(upbeat music) - Good morning, everyone. I'm Tom Bevin, co-host of Rookler Politics on the Megan Kelly Channel. It's Monday, August 24th, 2026. And this is your AM update. The Texas Judge slaps down Carmelo Anthony Bid for a new trial as new texts from the convicted killer come to light. - Darlene is somebody I've known for a long time. - I asked her to do this. I said, "Darlene, you gotta do it." 'Cause everyone loves her, everyone respects her. - President Trump putting his political muscle behind the late center Lindsey Graham's sister in South Carolina over the weekend. One year after Reena Zaruzka is stabbed to death on a North Carolina light rail, her family is soon in the city, they say failed her. - This is life changing, you know? You don't come out of this without some type of life altering catastrophic deficit. - And a surgical drug mix up at a Tennessee hospital, leaving at least one paralyzed and several others suffering severe complications. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update. (upbeat music) - Our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, says Washington politicians are always getting in your wallet and that now they're messing with your credit card. They say your credit card and the security it offers are under attack and that senators Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall want to change the nation's payment system to benefit corporate megastores like Walmart and Target at the expense of everyday Americans. Credit cards can keep your payment secure and provide rewards that families use to help make everyday purchases more affordable. The Electronic Payments Coalition says the Durbin Marshall mandates would let corporate megastores cut corners on credit card processing, routing transactions over cheaper untested networks with weaker security and fewer protections. Find out more at guardyourcard.com and consider telling Congress to guard your card. (upbeat music) - Texas Judge rejecting Carmelo Anthony's bid for a new trial Saturday, keeping the 19 year olds 35 year prison sentence intact. Anthony's defense arguing the trial was compromised, putting two strict courtroom rules, jury instructions, and he quote gentleman's agreement with prosecutors limiting what evidence jurors would hear. Anthony had achieved legal win following his conviction with original judge John Roach tossed off the case. Roach telling a local outlet that jurors quote got it right in convicting Anthony. Legal experts saying the rejection of Anthony's bid for a new trial is not surprising. Here's criminal defense attorney and host of In The Well on the MK True Crime Channel, Mark Garagos on News Nation. - This is not unexpected given what happened earlier this week when the text messages that were released that apparently weren't used during the trial came out and it was not helpful to this young man to the accused or now convicted. And I think where they're headed with this new legal team is they lost the motion for new trial but it becomes apparent to me they're now going to probably focus in on ineffective assistance and counsel of the trial lawyer in this case. And I think that's the newest tack that the newest legal team is gonna take. - Those text Garagos is referencing part of evidence that was not introduced during the trial. The text were revealed during hearings last week held on Anthony's motion for a new trial. According to CBS News Texas, prosecutor saying Anthony repeatedly threatened to murder his girlfriend in text messages, one of them saying, "How many bullets you want coming out of your chest?" And in another quote, "When I stab somebody, "I'm gonna lick their blood off the blade." This is not the end of the road for Anthony, attorney Mark Reiko describing what's next on News Nation. Does this officially end the case, Mark, or is there more to learn? - No, so when somebody sent us to a sentence like that which was 35 years, almost a life sentence, there'll be plenty of time to relitigate this exact matter. Right away, they brought it up and said, new lawyer said, "Hey, there was this gentleman's agreement "much to our client's detriment. "Shouldn't happen, you know, his bad practice on their part." So they wanted to get in there right away and get a new trial. Look, it's been denied. He's gonna go up on appeal, but while that's pending, they can continue to gather evidence, do some research, investigate, get more evidence about this gentleman's agreement. Kind of look at the record to determine how it really prejudiced him. Refile a motion, you can file a new trial motion on new evidence just about any time. So this is not the end of this case, not at all. - 19 year old Carmelo Anthony convicted in June of murdering Austin Metcalf, who was fatally stabbed during a high school track meet near Dallas last year. Anthony and Metcalf were