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CNN Headlines: Man Who Witnessed Fatal ICE Shooting Speaks Out; Families Share Updates, Plead For Answers In Cases Of Nolan Wells, Daniel Erving, Tyler Smith; European Soccer Teams Vote To Boycott World Cups. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired July 31, 2026 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:30:35]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
Today jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial will take a break from the courtroom and head to the home where Clancy killed her three children and then attempted to kill herself. On Thursday first responders described the anguish and the horror when Clancy's then- husband found his kids strangled in the basement. Defense attorneys say that she was in the middle of a mental health crisis and should not be held criminally liable.
Also, President Trump is hailing what he calls a historic agreement with Hamas -- their complete disarmament in Gaza -- but no confirmation yet from Hamas. But another militant group in Gaza is calling reports of the agreement inaccurate. Disarming Hamas is essential to carrying out President Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza.
We also have new video from Iranian state media. It claims to show Iran targeting an air base in Kuwait. This follows Tehran's response and promise of retaliation for the latest wave of attacks. No new strikes from U.S. forces were reported in Iran overnight.
Now meanwhile, Egypt is getting drawn into the conflict. Iran is suggesting Wednesday's attack on an Egyptian port might be a false flag operation. No one has claimed responsibility there.
President Trump has a plan to get his pick for attorney general through confirmation. He says he's willing to temporarily pull the nomination until the two Republican holdouts are out of office. Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are the two Republicans blocking Blanche all because he refuses to put in writing that President Trump's $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund is dead.
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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Your reaction to the president saying he may withdraw Blanche and put him back after your gone. SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): My reaction is the president is getting bad advice. He should listen to Blanche and others who think if it's dead it should be rendered completely dead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Now Tillis and Cornyn want that written guarantee from Blanche killing parts of the president's settlement with the IRS. They oppose the so-called anti-weaponization fund and a tax immunity deal that protects Trump and his family.
Cornyn writes, "The president is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in this tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Sen. Tillis."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): I'm not the only one that has concerns about this settlement and the scope of the release. And I think that's a convenient but erroneous excuse.
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SMITH: Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary committee chair Chuck Grassley says he's still trying to get Blanche confirmed before next week's August recess.
A key witness in the fatal ICE-involved shooting of a man in Texas is sharing his account for the first time. Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego was riding in the van with Lorenzo Salgado Araujo when a federal agent -- an immigration agent opened fire. And now after being released from ICE custody he's speaking publicly about what he says happened that day and the lasting impact that it has had on him.
CNN's Ed Lavandera has this exclusive report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSE TRINIDAD ROJAS PLIEGO, WITNESSED FATAL ICE SHOOTING: (Speaking foreign language).
TEXT: I feel a bit traumatized or something like that. I'm sad about what happened and especially about what I saw since I was the one who witnessed it all.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Jose Trinidad says things will never be the same. That he's traumatized by the shooting because he saw it all. The 52-year-old construction worker witnessed the final moments of Lorenzo Salgado's life from inside the van driven by the man he simply called "El Patron" -- the boss.
It was just before 7:00 a.m. on July 7 when ICE officers in unmarked cars started pursuing the four-man crew of construction workers in east Houston. Trinidad says he was sitting a few feet behind Salgado in the van. PLIEGO: (Speaking foreign language).
LAVANDERA (voiceover): Jose tells me during the pursuit he heard the men up front say they were being chased by ICE officers. Videos show ICE officers pursuing Salgado's van in unmarked cars, at one point racing past the van on Canal Street. The last video shows ICE officers taking the three other men into custody and Salgado on the ground handcuffed just after being shot.
LAVANDERA: When the ICE officer shot, where was he standing?
PLIEGO: (Speaking foreign language).
TEXT: On the side.
LAVANDERA: (Speaking foreign language).
TEXT: Whose side?
PLIEGO: (Speaking foreign language)
TEXT: Of his brother.
[05:35:00]
LAVANDERA: (Speaking foreign language).
TEXT: On the passenger side?
PLIEGO: (Speaking foreign language).
TEXT: On the passenger side.
LAVANDERA (voiceover): Trinidad says the ICE officers shot Salgado through the passenger window.
The Department of Homeland Security says during the chase Salgado attempted to evade arrest then weaponized his vehicle and tried to run over an ICE officer, and that's when an agent opened fire in self- defense.
PLIEGO: (Speaking foreign language).
