Trump Orders Investigation Into Ties Between Top Dems & Epstein

25:59And Ukraine has struck oil and gas infrastructure across Russia. But this is really an example where they are striking its ability to export that oil to other countries. This is something, of course, that Russia has done repeatedly over the last three and a half years to Ukraine that is striking Ukraine's port infrastructure. And so this is really Ukraine starting to respond in kind. All right, Aiden Strach in Ukraine, thank you so much. Breaking news in the money lead, the president's reversal, lowering a number of key tariffs. What the changes could mean for your next trip to the grocery store up next?

26:39I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of the Chasing Life podcast. Nelson Dallas is a six-time U.S. memory champion who not only trained his brain to work better, but he also wrote about it for his new book called Everyday Genius. You know, the message is that everybody, no matter where you are in life, what you think your memory currently is capable of, we all can transform our brain. The mind and memory is just like any other skill that you can learn, and it's not a fixed thing. Listen to Chasing Life, streaming now wherever you get your podcasts. Breaking news and the money lead. The Trump administration just announced it is lowering tariffs on beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas.

27:24A move that appears to be aimed at addressing concerns about the administration's approach to affordability and the rising costs of groceries and other goods for Americans. So let's bring in former Trump economic advisor Stephen Moore to talk a little bit more about this. Hi, Stephen. So all of those food categories have seen some pretty sharp price increases over the last 12 months or so. But economists often say it's hard to bring down the price of groceries. I remember that was a big talking point during the campaign. So how much could cutting the tariffs really impact prices here? Hi, Pam.

27:58Well, it depends on what commodities you're talking about. So let me give you an example of where I think tariffs have raised prices. It's the classic example of that Starbucks coffee people drink in the morning. And we're seeing we've seen a big increase in the price of coffee. And now, why is that? Because we put high tariffs on coffee beans that come in from Brazil and come in from Colombia. So there in my opinion, there has been some increase in grocery prices as a result of of the Trump tariffs. But to be fair, we also have seen reductions in, for example, the gas price, because we've dramatically increased.

28:35the production of oil and gas. So some things have gone up in price, some things have gone down in price, and it's the old law of supply and demand. Right. But when you look at and you talk to the everyday American, you know, they talk about how it's tough, right? I mean, one in four households are living paycheck to paycheck, and that is their lived experience, right? I mean, earlier today, they had President Trump saying the costs and inflation were higher under Biden. He wrote on true social quote costs under the Trump administration are tumbling down, help greatly by gasoline and energy. Affordability is a lie when used by the Dems.

29:14When do you think the president and the administration will stop pointing the finger at Biden and Democrats for the economic pains that Americans are feeling? Well, a couple of things. I mean, first of all, Well, we should remember, and I just looked up these numbers last night, that about 92 % of the increase in food prices that people are angry about, and you can put me on that list, 92 % of that happened under Biden, not Trump. And so this is sort of the hangover effect of the big, and remember, it went up to 9 % at one point in inflation under Biden. So it is coming down. We now have a 2.8 % inflation rate.

29:53That's still too high. Pam, we want it down to 2%, but I do think that we're making progress. And one thing that Trump should be saying is that the big, beautiful tax bill we passed, most middle-income people are going to start to see the tax breaks next year in 2026. They're going to see less money withheld from their paycheck, and that will help pay the groceries and pay for airfares and pay for gas bills. But as you know, Stephen, President Trump said he would lower those prices day one. It was such a big issue on the campaign. And some of those groceries have gone up as a direct result of some of those tariff policies that we were talking about.

30:32I mean, do you think the president needs to acknowledge that reality that people are experiencing, like you say, even yourself? I mean, he's, you know, how many, 10 months in to his administration now? Well, I've never been a big fan of terrorists. But I will say this, that I think a lot of Americans are pretty happy with the fact that Trump is getting pretty good trade deals. He went over to Asia and got some trade deals, got hundreds of billions of dollars of commitments to be invested here. I'm pretty bullish on the U.S. economy right now. I think you're going to see a lot of growth in the economy in 2026.

31:10And I think what people will be having, look, I mean, we've got a record high stock market. So people's wealth has gone up. We're seeing, as I said, gas prices. I was just in Nebraska last week,$2.59 a gallon then. I mean, when's the last time we saw gas prices that low? So it kind of depends on what you're buying. And there's no question gas prices are lower, and that should be acknowledged for sure. But are you concerned about the disconnect between Wall Street, because the stock market's doing well. Like you said, well, those who have stock, they're doing great. But that disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street.

31:44Well, I've heard that argument for 40 years, and I would say this, that one of the innovations that's happened over the last 25 years is 401k plans, stock ownership plans that businesses have that has increased the ownership of American companies. And we have right now, Pam, about 160 million Americans have 401k plans or other stock ownership. So their wealth goes up, just like when the value of your home goes up. You know, if you own a home, as I do, you know, your wealth goes up. So the wealth of Americans gone up. It's not just the top 20%. It's most Americans. The big thing we have to do is, in my opinion, is not redistribute the wealth, but share the wealth by having more Americans own a piece of the rock.

