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Delays Spread to Major Airports Across U.S. as Shutdown Hits Day Eight; Former FBI Chief Comey to Be Arraigned in Federal Court; Prosecutor Says, Sanchez Incident Caught on Multiple Surveillance Cameras. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired October 08, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: New this morning, better check your flight status, flight delays starting to spread across the country. The government's shutdown stretches air traffic control.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening today, former FBI Director James Coney making his first court appearance. He will be arraigned after the president pressured his attorney general to prosecute him. We are live outside the courthouse.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And a bear on a rampage in a Japanese supermarket attacking two customers. And this is just the latest in a series of attacks.

I'm Kate Bolduan with Sara Sidner and John Berman. This is CNN News Central.

BERMAN: And new this morning, the flight delays are spreading, staffing shortages from the government shutdown seem to be the blame. Over the last 24 hours, there have been issues in Chicago, Houston, Newark, Las Vegas, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, all major hubs. In Nashville, the air traffic facility was so undermanned, it had to close for a time.

The Department of Transportation says they've seen an uptick in sick calls since the shutdown began. While the air traffic controllers' union has disavowed any coordinated action, they have also said the controllers were already critically short staffed. Controllers are considered essential workers and are required to work without pay.

The previous shutdown, which was the longest ever of 35 days, ended in part because ten air traffic controllers stayed home leading to major traffic delays.

Let's get to CNN's Pete Muntean at Reagan National Airport. Day by day, this seems to be spreading, Pete.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: And we're not out of the woods yet. John. You know, the FAA just issued a warning of possible staffing issues today at the Newark Approach Control Facility that has been plagued by systems outages and staffing shortages since this spring day eight of this shutdown, and it seems like we are only at the beginning.

Just yesterday, there were delays due to staffing shortages at the Nashville Approach Control Facility. Actually, it had to close down for a time, about five hours last night, also at Chicago O'Hare, due to a staffing shortage there in the control tower.

Layer that on top of the fact that on Monday, the tower at Hollywood Burbank International Airport had to completely go dark, a condition known as ATC0 because there weren't enough controllers there to staff the control tower.

I want you to listen now to NACA Union Chief Nick Daniels. He says, this is not part of some coordinated sickout, that there was already a nationwide shortage of controllers. And, yes, sick calls have gone up, but the margin is already so thin that this is having an outsized impact.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK DANIELS, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION: Air traffic controllers don't start a shutdown and we don't end the shutdown. Politicians are the ones that have to start the shutdown and they're the only ones that have the ability to end the shutdown.

Air traffic controllers are going to do everything they can to show up to duty, save people's lives, and do the job that we do day in and day out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy insists right now that flying is safe and the FAA will do what it has to slowing these flights to maintain safety. Remember, 11,000 air traffic controllers caught in the middle of this government shutdown. They are essentially working without pay right now. They have not gotten their last paycheck that comes next Tuesday. But it is a partial paycheck for work they have already done before the shutdown began. John?

BERMAN: Yes, the margins here are just so slim. No slack. If a few people don't show up for any reason at all, it can create major, major issues.

Pete Muntean, thank you very much for that. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Happening this morning, an unprecedented moment in the American justice system. Former FBI Director James Comey is expected to be arraigned in federal court near Washington, D.C., after he was indicted amid pressure from President Trump. A live look outside Comey's home in Virginia, where we could see him depart this morning at any time.

[07:05:01]

The former FBI chief was indicted last month by a grand jury on two criminal charges, making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a Congressional proceeding. The president very publicly leaned on the Justice Department to indict Comey as he seeks retribution against his political enemies.

CNN's Katelyn Polantz is live outside the courthouse. Give us some sense of this. Set the stage for us as to what will happen today.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Sara and John, this is the road testing of the case against Jim Comey, the former FBI director, someone that President Donald Trump has wanted to see placed under criminal charges. The Justice Department under Trump has secured that at this time, and today it starts in court formally. This is when Jim Comey will be able to walk into this federal courthouse.

He's somebody that already has spoken publicly, saying, let's go to trial. We're waiting to see if he will want to say anything publicly outside the court. But once he's inside, there's no cameras in that courtroom. And so Jim Comey, he will be there with his lawyers opposite the Justice Department. We expect him to enter his pleading of not guilty to those two charges that were indicted by a federal grand jury here in Virginia.

We also then will be watching to see what the judge wants to do next. Will he get information out of the prosecutors and out of the defense team on how things are going to play out in the coming months? What sort of motions or requests will Jim Comey's defense try to make to the court trying to get this case tossed or cut back as the road to trial begins today?

We also are going to be watching, I'm very going to be watching very closely for timing in this case. This is a court that is called a rocket docket. And I just looked it up, it's about seven months or eight months for any federal felony criminal case in this courthouse, from the indictment to trial, that is not a very long time. So, a trial date, that could be something that we get initially put down on the books today.