both 17 years old at the time of the stabbing. Anthony remains behind bars, serving his 35 year sentence for Metcalf's killing. President Trump taking the political spotlight to South Carolina over the weekend, rallying Republicans behind Senator Darleen Graham ahead of Tuesday's Senate runoff. Darleen, who was appointed last month to serve out the rest of her brother Lindsey's current term following his sudden death last month, finishing first in South Carolina's Republican primary on August 11th, but only capturing about 32% of the vote, despite Mr. Trump's endorsement and heading to a runoff with his second place finisher. She now faces representative Ralph Norman in Tuesday's runoff. According to the Calhche prediction market, Graham currently with a 69% chance to emerge victorious tomorrow, with Norman at just 32%. Graham taking some heat recently after stumbling on the topic of Taiwan and the South China Sea during a debate last week. - Senator, are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States? If so, why? I'm sorry, could you repeat the question? - Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States, and if so, why or how? - I'm just gonna be honest here. I'm not a national security that I'm not that informed on national security, so. But I do support the military. My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years, so I will do everything I can to support the military. My dad was in the Army. I'm not a polished politician up here. I'm a national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military. - President Trump jumping to Graham's defense on Friday before his South Carolina trip. - What he was as being honest, he's very smart, and she was being honest. I mean, she's into the price of groceries, the price of food, the price of beef, and it's not, it hasn't been her thing, but she's surrounded by very good people, and she said that she's totally for the military. I mean, she's gonna do what the military wants, and really what the president wants. She understands that national security is my thing, and she is a terrific woman who answered, I watched that. I thought it was a very honest answer, actually. - The president continuing that sentiment at the rally. I asked her to do this. I've known her through Lindsey, I've known her for a long time. I think Lindsey respected Darlene more than any other person he knows, including me, that does not make me happy. I'm not happy about that. I'm not happy about that, but one of those things, but with your help this November, we're going to stop the radical left. Democrat communists here in South Carolina, and all across the nation. - Mr. Trump also telling supporters to "pretend he's on the ballot," warning that if Republicans lose control of Congress, Democrats will try and impeach him again. - So just say that I'm on the ballot. One more time, you gotta say it, and you gotta come out and vote. Because if we lose, you're going to lose your border. You're going to lose your tax cuts. You're gonna lose everything that we've done. We've gotten the biggest tax cuts in history. Think about no tax on dips, no tax on social security for our seniors, no tax on overtime. All of that's gonna be gone. Your taxes are going to go up. Your pay is going to go down. Your jobs are going to be lost. They're gonna end up closing up. Your businesses are going to flee just like they did years ago. They're gonna flee our country. I'm going to be impeached. They're gonna impeach me. They have no idea why. - President Trump taking a minute to respond to a heckler in the crowd. As the protester was still being escorted out, the president firing back. - Oh, I see. You're gonna impeach him why? Uh, well, I don't know. I don't know. (crowd cheering) That's all right. That person's going home to mom. I'm going to get scolded because mom is voting for us. Mom is voting. The winner of tomorrow's runoff in South Carolina will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. Coming up, a year after arena Zorutzka was murdered on a North Carolina light rail, her family taking legal action against the city. And several people suffering serious post-surgery complications after a drug mix-up at a Tennessee hospital. - Everybody's talking about weight loss injections because the results can be so dramatic. They work by lowering blood sugar and reducing appetite. But what if you're looking to lose weight but are not interested in painful weekly injections, especially when you hear about some of those intense side effects? That's why doctors created a weight loss supplement called lean and the results could be remarkable. Lean says the studied ingredients in their product have been shown to lower your blood sugar, burn fat by converting it into energy, and curb your appetite and cravings so you are not as hungry. But listen, lean.