32:28When do you think the everyday American will start feeling that and not feeling the pressure on the prices? I feel confident that we're going to bring inflation down to 2%, which is the Fed rate that we want to see. 2.8 % ain't so bad. I mean, Pam, when I graduated from college, the inflation rate was 8%. So, you know, there's a big difference between 8%, 9 % and 3%. All right. Stephen Moore, thanks so much. Thank you, Pam. Well, from tariffs to affordability, a lot there to discuss. The panel is standing by and we'll get some reaction up next.

33:14And we are back in our politics lead. And I want to get straight to the panel for reaction on what we just heard from the former Trump economic advisor, Stephen Moore, about President Trump and the economy. I'm wondering what you think, Sabrina, because you worked at the Pentagon under the Biden administration. What struck you? Well, you know, I think the argument that the economy is doing better is frankly something that just people are not feeling in their pocketbooks. And even though he was making the argument that it's going to take time, I mean, the reality is, is that this is Trump's economy.

33:42You can no longer blame the previous administration, President Biden, for some of the inflation prices that we're seeing, the cost of groceries, gas prices, things like that. So as much as this administration wants to spin that, it's a really stark contrast to see that. And then also this remodeling of the ballroom. People are feeling it really hurt at home. And then you're seeing this effort to just spend taxpayer dollars or they're saying it's privately funded to remodel a ballroom. And it's just a big contrast. I want to go to this quote, GW, from a construction worker from Missouri who told NBC News that he voted for Trump in 2024.

34:18But now he says, quote, everything's already so expensive. That's the worst thing about his presidency so far is he promised things coming down and prices are not coming down. I make more money than I've ever made in my life right now. And it has financially been a struggle. Is the president out of touch with people like this construction worker? I don't think so. I think when you talk about affordability, there's a lot of factors that go into it. prices in general, we talk about what goes into the prices of any good. And one of the major factors of pricing is energy. And Donald Trump has led the way in expanding energy production in America, bringing back domestic production of energy.

34:58There also is the side of getting more money in the pockets of Americans. How do you do that? We do that a few ways. You do that in the form of tax cuts. And the big, beautiful bill, not only did they extend the tax cuts of the previous administration, They also got no tax on tip, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security. Those are real impacts. But beyond that, the trade deals he is doing and the new investment in America that we are seeing come in are going to build new jobs into the future, bring technology back. Those things with wage growth and bringing down the core components of what make prices are going to be really, really beneficial.

35:37But that all takes time. That all takes time. I mean, how do you see this playing out until the midterms? Because there are people like who I just said, that construction worker who were feeling the pain who voted for Trump. And they said, you said you would lower prices and that hasn't happened. I think you're going to see it happen. As these trade deals come up, new markets expand to producers in America. That means more jobs, more market to sell our goods. That means we have more goods coming into our country. That also drives the price lower. If you have more goods in the bucket to buy, that drives the price lower.

36:07Energy costs will continue to come down. All those things take time to marinate, but we have time before the midterm, and I think you'll see the results. All right, I want to turn to another issue here in Washington, and that would be the Jeffrey Epstein documents. The president, as we know, has been at odds with several congressional Republicans. And today, instead of calling on Attorney General Pamboddy to release all the files, he's asking her to investigate Epstein's links to notable Democrats. What do you think about that move, Sabrina? Well, it's yet again Donald Trump using the Department of Justice as a political tool.

36:41I mean, it is so rare to see presidents direct their attorney general to prosecute their so-called perceived enemies. And that's exactly what you're seeing with this president. And they're doing it strategically. I think they want to try and open investigations up so that they cannot release certain files or documents from the Epstein case because they're going to say, well, it's an ongoing investigation now. We can't release these files. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, you have people in this administration, Kash Patel, Don Bongino, other people who have made careers talking about the Epstein files.

37:10So now to say like, oh, let's not release it, it's a bit ridiculous. Yeah, what do you think? I think that I'd like to see all the information out there. And I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican, you ought to be held to account. Look, I think one of the things that's troubling to me is this giddy sort of underlying narrative by the Democrats that Donald Trump is for sure implicated and has wrongdoing in this case, even though there is no evidence to say that. I want the information out there, and I want everybody, regardless of political party, to be held to account. But do you think the way that he has handled it, and even today telling his DOJ, investigate the Democrats, which means now the DOJ could theoretically say, well, we can't release anything now because this is an investigation.

37:50Does it raise questions for you? I mean, does it feed into a perception of wrongdoing, even if there is no wrongdoing? I'm not so certain because I think one of the things I grapple with a lot here is there were four years the Democrats were in power that they could have released this, but they didn't because they wanted to hold it over Donald Trump's head for political gain. Again, Democrat or Republican doesn't make a difference. Everyone needs to be held to account, and I think we need the information out there. Do you agree how he's handling it? Is this the advice you would give him and how he's handled the Epstein matter?

38:18I want as much information out there as possible. I think this is a real case study in how to not handle some of the crisis communication situation. I think Bill Clinton's getting away with a lot here. We don't talk about him a lot. He's on a book tour. Okay. Doing just fine. All right. No criminal evidence there either. We should note that and Trump as well. And we've just got to be buttoned up on all fronts. Stick around. We've got more to talk about. Will the hot mess airline situation during the government shutdown linger into the Thanksgiving holiday season? The Points Guy is here to weigh in next.