It also is a very important day for the Justice Department because it's Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, handpicked new acting U.S. attorney or interim U.S. attorney here in this jurisdiction, Lindsey Halligan. She's the one that got the indictment approved. But, Sara and John, there are two additional prosecutors who will be joining her today. We're going to see if Lindsey Halligan speaks as a political appointee at all to the judge, and we're also going to watch for that power shift, the dynamic change here from an investigation that the Justice Department was leading and bringing this case to a case now in the hands and the control of the federal judge, Michael Nachmanoff. Back to you.

SIDNER: Yes. And unprecedented to see the head -- former head of an FBI put in court on these particular charges. We will be watching and waiting to see what happens today.

Thank you so much, Katelyn Polantz, for laying all of that out for us this morning. Kate?

BOLDUAN: So, could former NFL star Mark Sanchez be slapped with still more severe charges? Those new details on surveillance video emerging. And a golden opportunity or a warning sign of the times, gold hits an all time record high fueled by global uncertainty. So, where is this headed from here?

And a missing woman, a late night search and a loyal dog named Eeyore, of course, who saves the day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good boy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh sweetheart.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good boy, very good boy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[07:10:00]

BERMAN: All right. This morning, new surveillance video obtained by the New York Post shows former NFL Quarterback Mark Sanchez after a fight that led to him being stabbed in Indianapolis. Now, Sanchez, who is currently an analyst for Fox Sports, is facing a felony charge for his role in the altercation with a 69-year-old truck driver. Officials say the dispute began over a parking space and that there are multiple surveillance videos of the incidents.

The prosecutor says the truck driver sustained, quote, very severe injuries. That man's attorney gave an update on how he's doing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIK MAY, ATTORNEY FOR PERRY TOLE: He's back at home with his wife and just recovering at this point. I mean, obviously there's going to be a lot of medical care that he's going to continue to receive in the coming days and weeks and months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. With us now is CNN Legal Analyst, Defense Attorney Joey Jackson. Counselor, good to see you.

So, Mark Sanchez initially faced a misdemeanor charge here, but it was upgraded to felony battery, which carries a maximum sentence of six years. Well, why the upgrade?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So, what happens, John, good morning to you, is that there's an investigation. And in that investigation, if it reveals that your conduct is likely to create death or the risk of death, then it gets upgraded, and I think that's what the determination was here.

Now, factually, of course, there's going to be a lot in dispute. There was an altercation. That much is clear. I think the issues are going to be around the nature of the altercation. Who started the altercation? How did it come about, and whether the force used by either party was reasonable or appropriate?

But in terms of the upgrade, initially, as you would recall, they had misdemeanors, public intoxication, the fact that they were alleging he was intoxicated. And based on his intoxication, it was causing public annoyance and alarm. They had the misdemeanor relating to the battery. What is battery? Battery is when I make contact with someone and it's unlawful because you have not consented to that, so you can't be touching people. If that touch leads to something more aggressive, like here, the risk of death, there's where you get your elevation.

[07:15:03]

And then, of course, there's that other charge with respect to Mark Sanchez allegedly trying to get in the truck without permission and authority.

BERMAN: Why is that so important? Why is it so important who started this?

JACKSON: So, it's important because it turns on the issue of self- defense. Generally speaking, in cases where there's an altercation, you may have a defendant that's going to claim self-defense. Now, when you say self-defense, we have a right in this country, and laws vary. You have a right to defend yourself.

When you do that, there has to be a few things present. Number one, are you in immediate fear of physical injury, death, or worse? Number two, did the conduct that you engaged in, was it proportional to the threat that was posed? Number three, did you act reasonably? However, when you talk about Indiana, that's a stand your ground state. Stand your ground means you do not have a duty to retreat and non-stand your ground states, if you can get to a place safely, you must do so before you actually exhibit force.

What the law though says, John, is that if you're the initial aggressor, the person who provoked the altercation, you lose the ability to exert -- assert the defense of either, you know, hey, look, I was simply defending myself, or what I was doing was appropriate. So, who was the initial aggressor? Who provoked the altercation is going to be critical.

BERMAN: It'll be important to go over that surveillance video, all of it from every angle. Maybe that will be apparent very quickly, in ten seconds or less, Sanchez's age. You know, late 30s as opposed to the other guy who was in his late 60s.

JACKSON: So, it could be important, but, again, it depends upon the nature of the interaction, how it occurred, et cetera. I mean, there are some people in their late 60s who are in pretty good shape.

BERMAN: That's true, fair point.

JACKSON: And could tune other people up. And so I think it really depends on the nature of the aggression, what led to this, what was the interaction like, and how did it evolve into this big incident as we see now.

BERMAN: People are going to be looking at that video very carefully.