TEXT: That's a lie.
LAVANDERA: (Speaking foreign language).
TEXT: That's a lie?
PLIEGO: (Speaking foreign language).
TEXT: Yes.
LAVANDERA (voiceover): Trinidad says the DHS statement is a lie.
There are no known videos that capture the moment of the shooting. The ICE officers were not wearing body cameras.
PLIEGO: (Speaking foreign language).
LAVANDERA (voiceover): Trinidad says ICE agents were never in front of or behind the van, and that Lorenzo was about to turn himself over to the officers.
PLIEGO: (Speaking foreign language).
LAVANDERA (voiceover): The three men with Salgado inside the van have been in custody since the shooting but this week a judge ordered Trinidad's release, and this is the first time he's spoken publicly in detail about what happened.
After his release Trinidad paid tribute to his friend at the memorial honoring Lorenzo Salgado on Canal Street and then prayed at his friend's gravesite.
PLIEGO: (Speaking foreign language).
LAVANDERA (voiceover): Jose Trinidad says he and the other men in the van were simply going to work and that he's speaking out in hopes of getting Lorenzo Salgado and his family justice.
LAVANDERA: We asked the Department of Homeland Security to respond to Jose Trinidad's allegations that their version of events in the shooting was "lie." DHS referred all questions to the FBI, which is investigating the shooting.
The other two men that were in the white van with Trinidad -- they remain in immigration custody. Trinidad is out but there are terms of his release, which dictate he must check in regularly with ICE, he was to wear an ankle monitor, and he is not allowed to work in the U.S.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Houston, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: All right. Thank you, Ed.
Another developing story as questions continue to swirl around the mysterious death of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells. Now attorneys for his family are taking new steps to preserve potential evidence as they search for answers.
Attorney Ben Crump says that his team has subpoenaed social media companies and phone providers to preserve potential evidence. They're hoping those records can help explain what happened before Nolan Wells was found dead along the shoreline of Horn Island. An independent autopsy could not determine the cause of death.
And as Nolan's loved ones search for answers, they're now joining forces with other families facing similar questions. Ben Crump is also representing the families of Daniel Erving in Texas, and Tyler Smith in Kentucky. All three were 18-year-old Black men who died between April and July. Crump joined the teens' loved ones in Nashville yesterday at the
National Urban League's annual conference. Though the young men died in separate circumstances Crump says justice is owed in all three cases.
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BEN CRUMP, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: We are going to get to the answers of what happened to Nolan Wells, what happened to Daniel Erving, and what happened to Tyler Smith -- three 18-year-old Black boys in a 3- month period around Fourth of July.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: CNN's Ryan Young spoke with the attorney, Crump, after the conference.
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RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ben Crump was walking by. We wanted to have a conversation with him to talk about today's events and the news conference.
Three families coming together. Tell us why felt it was important to amplify all three stores.
CRUMP: It was so important because Nolan Wells' case got so much attention. But I wanted to remind that there were other young Black men, all 18 years old, Ryan, who all died in similar circumstances like Nolan Wells. So I'm so grateful to Nolan's parents for using their attention to help give more attention to those other families. Tyler Smith of Lexington, Kentucky. Daniel Erving outside of Dallas, Texas. We have to get answers.
YOUNG: We know the Wells case is getting a lot of attention. You said something today about maybe having another meeting with the D.A.'s office. Do you believe that's going to happen, and is more evidence coming into your office as people call in?
CRUMP: Man, we're getting 100 calls a day. I am confident we're going to get to the truth of what happened to Nolan Wells. And I want to thank everybody -- those people -- for calling. All we want are answers.
YOUNG: The personal attacks against his family -- his mother, his father, yourself -- what has that been like to deal with and see online as you're saying that you just want justice in this case?
CRUMP: Yeah. You know, it's -- for me, it comes with the job. But for them -- I mean, just lost their son and still seeking answers, and they are being attacked. I don't ever, ever want people to think that they are going to discourage us from getting justice for young people who have been taken from the Earth far too soon. Like we did for Trayvon, Breonna Taylor, we're going to do for Nolan Wells.
[05:40:00] YOUNG: Just the idea that there's a lot of speculation on the internet, I know your investigators are trying to work through some of this speculation. Is it helping the case? Is it moving it in the wrong direction? Do you think the truth can be found with as much speculation that is out there right now?