38:53Breaking news in our national lead. The FAA this afternoon lifted some of its shutdown related restrictions on air travel from 6 % of flights cut down to 3%. All part of the race in to get air travel back to normal after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. In a little over one week, a record-setting 31 million passengers are expected to fly for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. And that question remains for so many of us. Will holiday travel run smoothly or will the delays and the cancellations from the shutdown linger? So let's discuss now with Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy.

39:28All right, Brian, are things looking up for air travel? I am optimistic. The numbers are looking good. You know, today over 600 cancellations, but that's down from 3 ,000 earlier this week. So things are certainly stabilizing. So what will it take to get air travel back on track to where it was before, fully stabilized? Fully stabilized, we're looking at hiring 3 ,000 to 4 ,000 new air traffic controllers and training them, which will take years. Because let's remember, before this meltdown, Newark had air traffic issues. But it does appear that air traffic controllers are working. The callouts are minimal, and they're all getting bonuses now if they came to work.

40:06So I think the morale there is up, as well as the TSA. So, you know, all things are good. I think the things we should be looking out for are weather-related incidents. That could kind of throw the system out of whack or outages. But overall, I think things are looking good. What can passengers expect and what can they do to ensure that they're reaching their destination for the upcoming holiday travel period? So many of us have those travel plans. Should we stick with the flight or some people think, well, should I rent a car and drive? But it sounds like if you have a flight booked, you're going to be OK.

40:38I think you're going to be OK. Look, there are still the 3 % of flights that are being cut are mostly regional short flights. So those flights, yeah, you might want to think about, you know, a backup plan if necessary. But I think people are shocked now. I'm hearing, you know, airports are running smoothly today. TSA is good. But, you know, my general tips remain, you know, make sure you always have the airline app. Be proactive when you see a delay happening. See where your plane's coming from. But overall, I do not think people should be panicking. And I think we're going to have a smooth, hopefully, Thanksgiving travel.

41:09That's the kind of message we like to hear, Brian Kelly, especially on a Friday. Thank you so much.

41:18Welcome to The Lead. I'm Pamela Brown. In for Jake Tapper. This hour, the president ordering a new Epstein investigation, looking into the dead pedophiles' ties to Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, JPMorgan Chase, and more. Why this investigation is so much different than the others. Plus, breaking news. A beloved football coach featured in a Netflix series has died after being shot. what we're learning about the circumstances behind this tragedy. And also the notable name making a personal plea trying to get rid of a ban on hemp that was slipped into the bill to reopen the government. Plus, a brand new view today showing the East Wing demolition at the White House.

42:05The lead tonight, President Trump deflecting on the Epstein scandal So following this week's release of a trove of Epstein emails mentioning Trump by name. Now there is a new federal investigation into Epstein's ties to other high-profile figures. That's because Trump publicly instructed the Justice Department to look into former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, entrepreneur Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and others. And meanwhile, the House is expected to vote next week on releasing the Justice Department's full Epstein case files. Remember, the vast amount of documents released by the House Oversight Committee so far are from the Epstein estate, which means we have yet to see the entirety of what the Justice Department may have on the Epstein case.

42:50CNN's Chief White House correspondent Caitlin Collins joins us now. All right, Caitlin, what's the latest? I mean, Pam, it was just about 1035 this morning when the president blasted out this Truth Social post going off about what's been happening with the Jeffrey Epstein files on Capitol Hill ever since we got those new emails this week that showed that over the last 15 years, in private correspondent, Jeffrey Epstein had named Donald Trump personally in several of those emails, also implying things that he knew or didn't know and having conversations about him. And in that post, the president instead blamed Democrats in saying that they were trying to distract from the government shutdown being resolved here, and instead said that he was directing his attorney general, Pam Bondi to open up an investigation to the other high-profile Democrats that were named also in those emails that we saw, people like Larry Summers, the former Treasury Secretary under President Obama.

43:44And just a few hours later, Pam, and this is something that a few years ago would have been essentially unheard of, given there has always been this line of independence traditionally between the Justice Department and the investigations it's conducting and the West Wing. But only a few hours later, you saw the Attorney General Pam Bondi posting this afternoon, about 2.12 p.m., saying that, quoting the president's post and saying that she would be naming Jay Clayton as the attorney, the U.S. attorney overseeing this investigation that the president has made clear he wants. It's going to be coming out of SDNY, which is also, of course, what investigated Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in the first place.

44:21And so they are moving forward at the Justice Department with the president's directive to use this. But really, Pam, I mean, just beyond the fact that the president is saying open this investigation and the attorney general is saying, yes, sir, we're going to open this investigation. You have to look back to what the attorney general and the Justice Department and the FBI said just back in July when they put out that letter that prompted all of this backlash from the president's MAGA base saying that there was not going to be any more disclosures coming out of the Jeffrey Epstein case, that they had reviewed all the information that they had.

44:53And Pam, I was looking back at that letter and this is the line that stood out to me the most given the president's post today. This Justice Department, run by Pam Bondi, said, quote, we did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties. That is them saying in July they did not have anything to move forward with any other investigations of other people. And now today they're saying that's exactly what they're doing. That's a really important point. Caitlin Collins, thank you so much. And Caitlin will have much more tonight on her show, The Source with Caitlin Collins.