Joey Jackson, thank you very much. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Thank you, John and Joey.

Ahead, COVID confusion many parents hitting roadblocks when it comes to trying to get their children vaccinated.

And Bad Bunny in the Bronx at a baseball game, how the superstar made headlines at the Blue Jays Yankees playoff game, Bad Bunny.

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[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: Let's get to it, a thrilling game three comeback for the Yankees last night against the Blue Jays.

CNN's Andy Scholes has it all. Hey there. Tell me more.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hey, good morning, Kate. So, you know, things were looking bleak for the Yankees last night. You know, game three was not going their way. It looks like they -- it looked like at one point they were on their way to getting swept out of the division series by the Blue Jays. But things turned around. They were down 6-1 at one point, then they were down 6-2 in the fourth, and Aaron Judge finally has his postseason moment. He was able to somehow keep that ball fair, goes off the foul pole, sending Yankee Stadium into a frenzy. That three-run home run tied the game.

Then in the next inning, Jazz Chisholm breaks the tie. He hits a solo home run, and then a big time bat clip to celebrate it. It turned into a fun night at Yankee Stadium, even for Bad Bunny who was sitting right behind a home plate. He got a foul ball, although he did duck for cover when it was coming, instead of going for glory and making the catch. But the Yankees, they go on to win 9-6 to keep their season alive. Game four is going to be tonight 7:00 Eastern.

The Mariners meanwhile moving to within a win of making their first ALCS since 2001, and Cal Raleigh, who hit 60 home runs in the regular season, hitting a two-run shot in the ninth. And look who catches this ball on a bounce. It's a Mariners fan that had a custom hoodie on that said, dump 61 here. What are the chances of him hitting that ball?

Well, after the Mariners' 8-4 win, that fan actually got to meet big Dumper and he got an autographed bat from him. What a night for him. Seattle, as I mentioned, they got the win. They can close out the series with Tigers today at 3:00 Eastern.

The NHL season meanwhile is now underway. The Florida Panthers getting things started by raising their second straight championship banner last night. And then they were tied with the Black Hawks 2-2 in the third with star forwards Alexander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk out with injuries. It was Jesper Boqvist coming through with a game-winning goal. Final in that one was 3-2 two Panthers.

And you got many more teams set to open their season tonight. Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals are going to host the Bruins at 7:30 Eastern. And then you got the Golden Knights hosting the Kings. Both of those are on TNT and streaming on HBO MAX. Coverage starts live from here in Vegas at 6:00 Eastern.

Now, lots of people, they put on good shows in sports, but the best show of them all may be right here in Vegas in the Golden Knights pre- game show. It is always a spectacle. It's always such so visually engaging. And I got the chance to catch up with executive producer of the show, Andrew Abrams, and he said, tonight's season opening show, it's going to be one of their best ever.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW ABRAMS, V.P. AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Tonight, we're lucky enough to do something that's never been done before in the NHL. We're going to be the first to do it and right now we're the only ones to do it. And the fans are going to instantly recognize what it is when it happens, and it's going to be amazing.

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SCHOLES: And so, Kate, I can't wait to see what that surprise is going be, because, I mean, these shows are always just so amazing and can't wait for the NHL season to really get going tonight here in Las Vegas.

BOLDUAN: Wait, I mean, what a tease. What could it be the fans are going to recognize it immediately? I'm not enough of a hockey fan that I'm going to be like, I know --

SCHOLES: Immediately.

BOLDUAN: I know, exactly. I can't wait to see who it is.

But, by the way, that guy with this dump 61 here, Andy, had his 62 jersey on underneath that?

[07:25:00]

What are the absolute chances?

SCHOLES: Underneath, yes, right?

I mean, buying a lottery ticket tonight, brother, buying a lottery ticket. That is amazing.

Great to see you, Andy, thank you so much.

SIDNER: Don't go away, Andy, because I need to ask a question. You are so into that whole sword fighting, like are you into going into medieval times? You guys want to go with me and our floor director, Enza (ph), (INAUDIBLE) to that.

BOLDUAN: They have -- they offer a great meal.

SCHOLES: I'm in.

SIDNER: You're in? All right, good.

BOLDUAN: It's a great meal.

SIDNER: Kate is not in. Kate is --

BOLDUAN: No, it is a great meal. I shall join.

SIDNER: You get one of those huge like Turkey legs.

BOLDUAN: Yes, there's -- I don't think there's any utensils. It's like all --

SIDNER: No, it's all eat with your hands. It's like back to the medieval times.

BOLDUAN: It sounds like a regular Tuesday in my household.

SIDNER: All right. I'm in my banana outfit here, so I'm ready for some sports.

All right, ahead, gold rush, why prices for the precious metal are reaching record highs.

And why Dolly Parton's sister says she was up all night praying for the superstar.

Those stories are more ahead.

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