CRUMP: I am confident just like with these other cases. We put our head down and we do the work. We don't listen to the noise. But it is very helpful that everybody's focused in on trying to give us photographs, give us videos. So I want everybody on social media to keep doing what they're doing because they're all going to help us. They're all our co-counsels to get to the truth.
YOUNG: We wanted to get that information out in terms of the calls that are coming in and the fact that you're going to meet with the D.A. again. Obviously, none of these cases have stopped just yet and we'll continue to try to follow details so far.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Internationally, Spain is dealing with a huge surge of migrants crossing from Morocco with officials estimating nearly 50,000 people entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours. Now, video shows crowds of migrants entering that territory of Spain on the North African coast bordering Morocco. Now, officials are saying at least 19 bodies were recovered from the water during the rush. Spain and Morocco have now reinforced the border and appear to have stopped the mass crossings.
The cause of the sudden surge is still unclear, and the fallout is spreading beyond the border. Italy has sharply criticized Spain's migration policies, prompting Spain's foreign minister to summon Italy's ambassador.
Well, a second artificial intelligence hack to tell you about. AI company Anthropic announced that some of its models recently hacked into three separate non-Anthropic systems. The hack was discovered when Anthropic ran tests after learning viral -- a rival company, excuse me, OpenAI, said that its system had broken into other systems. Anthropic says it's working with the affected companies while tech analysts say this is yet another sign that more safeguards are needed.
It was a split-second rescue in California's Kern River Canyon. It was caught on camera after a woman was swept away by the fast-moving current.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If there's any units that I can be in contact with that has a radio I will direct you exactly to where the female is from up top. Uh, she's going to be tucked underneath rocks, and nobody is going to have a visual until they're right on top of her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our ground troops have a visual on the patient and we're preparing for the next steps.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Copy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Search crews spotted her clinging to the underside of a rock partially submerged in the cold, rushing water. Firefighters then tossed her a life ring and a rope and pulled her to safety. You can see that rescue effort on your screen.
Next up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS mortgage rates at an all-time high this year. We will dive into what's driving the increase.
And one of the world's largest outdoor music parties is underway. Lollapalooza expecting upwards of 100,000 people daily over the four- day festival. More on that straight ahead. Stay with us.
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[05:47:35]
SMITH: The 55 members making up the European soccer governing body unanimously voted in support of a boycott of future men's and women's World Cups. Now this is all in a response to plans to inject private money into its competitions.
CNN's Patrick Snell is breaking down why this is such a big deal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK SNELL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: The future of global soccer in absolute chaos right now. This is huge news. UEFA, which governs the sport right across Europe, says the World Cup is not for sale and has unanimously voted to boycott future men's and women's tournaments in protest.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino's private investment plan in his competitions, a proposal that sparked a backlash from fans and soccer associations and confederations right around the world, including the confederation right here in North America where the World Cup Final was just played less than a couple of weeks ago. Concacaf saying it has rejected the FIFA proposal.
Infantino has proposed the creation of a $20 billion company running major tournaments with intended investors, including Thrive Eternal, funded by Joshua Kushner whose brother Jared Kushner is the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
So what does the decision to boycott actually mean? Well, as it stands, some of the leading powerhouse nations like France -- we've got Germany, England, the world champion Spain as well -- will not be playing in the next women's addition of the World Cup in Brazil next summer. And that to so many in the game, is absolutely unthinkable.
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SMITH: All right. Let's go around the globe to see what else is making headlines. Four bodies have been recovered, and more are missing after an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan. Among the missing is world- renowned climber from Nepal who you see here. The 43-year-old made history in 2019 by climbing 14 of the world's tallest peaks in just over six months. Rescue efforts are underway to find his group, and they are believed to be more than 26,000 feet up in the mountain. It is the 12th tallest peak in the world.
President Trump is having second thoughts about allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot missile interceptors. So he had said that he would allow them to do that during a NATO summit earlier this month, but he told the Financial Times yesterday "I'm not looking for missiles. We're looking for peace."
[05:50:08]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country needs those interceptors to defend itself against Russian attacks.
It's time for Buzz Express, the stories that have people talking.
And first up, "Clueless" is back and so Alicia Silverstone.
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Clip from YouTube/Paramount "Clueless."
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SMITH: Paramount+ announced a new series, which is set 30 years after that classic hit movie from 1995. Silverstone is back a Cher but this time she's a mom and her daughter is going through all the high school drama. Production starts next year.