45:24That's tonight at 9 Eastern on CNN and on the new CNN app. My next guest is on the House Oversight Committee, Republican Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas. Hi, Congressman. Nice to see you. So next week, the House is expected to vote on the release of the Justice Department's entire Epstein files. Will you vote for or against it? You know, at this point, Pam, I will tell you that it's very interesting to watch the president as he continues not just to pivot, but to get closer, I think, to the deal that most members are for, and that is release all the information. I think the information should be released.

46:04I have been for that to at least the Government Reform and Oversight Bipartisan Committee that we attempt to look at this. But to withhold that data and information means that there will probably be about 100 Republicans that will vote to say yes. As to my vote, I have not made that determination. I will make that determination when it's time, and we'll see what happens at that. But this is an important matter that is not going to go away, and it's going to require, as I think most of us believe, that we need to answer the questions, if not on a bipartisan basis, at least where we can make statements how it happened who was responsible how it was paid for but this goes all the way back as you know to 2006 and that's a long time ago and so to look back too far at too much of this stuff and draw conclusions today is going to require us to have a lot of discipline and work together i just want to go back to what you said earlier when you said the president's pivot on this.

47:15What did you mean exactly on that? Well, certainly what was just reported here that the president of what the attorney general had said a few months ago and now what they're doing, I think that this is going to require us and them to look at substantially how they want this information to be released. I have no doubt it's going to be released, but I do have a question. I'll just tell you right now, I don't know the entire brevity of this. I'm not interested in words or accusations or unfounded things that may be said. There is and was a report that was done by law enforcement. We ought to go through that, finish going through that.

48:07We've gotten testimony. But we need to find out what the law investigators, what the law enforcement investigators, what the prosecutors came up with. We've already heard that Alex Hazor has accepted the state penalty and to plead guilty. I don't know enough about what those federal charges might have been. Who has custody of those things today? We heard just a few months ago that the attorney general did not receive the information even though she thought she had and found out somebody was still with the FBI. So there's still much that's got to be uncovered that we have the right and the responsibility to do.

48:49I just don't think it's to release files that are not have not been through a law enforcement vetted circumstance first. And then we see what the truth is. I just want to drill down a little bit more on what you say is the president's pivot on this, because, as you know, he called on his attorney general to investigate prominent Democrats as it relates to Epstein. Hours later, Pam Bondi, the attorney general, said she was on it and had already put forth a prosecutor. And now, because it is an investigation, right, the DOJ can simply say, well, we can't release anything now because this is an ongoing investigation.

49:28So does that concern you as someone who wants more transparency on this? You know what? I would take your words as something that is and has been used. However, I would also tell you that this is not something that needs to go on forever. I don't think it's in anybody's best interest. But the bottom line is he will have prosecutorial ability to find out if we don't have the tapes. I don't think we've established who has the tapes. I don't think we've established who has custody and did have custody. So we might need some help in this endeavor. Congressional inquiries are not always met the proper way.

50:10So, look, I think this is a big deal. I'm for us getting to the bottom of it. And I think that they're referring to this, quote, pivot. I'm in reference to, I think, that Pam Bondi, the Department of Justice, and this person who now will be doing the investigation needs to lay out for us the things that they feel like they need and may not have that's embodied within these documents. And I just want to be clear, when you mentioned tapes, can you be more precise on what you were referring to there? Well, there are thousands of hours of tapes. Each of these three areas, at least on the islands and in Florida, Alex Azores had presumptively hundreds of hours of tapes of bedrooms, of parties, of people who were there.

51:03And there was a lot of information that we have yet to actually see the evidence of. So I think there's a lot more that's going to be done. And it may quite well require a special prosecutor with literally an FBI agent by their side going up and having, you know, what is typically called a badge and a gun. But if you lie to them, that is perjury. And that is a very serious charge. And so we need that kind of help. We found out with President Biden that House investigators did not have that same latitude with people. And so people, in essence, deferred not to speak. This is something that it may quite require a special prosecutor.

51:53So I'm not against it yet. And just to be clear, you're talking about Alex Acosta earlier. We are. Yeah. OK. Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas, thank you. Have a nice weekend. You bet. The breaking news, shock in California's Bay Area. First, the shooting of a beloved former football coach, and now we're learning he has died. The mayor of Oakland, California, will be here next.

52:24Breaking news and our national lead. Former football coach John Beam, known nationally for being featured in the Netflix docuseries last chance you has died after being shot yesterday on the campus of Laney College in Oakland, California. Police identified the suspect and Thursday student as a 27 year old who was acquainted with beam, but investigators say beam did not have a close relationship with the suspect. Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee joins us now. Very sad here, mayor. Do you have any more information as to what happened here? Don't have a lot of information. Of course, our police department, they have arrested a suspect.

53:05And in fact, I believe the weapon has been confiscated. And, you know, it's just an incredibly difficult week for our city. And let me just take a moment to send my condolences and my love to Coach Beam's family and the thousands of people that he knew and mentored. You know, Coach Beam has a legacy that we all have to lift up, given the way he mentored young people, people who never would have had a chance, including my nephew. He was his coach at Skyline High School. And so everyone had a connection to him. And he was a phenomenal human being. He was somebody who cared about others. And it's just something to think that he's not with us anymore.

53:56He was very, very clear about who he was and why not only being a coach and an athletic director, he was also a mentor to young people who, as I said, may not have had a chance to even go to college and my nephew reminded me that he provided entree and opened the door for so many young people to go to college and to get scholarships where they never would have had that chance had it not been for coach beam we are deeply sad today grateful for his life but grieving this moment tremendously yeah he impacted so many lives and has quite the legacy it's personal for you as you mentioned he was so beloved in the Bay Area and we saw that in that Netflix documentary Last Chance U how was the overall community doing after this loss?

