that's just my name. My mama just named me Jolene.

So, Dolly thought, if I ever have a little girl, I'm going to name her Jolene. So, she loved the name. She kept repeating it. Then it turned into a great song that we all know and love.

KEILAR: Yes, we ...

MOORER: The other thing that really strikes -- the other thing that really strikes me as so telling about Dolly is she had a very early fax machine that we have in the exhibition. And we thought it just -- just demonstrated her business acumen. Dolly was incredibly intelligent, incredibly smart. She had a great wit and a great mind for business.

She -- and one of the points in the exhibition is when she bought the property that she turned into Dollywood, there had been two failed businesses on that spot. But because everything Dolly did started with who she was and who she started out being, which was a little girl from the Smoky Mountains, she wanted to do -- to do something for her home community to provide jobs, to provide somewhere to go and something to do. It always started with who she was and -- and where she came from.

All of her philanthropy and her philanthropy will be remembered certainly. Maybe not as much as her songs, but you never can tell.

[15:20:01]

She did a lot. She did a lot of things that we know about some we don't know about them all. She was a quiet philanthropist as well as starting something as amazing as the Imagination Library, which she did 31 years ago.

KEILAR: Yes. We've done so much focus on her philanthropy, so it's certainly -- and I don't think we're alone in that. It's certainly something that is getting a big spotlight.

SANCHEZ: No doubt. A huge legacy Dolly Parton leaves behind. Allison Moorer, thanks so much for sharing it with us.

MOORER: Thank you.

KEILAR: Still ahead, the final witness in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial just got off the stand. What we're learning ahead of closing arguments, next.

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[15:25:17]

KEILAR: Closing arguments are set for tomorrow in the Lindsay Clancy triple murder trial. Testimony just wrapped with the prosecutions final witness, a forensic psychiatrist who said Clancy knew right from wrong and demonstrated controlled behavior on the day that she strangled her three children in 2023. Clancy has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to three counts of murder. CNN's Jean Casarez has been inside of the courtroom. She is outside now in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Jean, tell us what happened in court today.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so much. I want to tell you that (INAUDIBLE) I just heard the prosecution (INAUDIBLE) to go for the jury. That would be a conviction, if they would so choose, and it is an involuntary murder. There was no intent, but it was out of reckless conduct. Not appreciating and wanton conduct. The prosecution is saying, no, this was strangulation of the children. This is not wanton and reckless conduct. We'll see what the judge does, but it's interesting the defense wants that.

The witness today works for the FBI. He is in the Behavioral Analysis Department, and he was focused in on the date, January 24th, 2023. He thought a particular interest was during the 18 minutes, which is in evidence that the killings took place, that Patrick called Lindsay Clancy. She didn't answer the phone. But then she called right back, and he felt the fact that she, according to Patrick Clancy, spoke rationally about what he was asking about the laxative for Clara -- Cora at CVS, but then also that she had that opportunity to say, I don't know what's happening. I -- I -- there's a voice. Something's happening right now. There's nothing like that. He thought that was significant.

The other thing he thought was, first time, the prosecution called the exercise bans the murder weapons, and he testified that one by one, she made deliberate motions and actions to take the children down to the basement, took Dawson to Patrick's office, actually closed the door when she was finished killing him. And this is tough, but this is the evidence, right? And so then on cross-examination, the defense fought back, and I want

you to listen to a little bit of the prosecution's direct.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. GREGORY SAATHOFF, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: She was able to conform, right, to the type of behavior that a concerned mother would -- would engage in. She was able to drive to the pediatrician's office and then back. And the day was really one of significant control. The activities that she engaged in that day, spending time with her children with Play-Doh, taking them outside to -- to build a snowman, sending photographs of the children to her mother, to her husband on Instagram, fixing lunch and -- and -- and also fixing dinner for the children. So, the activities of that day were controlled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: And one of the ways that the defense fought back was bringing up Patrick Clancy, because when he got back home, he was the one that spoke to Lindsay Clancy closest in time to when it all happened. And his testimony was, he said, what happened? She said, I tried to commit suicide. The defense, with this witness, set on cross-examination. You listen to the 911 call. Lindsay Clancy was garbling. She wasn't talking. She didn't have the ability to talk. And that's important from the defense because the prosecution is going to say she had a rational mind. She told Patrick Clancy, I just tried to kill myself.

KEILAR: Jean Casarez, thank you so much.

Still ahead with the November midterm elections, just over two months away, President Trump's reignited trade with Canada is causing a big headache for Republicans, especially as they try to keep control of the Senate. We'll have more when we come back.

[15:29:48]

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