And summer's biggest outdoor party is officially underway in Chicago. Lollapalooza kicking off four days of music in Grant Park on Thursday. Officials are bracing for more than 100,000 fans each day. Grammy winners Lorde, Charli XCX, Olivia Dean, and The Smashing Pumpkins are among this year's headliners.
And someone is taking a walk in Justin Bieber's shoes, quite literally. The custom pair of Skylrk sneakers that the Grammy winner wore during the FIFA World Cup halftime show -- they just fetched nearly $30,000 at a charity auction. Also, a pair of gloves that Madonna wore during her World Cup halftime song also up for auction. Someone dropped more than 41,000 bucks to snatch them up.
But the Madonna and Bieber hauls are nothing compared to what K-Pop supergroup BTS brought in. Clothes worn by the boyband during their performance went for more than $300,000, including more than $100,000 for a red and white jersey decked out in BTS patches.
The money goes to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. All a good cause there.
Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, chocolate shop employees on strike. Why workers at the flagship Ghirardelli store may have temporarily walked off the job. We've got some of those details for you.
And if you're into gaming, you'll want to hear this next story. After laying off thousands, Xbox has found a new strategy and focus. Details on the other side of the break.
Stay with us.
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[05:56:45]
SMITH: In today's Money Express, buying a home isn't getting any cheaper because mortgage rates keep climbing.
Maribel Aber joins us from the Nasdaq MarketSite with that and the rest of your top Money Express headlines. Hey, Maribel.
MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: Hey, Brad.
So mortgage rates have risen to their highest point in a year. The average 30-year fixed rate loan reached 6.66 percent this week. That's according to lender Freddie Mac. It's a level not seen since last summer and the biggest one-week jump in 10 weeks. Economists point to stubborn inflation, higher oil prices, and the widening Middle East conflict as key drivers.
Hey, Amazon says it has received around $600 million in tariff refunds and it may send some of that money to customers. Now, the global retailer has -- was among many companies that applied for refunds after the Supreme Court ruled U.S. tariffs illegal earlier this year.
Amazon finance chief says the company intends to reimburse shoppers if possible. Refunds will be issued automatically if Amazon can trace specific import charges to an individual order. In may cases third- party sellers on the platform pay the tariffs, which could make the process more complicated.
Xbox has revealed its profit roadmap for the next several years, and consoles will remain central to its future growth. An internal memo seen by several media outlets shows the game-maker intends to hit a positive profit and revenue levels by the end of next year. This comes as the second quarter earnings showed a 10 percent revenue decline and lagging sales behind Nintendo, Switch, and Sony PlayStation.
Xbox says it will prioritize new console technology, turn more games into global franchises, and expand its Minecraft creator platform worldwide.
Brad, cloud gaming may be growing but look, the Xbox controller isn't going anywhere.
SMITH: No, not at all. And a still extremely bulky controller compared to what we grew up playing, Maribel.
ABER: Yes.
SMITH: Maribel Aber, thank you so much.
Let's get a check in one some of the other stories that are making news across the country.
We start in Wisconsin. A police officer is on administrative leave after a shooting that took place at a Meijer's grocery store. Police say that they got a call from the suspect saying he was holding a man hostage with a knife in front of customers. The officer and the suspect had a short standoff, but police say that the suspect refused to drop the knife and was shot. At last check he was in critical condition.
And Ghirardelli employees at the flagship store in San Francisco -- they went on strike. They say they've been on the clock without a contract for more than a year. The strike is expected to last three days.
And get ready for a cuteness overload. A kitten in Ohio getting the gift of mobility. Here is CNN's Jeremy Roth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY ROTH, CNN PRODUCER (voiceover): A shelter kitten in Ohio is going viral after workers crafted a tiny device from rulers and Hot Wheels to help the little guy get back on the go. The Cincinnati Animal Care Shelter says the kitten, named Gelato, was unable to stand or walk on his own when he arrived. Gelato was too small for their available devices so vet tech Mallory Smith got crafty, cobbling together rulers, zip ties, and a pair of Hot Wheels toy ambulances.
[06:00:05]
The shelter shared Gelato's dinky DIY ride and to no one's surprise the internet fell in love with him with likes and comments pouring in from all over. Gelato has also since been upgraded from Hot Wheels to customer wheels, now sporting a better-fitting 3D printed ride.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: He's ready for the zoomies.
I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