54:50It's hard people are having a very difficult time everybody elected officials of course his family and friends the community I was at the hospital last night and people were there just came because of the love and the the concern and the outpouring of support for the coach. He touched so many people from so many quarters, so many aspects of life, so many professions, so many people who didn't have a profession, people who were struggling, people who were of means, police department children, and he was friends with everyone. And he was someone who encouraged everyone, too. He never thought that anyone was a lost cause.

55:34And so as a person who lived a full life, a purposeful life, he is already. People feel it already. They feel the void and are grieving this loss like you would not believe. It's really hard. Yeah, I mean, it's not just your community there, right? It's like all these people who have watched this Netflix show and has grown attached to him through that show, right? And we should note that Thursday's shooting came just one day after a student was shot at an Oakland high school. Two shootings on school grounds in one week. What do you say to students and residents there who are so concerned about this?

56:14Let me tell you, this was the school where Coach Beam had been a coach in the past. And this is the school where my nephew attended. And the young people, the trauma, the fact that this happened on the campus, Because the fact that they, let me tell you, these young people at Skyline High School, they were prepared. But they were so instrumental in making sure that the police department got there very quickly. So the staff and the teachers and the young people at Skyline High School really helped to save lives, quite frankly. and they're mourning they're sad they're uh traumatized uh and so we're working i was there yesterday also at the school talking with the people there who really uh are developing ways to help support these young people who for the life of them and me and anyone we can't figure out why there's so many guns on the streets of america the streets of oakland and how these guns get into the hands of these young people.

57:25Gun violence is a public health issue, and I worked in Congress with the Surgeon General to declare it a public health issue. But also, let me just say, those that perpetrate these horrific murders, they have to be held accountable. And so we're working on many aspects of this, but the young man, thankfully, who was shot will survive. I saw him also at the hospital right upstairs from Coach Beam where he was and so it's just a very sad tragedy but this city is resilient we're going together everyone is supporting the families and so much love and grief is outpouring and we just hope we can you know move forward and use the life of Coach Beam as an example.

58:18Well, may his memory be a blessing for sure. Oakland, California Mayor Barbara Lee, thank you. Up next, a new federal indictment that prosecutors say involves illegal sports betting, a mafia family, and more than a dozen arrests.

58:37In our sports lead, a case that feels ripped straight from an episode of The Sopranos, we are learning of yet another sport betting scandal, this time involving college athletes and the mafia in New Jersey. Prosecutors say 14 people faced charges for running a multi-million dollar betting ring operation. And according to officials, Joseph Perna, also known as Little Joe, a member of the Lucchese mafia crime family, recruited young gamblers to bet using offshore websites, bringing in about$2 million in illegal transactions. All right, I want to bring in ESPN senior writer Dan Wetzel. He has written extensively about illegal sports betting.

59:19So, Dan, help our viewers better understand this latest case and how this alleged ring worked. So this was a state charge from the New Jersey Attorney General. And it's really, it does have some ties to college sports, but it's mainly sports wagering. they were the perna of the lucchese crime family allegedly was uh trying to recruit and use uh kind of young college age bookies it's a lot more it's a pretty common tactic you're you're more likely if you live in a college dorm to bet with the the kid down the hall or the guy in the fraternity that you know you may not realize that those bets are still being tied up to organized crime but it seems pretty innocent it's a good way to do business so they had recruited a lot of guys and were running an entire operation 14 people arrested over two million dollars uh gambled most of its sports wagering they were they were betting through the uh you know an legal bookmaker through through your local bookmaker it did include a couple of former rutgers wrestlers but we really have no information right now from the state of new jersey whether you know any sports were compromised or anything like that it's really just more college kids that could have could have gambled legally through some of the online sites instead chose to still gamble illegally.

1:00:41Wow. And now look at this. And we've seen these other recent scandals, right? Last month, there was that massive NBA gambling scheme. Then just days ago in baseball, two Cleveland Guardians pitchers pleaded not guilty to allegedly rigging pitches. Bigger picture. What's the solution here, if any? there isn't much because if you if you put all these together there really has been all sorts of different cases right we have small college basketball we have major league pitchers making millions of dollars a year chauncey billups an nba coach and a hall of fame player uh who's you know earned hundreds of millions and hundred million dollars in his career at least uh in different ways they're all getting caught up in it and so it's hard to really design you know one solution to say, hey, if we if we just educate this way or if we just make this one tweak to the rules or the laws, this will discourage everyone from doing it.

1:01:37It's really hard to know everyone's motivations on this. Some of them don't make any sense. Some of the Cleveland pitchers were they're making two thousand dollars to to to rig a pitch, allegedly throw throw a ball when they could when everyone was betting they're they're going to do a strike. How do you really police that. So the one good thing about all these scandals, they are coming up in the news a lot, they are in the headlines, is that prosecutors are, it's working. They're finding ways to bring charges. The integrity, analytics and software that gambling companies and states use are flagging different things.