is not for the casual dieter with only a few pounds to lose. The doctors at Brickhouse Nutrition created lean for frustrated dieters with 10 or more pounds to lose. You could get started with 20% off and free rush shipping, adding lean to your healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit TakeLean.com and enter MK for your discount. That's promo code
[email protected]. One year after Arena Zorutzka was stabbed to death aboard a Charlotte Light Rail train, her family is now suing the city, arguing her death was preventable. In addition to the city of Charlotte, the lawsuit names Professional Police Services, a private security company contracted by the Charlotte Area Transit System as a defendant. The lawsuit, alleging the transit system contributed to Zorutzka's alleged wrongful death by failing to provide adequate security on the light rail, hire qualified people in force fairs and protect lawful passengers from foreseeable criminal attacks. Her family's attorney, Lauren Newton, tells WCNC those shortcomings matter. No guards, no gates, no turnstiles, no fair enforcement. The city was losing five to six and a half million dollars a year from not collecting bears. We know there wasn't a guard on the train, and her death was foreseeable and it was preventable. And that's what this wrongful death lawsuit is about, seeking damages. You've been in contact with Arena's family. What are they saying one year after her death? What are they telling you right now? With the one year being upon us, it's bringing everything back to the surface, reliving it all over again, and they understand that both the criminal justice system and the civil justice system, these are necessary to get justice for the family. Newton, saying the family still trust the system to hold Arena's killer, DeCarla's Brown Jr. accountable. Newton, saying the city needs to be held accountable to make sure the light rail is safe for all to ride. The civil justice system is going to hold other parties accountable outside of DeCarla's Brown Jr. We want not only for us to feel safe riding the cat's system, but we want folks who visit our community to feel safe. And we want to make sure that where we were is not where we go back to. Had there been physical barriers, turnstiles, gates to prevent DeCarla's Brown Jr. from getting on the light rail in August 22nd, 2025? Had there been fair validators? DeCarla's Brown Jr. would not have been on that train. According to the suit, the family is seeking damages for Arena's wrongful death, including funeral expenses, lost future earnings, and punitive damages. On August 22nd, 2025, Arena's Erudzka boarded the light rail around 10 pm. Approximately five minutes after Erudzka sat down, DeCarla's Brown Jr., who was seated behind her, stood up and stabbed her in the neck three times. Brown has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial and is expected to undergo treatment to restore his competency. At least one person is paralyzed after four patients undergoing routine knee surgery were given the wrong medicine at a hospital in Tennessee. According to multiple sources, ascension St. Thomas Midtown in Nashville, acknowledging a medication error, after patients were allegedly injected with potassium phosphate instead of the anesthetic bupivocane, the mistake resulting in serious potentially life-altering complications. The family of one of the patients, a 72-year-old woman named Glenda Dorton, saying while her surgery was successful, she still has no feeling from her breastbone down. Her daughter-in-law, Christina, telling local outlet WKRN, they don't know what the path to recovery looks like if one exists at all. We know that there are other patients that are involved. You can kind of feel the vibe in the waving room, you know, you can fit heavy, the doctors, it's heavy with them. This is life-changing, you know. You don't come out of this without some type of life-altering catastrophic deficit. We just are hoping that publicizing this gets some sort of genius somewhere that knows what to do. Time is of the essence here for recovery. And Glenda isn't the only one. According to CBS News, one other patient is also saying they've been left paralyzed by the medical mix-up. As for the two other patients affected, they're reportedly suffering serious complications. The hospital's CEO apologizing to the four patients and their families, saying the facility is providing ongoing care and support. President and CEO of the hospital, Dr. Shabuda Jageesa, releasing a statement reading in part, quote, "Our hearts are with the four patients and their families impacted by this event. On behalf of our leadership and care teams, I am deeply sorry for the harm caused to our patients. We have met directly with each of the families to express our deep support, connecting them with spiritual care teams, and ensured they have access to all appropriate resources and ongoing care needed. The day of the event, we self-reported to state regulators and launched a thorough investigation. We identified the cause and have implemented corrective safeguards. WKRN reporting the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations is now looking into what happened, after receiving information from state health regulators. Legal experts putting this squarely on the hospital. Here at Tennessee Attorney Clint Kelly on News Channel 5, Nashville. "I'm scared one to ten. This is a 50. I mean, it's the worst of the worst. This was a failure of the hospital itself as an entity to either police its own system or to ensure that its checklist, its safety protocols are enforced. And that's a hospital problem. Yes, employees can make mistakes, but where they set up to fail. You know, how often was this system checked where the policy is enforced? The training mechanism was there somebody there to supervise to ensure that decisions weren't being made that were not approved. That's all institutional in the hospital." The Dorton family saying Glendiz treatment so far has not worked. And while it's been hard, their family attorney is saying she is leaning on her faith. "But I've never seen something so devastating with a person who's alive. Her being alive and having to live the rest of her life, which would have been a promising one, with this condition, is something that she is grappling with, but she's doing so with a rock-solid faith. That'll do it for your AM update, I'm Tom Bevin of RealClearPolitics. Catch the Megan Kelly Show today. Live on Series XM's The Megan Kelly Channel 111 at Noon East. On youtube.com/megankelly and all podcast platforms.
PodcastTranscript AI