1:02:14And particularly federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Eastern District of New York are taking this very seriously and cracking down on bets really small and large. So the one way to stop it is really the deterrent of any athlete out there to say, you know what, look at all these other guys that got caught. I'm not going to be able to pull this off. I'll never understand why any athlete would do it either because just like given usually their salary, what they make, why put it all on the line, right? Dan Wetzel, thank you so much. Ahead, one man's personal plea showing up at the White House trying to get a ban on hemp reversed.

1:02:53They'll be here in our studio next.

1:02:59In the national lead, a provision tucked inside the government funding bill will soon ban the sale of hemp-based items that contain THC. That's the psychoactive ingredient in the cannabis plant. The measure is aimed at products like gummies or drinks that are often sold without regulation at gas stations, liquor stores, or online. But a former NFL lineman wants President Trump to consider the economic and health impacts that could come with this new restriction and reverse it. Former New Orleans Saints player Kyle Turley is here. He is also co-founder of Project Champion, an organization dedicated to legalizing cannabis.

1:03:35And we should also note he owns a number of dispensaries in California and also in Tennessee. So, Kyle, you have talked openly about how hemp has changed your life. Talk to us about that because when you were in the NFL, you sustained injuries and it really helped you. Oh, 100%. You know, being an NFL football player, you know, we're the most prescribed people, I think, on the planet when it comes to pharmaceuticals, especially in the era that I played. You know, from the late 90s through the 2000s, we were pretty much the guinea pigs for those. So having the experience of being addicted to pharmaceuticals, understanding the need to get off of pharmaceuticals, that's what my life's been about.

1:04:14It's been a long journey that I can say though, cannabis saved my life over 10 years ago. Continues to do so every day. And you know, push me to know more and more and more about why this is happening. So you take it every day? Every day, all day, every day, in every form and fashion. So like right now are you on cannabis? 100%, yes. We have an endogenous cannabinoid system. It's the number one regulatory system in the human body. So understanding that and why this is working for me, you know, I mean this legislation is gonna affect patients the most at the end of the day because it completely reverses the 2018 Farm Bill, which has allowed patients in states that are still trying to figure it out, you know, the opportunity for people to experience cannabis at the base level, which this clearly attacks.

1:04:58Tell us more about what you think the economic impact of this restriction could be. And you, I mean, we should note, as I said, you also have a stake in it from an economic standpoint. Yes, 100%. This is going to reverse everything the 2018 Farm Bill has done. So now this is going to criminalize, not only take away businesses, you're going to lose almost 400 ,000 jobs in America for this. I don't see the sense in that. This is going to completely cripple the hemp industry when it comes to farming. Within the new language, there's not one strain of cannabis that can grow to full potential and meet these standards of the new testing.

1:05:31So, you know, I mean, where do we go with this? Who did this is what the question should be. Well, the bill is meant, as it's portrayed, to target bad actors that sell products with high dosages of THC through this loophole. And that farm bill we were talking about, Senator Rampall is in support of getting rid of the new restriction in the funding bill. I know you were trying to reach out to him. He has not responded. Maybe you guys can connect after this interview. But he explains in a new op-ed, the provision that was inserted into the government funding bill makes illegal any hemp product that contains more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container.

1:06:03That would be nearly 100 percent of hemp products currently sold. This is so low that it takes away any of the benefit of the current products intended to manage pain or other conditions. So for reference, the average cannabis edible product in a legal state such as Colorado or California contains five or 10 milligrams of THC, according to the Journal of Cannabis Research. What would the industry see as a happy medium regulation that would eliminate those bad actors, but also create an effective and accessible product for those who want to utilize it? Yeah, there's been a lot of people that have tried to do this.

1:06:38I mean, Rand Paul, you mentioned, is the number one. I've been a big supporter of what he's put together with his Hemp Act. I think that the cannabis community, if they are truly behind what this industry is about, needs to back the Hemp Act with Rand Paul because this resolves this. It's an over 85-page bill that answers every one of these questions. It provides regulatory systems in it. It acknowledges the medical need for this and the opportunity for people to not only benefit the way they are, but make it even better, which completely answers the question of what this is. You know, marijuana is a made up racist term.

1:07:15This has been hemp. It is hemp. It will forever be hemp. And this conversation continues to go into semantics, which is not where we need to be right now. We need to be on facts and things are very factual within this bill that are going to happen to American citizens, farmers, patients, everybody in this industry that the politicians have promised all of these things to, that it's going to get better. It's going to get better. You know, I put everything I have from my NFL career into this industry. There is a reason for that. This saved my life. Many of my brothers would still be here today. that's a fact and if given the opportunity as I push through the NFL to try and get them to understand this it's giving full PowerPoint presentations I will continue to fight for this because I honestly don't believe Donald Trump I don't think President Trump understands the full language within this bill it completely reverses what he should be championing which is a 30 billion dollar industry that he created in America on American citizens and And farmers, patients, and business owners don't deserve this, especially right now.

1:08:22Kyle Turley, thank you so much for your time and getting your message out. Thank you. Well, a slew of racist texts unearthed by CNN's K-File team blew up a Trump nominee's chances of being confirmed by the Senate. But now, this person has a new job with the Trump administration. We're going to talk about that up next.

1:08:45Today at the White House, a clear view right here showing what is left after the demolition of the East Wing. This view is from the observation deck of the Washington Monument, which reopened today after the government shutdown ended. Crews started tearing down the East Wing a month ago to make way for President Trump's new 90 ,000 square foot ballroom. And in our politics lead, just one month after Paul Ingrassia withdrew his controversial nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel after racist text messages surfaced, a White House official tells CNN Ingrassia has a new role with the Trump administration as Deputy General Counsel at the General Services Administration.

1:09:25We are back with our panel to talk about this and much more. All right, so we should note Politico was first to publish some of those messages. And just to remind our viewers, and one message that Ingrassia allegedly sent, it said, quote, I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time. I will admit it. CNN's K-File investigated some of his online activity and found, quote, and Gracia and his podcast X account have also shared comments from notorious white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. T.W., do you think he should have a job with the Trump administration? Unfortunately, I don't have a say in that matter.

1:10:02That lies solely with the president. I can tell you, I do not like the text messages I saw. Whether it was in jest or whether it wasn't, it's completely unacceptable. There's no place in our movement. It's clear, though, that the president doesn't like his hand forced on an ally by the left. And so I don't know what happened in their personal conversation, which Igracias said he had with the president, which he informed him of this move. Who knows if there was a reprimand or not? We don't know. But it looks like the president said, instead of having this highly visible liaison job, we're going to bury you at GSA.

1:10:35And several Republicans, we should also note, said he wouldn't get through the Senate, right? So it wasn't just the left on this. I don't think I'd vote for him either. Yeah. Sabrina, what's your take? I mean, I think moving someone around like this, moving them in government no matter what, I mean, the question is really why. I mean, why does this person even have a role when someone says they, you know, quote, have a Nazi streak? I mean, I don't know why. It's just hard to defend. I certainly don't think he should have a place or a role in government. As T.W. said, we don't have a say in that matter.

1:11:03But, you know, this is clearly someone that was not going to get through the Senate. Republican senators made that clear. So moving him into this position, again, you have other controversial people in the administration that have said horrific things, anti-Semitic things, but yet some have even been promoted. So it's not a surprise that he's been moved into this new position, but it doesn't represent the values, I would hope, of the Republican Party. Does it reflect more of a trend of this administration saying, we're not going to be bullied into anything, whether it's a federal judge or, you know, the media in their view or the left, whatever the case may be.

1:11:41And so they will do anything they can to, you know, to not kowtow. What do you think? Yeah, in some ways I do think that and I think there's evidence to say that they're under more scrutiny than any administration in history. We see it through the lawsuits against Donald Trump, the incessant determination to pick out staffers and get into their personal life and get their text messages and so forth. I do think they feel a bit like they have to push back, like protect our people. Now, that doesn't excuse anything that was said, surely. But I absolutely do think there is a sense of circling the wagons.

1:12:19I would say that in serving in the Biden administration, We came under heavy, heavy scrutiny, whether from all angles and including staff. I don't think it's unique to this administration. I think that's just what happens with administrations. I do think it has become more politically polarized. And that has gotten worse and worse over time. But I don't think it's unique to the Trump administration. Well, I would go in so far. If Barack Obama started building that ballroom, you would not hear anything like what you're hearing right now. I swear to you. Not only would we, we wouldn't have even been able to move a John Deere contractor to the premises of the White House.

1:12:55People, like, a senator probably would have chained themselves to the White House if Barack Obama ever thought about tearing down the East Wing. No, that absolutely deserves scrutiny. I'm so sorry, my friend. That's just so inaccurate. No way. That's just, like, so funny. Every administration has complained about the lack of space in the White House to host events. Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to tear down a ballroom. I mean, I'm sorry. No, under a Democratic administration, we would have been absolutely, there would be oversight hearings right now. I disagree with you wholely. Can they figure out the media section of the White House?

1:13:23Because it is so tiny. There are like rats right out of the ceiling. Expansion is not a bad thing. By the way, let's not forget. We had a conservatory and a greenhouse at the White House that was expanded under three presidents and knocked down to make office space. We had gardens paved over to make the Rose Garden. I'm sorry, if we had done anything that this administration did, whether it was from the ballroom to renaming the Department of Defense to Department of War, that's going to cost$2 billion. The amount of scrutiny a Democrat would have faced, the amount of scrutiny that Barack Obama would have faced, would have been wall to wall every single day.

1:13:57We would have been picked apart. We would not have been able to start construction on a ballroom. I just I in fact, OK, you guys are clearly not you're not going to agree on this. But I did want to get to something else that was really I thought was interesting that the Washington Post is reporting. But the State Department is now considering denying foreigners visas over factors like obesity and other chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. A White House official says, quote, State Department policy has included an authority to deny visa applicants who would pose a financial burden to taxpayers.

1:14:27President Trump's administration is finally fully enforcing this policy and putting Americans first. What do you think, T.W.? The public charge element of the State Department's duty is broad. We see in the Maha movement a big push, not only expanding the Ozempic drug, but a look at long-term health problems that people are having, chronic health issues. Obesity is obviously a big one. We know people come here illegally to seek medical treatment. This is a way of protecting ourselves from that. Look, Trump's immigration policies, there's no question that there's a need to secure the border. There needs to be better scrutiny.

1:15:02this seems like a policy that is just it's so erratic and that's what you why you saw voters last tuesday reject part of the trump administration's doctrine when it comes to immigration because they are rejecting these policies and i think this is one of them all right sabrina singh tw origi thank you so much i'll let you all take that conversation online about how it would have played out under president obama okay up next cnn's jake tapper and a must-see thriller

1:15:32In our pop lead in theaters starting today, Mezzel City of Wolves. It's a sequel that follows Jake Rosser, an Army veteran trying to lead a peaceful life with his family and retired canine companion when the cartel returns for revenge. She thinks that I'm some wounded dog. No offense, but. I got a wife. And a kid, you're in danger. You didn't turn the oven off? I never turn it on. What is it? Someone's trying to kill my husband.

1:16:12He's not going anywhere. You messed with the cartel's business. Now they're coming for you. CNN's Jake Tapper sat down with muzzle star actor Aaron Eckhart. One of the reasons I wanted to talk to you is because you're screening this film for veterans, doing an event with the Disabled Veterans of America, and the character is a veteran, and this seems like an issue that you care a great deal about. Yeah, I've been around the military genre in movies a lot, and I respect them. I learn a lot from them, their skill sets, their mentality, what they're going through after they come home from deployments, how it is on deployments.

1:16:57And I have a lot of respect for the military. I know in the past, I don't know, do you call yourself a method actor? Is that a... That's an interesting question. Like in parts, in roles where you were in a wheelchair, you... You, yes. In that sense, yes. But not going into the method actor too much. But when you're a method actor, it's very difficult on the crew. Yeah. And people around because you're in that character. and people don't know how to relate to you. So I like to be as method as I possibly can. You want to inhabit that person and be that person. It's hard to relate with people on the set, but you need to be in that character as much as possible.

1:17:39So what's it like returning to this role? And also, what's this about you being hit over the head with a real terracotta plant pot as opposed to a stunt one? Yeah, I like the role. I like the complexity of the role. you know, talking about people coming, military coming home for deployments, they have a structured life in the military. They know what they're going to do. They have a hierarchy. When you come home and you try to, then you don't have that hierarchy or structure. People can lose themselves and they can get into addiction and they can get into other things and find it difficult. And that's what my character does in this film.

1:18:14He can handle the dog. He can handle the structure of police life, but his family life he can't handle. And so he goes into addiction. Yeah, I was doing a stunt with Fight, you know, and talk about method acting. You want to, you know, I want to feel the pain, you know. So I'm fighting with this trained stunt guy. And for some reason, he finds a terracotta plant that's come out of nowhere. It's not choreographed. And he slams it over my head and opens up my head, bleeding everything. We finished the scene. It's like Charlie Chaplin says, if the building falls on me, don't cut. You know, he's famous for saying.

1:18:55Oh, so it wasn't intentional. No. He hit me with the terracotta plant. And so we finished, and I was, you know, I'm bleeding. It could have been my, you know. And I said, what are you doing? Right. And he says to me, I don't know. I just picked up that plant, and I wanted to hit you in the head with it. And so there you go. Oh, live by method, die by method. Yeah. I didn't, I mean, I had to take five minutes. But I came back and it was good. It's in the movie. Yeah. Oh, is that right? Yeah. So obviously you have a canine co-star. And I know you know, and I know this is part of your advocacy work, but a lot of veterans need dogs.

1:19:33What was it like working with that dog? And do you have a dog? I used to have a dog. Died. But yes, these dogs are important. They're fighters. They're warriors. I'm the dog's co-star. Was it fun working with the dog? Yeah. When I got there, I said to the trainers, I said, listen, you guys, this is my dog now. I said, nobody feeds this dog. Nobody gives him the goo-goo-ga-ga's. Nobody touches him. You know, it's my dog now. And that's how we treated it. So when I'm saying, you know, foster, you know, go attack or whatever, he's really going on my commands, which is really extraordinary. because when we're doing these scenes, the dog is just hugging this beautiful Malinois dog.

1:20:18It's just leaning up against your legs. That's sweet. It really is sweet. So what about your dog that passed away? Well, I was in New York City living in Squalor, and my then-girlfriend said, she went to a pet shop, and she said, if there's a yellow lab in there, I'm going to buy him for Aaron, and there was. So I went home, and there was this little puppy with a ribbon around his neck, and I said, get that dog out of here. Yeah. And I had him for 13 years, took him everywhere. Julia Roberts took him on her plane. And I said, how was my dog? And she says, get your dog out of here. But you're not going to, I mean, I'm sorry that he passed away.

1:20:52I know that's devastating. I've been through that myself. It's time for you to get another dog, maybe? No. If I did, I would get a Malinois. They're fantastic dogs. They listen. They're smart. So it's a pleasure working with them. It's a pleasure doing this movie. And it's a pleasure to me that veterans are using these dogs for their needs and then using them for their needs after the war. Well, thanks so much for your advocacy for veterans. Erin Eckhart, a real pleasure. Thank you very much for having me. Coming up Sunday on State of the Union, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

1:21:27Also, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and former Ambassador Rahm Emanuel. That is Sunday at 9 a.m. and noon Eastern on CNN. You can follow me on X and Instagram at Pamela Brown CNN. And if you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you can watch the show on the CNN app. Erin Burnett Out Front starts now. Have a great weekend, everyone.

1:21:51From the descendants of history makers involved in the Louisiana Purchase to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Discover the untold stories of American expansion in the CNN original series, This Land, now streaming on the CNN app.