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Senate Democrats Block GOP Bill to Reopen Government for 13th Time; One of the Strongest Hurricanes Ever Makes Landfall in Jamaica; Border Patrol Official Testifies Amid Aggressive Force Concerns; Texas Sues Tylenol Makers, Claiming Links to Autism. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired October 28, 2025 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: ... Food stamps that that could soon dry up as the White House is now refusing to dip into a $5 billion fund called the contingency funding to help pay for some of those expiring benefits. Republicans say the Democrats should just simply reopen the government, vote for their bill, which they have blocked now. Democrats have 13 times to reopen the government by November 21st.

Democrats are saying they want a negotiation and an extension of expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act due to expired years then but could hit people's health care premiums right now. And Democrats also are rejecting the calls by the nation's largest federal employees union to open the government now and aligning themselves. The union is with the Republican position, all as both sides are now grappling with the consequences of this painful shutdown.

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SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): We don't, if we don't do it, you mean.

RAJU: Yes.

HAWLEY: 650,000 people in Missouri are going to miss food assistance. I mean, people are going to go hungry, 42 million people nationwide.

RAJU: When you hear the nation's largest public sector union, the AFGE saying Democrats should support a clean continuing resolution and negotiate later, does it change your position here?

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): No, it does not change my position because we're standing on principle for the loved ones, friends, neighbors of those federal employees who are members of that union. When I talk to federal employees, they say to me, please reopen the government, but hang tough on health care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAJU (on camera): And that union called for Senate Democrats to vote to reopen the government now and negotiate later. That is a Republican position, but Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader just aligned himself with the Democratic position, rejecting the call for that labor union to move ahead and open the government now.

And I just had a chance to also ask the vice president of the United States, J.D. Vance, who is here on Capitol Hill meeting with Senate Republicans about that call to dip into emergency funding to pay for those expiring food benefits. He said that they're exploring all their options, but he said, quote, there are limitations on all these funds. There are limitations on how you can use them, calling it a limited pot of money. But that is an interpretation that is that is rejected by some Republicans and Democrats alike here, as people are now facing the real prospect of losing that federal food aid as soon as this weekend.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Yes, it's a scary thought. Manu Raju, thank you.

And we have breaking news into CNN.

A judge has extended an order blocking the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the shutdown. The judge had granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She'd previously issued a temporary restraining order that was set to expire Wednesday.

The judge also says she believes the evidence will ultimately show the mass firings were illegal and in excess of the president's authority. We'll keep a close watch on that story.

And coming up a little more on our breaking news, which is this coverage of Hurricane Melissa. You are watching pictures out of Jamaica here.

The eye of the Category five storm is now moving across the island from south to north. We're keeping our eye on it. We'll have an update just ahead.

[15:35:00]

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BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: About as bad as it gets, that's how the director of the National Hurricane Center described Melissa, the worst storm to ever hit Jamaica, tied for the strongest to make landfall ever in the Atlantic. Western Jamaica is now going to endure hours of hurricane force winds as much as 30 inches of rain and a potential storm surge nearly as high as a floor of a building.

KEILAR: Listen to how it sounded in Mandeville, where streets were flooded.

We're joined now by Michael Mann, professor of earth and environmental science at the University of Pennsylvania. He also co-wrote the book "Science Under Siege, How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces That Threaten Our World."

Michael, thank you for being with us. We're watching Melissa. It's rapidly intensified, multiple times here in the last few days. And it is currently, as we can see on our map, crawling rather slowly south to north across Jamaica. How does climate change and a warming climate contribute to this kind of thing?

MICHAEL MANN, PROFESSOR OF EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Yes. Hi, Brianna. It's good to be with you on this very unfortunate day where we're watching this catastrophic storm bear down on Jamaica.

And there's no question that this storm was amplified by human-caused warming, by the warming of the planet from the burning of fossil fuels and carbon pollution. We know that the maximum sustained winds of these storms increase by about 10 percent for each degree Celsius, almost two degrees Fahrenheit of warming of the ocean surface. And that's about how much the tropical Atlantic has warmed up.

So this storm, because of global warming, it's about 10 percent higher winds. And the destructive potential of the storm goes as the third power of the winds, which means it's 33 percent higher. And we see that in the destruction that this storm is doing and the flooding.

A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture. These storms have 20 to 30 percent more moisture. They produce 20 to 30 percent more flooding rains because of the warming of the planet.

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So the impacts are no longer subtle. We're seeing them play out in the devastating consequences of these storms.

SANCHEZ: Hurricane Melissa has now become the third Category 5 in the Atlantic this year. That's the most in a single season in some 20 years, the second most of any year on record. And on top of that, it's also one of the latest Category 5s that we've ever seen.

I mean, we're only a few weeks out from the end of hurricane season. What does all of that tell you?

MANN: Yes, I mean, we're seeing records broken left and right. And look, we're not confident in whether or not there will be more hurricanes, more tropical storms. But we are confident that the strongest storms are getting stronger, steadily.

And we're confident that they bring with them more flooding rains. And so the impacts, as I said, are no longer subtle. We're actually seeing them in the form of these devastating storms.

And by the way, they intensify much more rapidly. And the physics here is pretty basic. The warmer the ocean surface, the greater the rates of intensification.

And when these storms go from a weak tropical storm to a major hurricane in a matter of 24 hours, it's very difficult to plan for them, because we don't know what's coming. We're unable to predict just how quickly they can intensify and how much more dangerous they can become. And so all of this is a consequence of the continued warming of the planet.

The only way to really prevent this from getting worse is to stop what's causing the problem, to get off fossil fuels and to do so as quickly as we can.

KEILAR: Yes, what's the alternative to just kind of getting used to this? Because you can't get used to this. But here in the near term, well, maybe we have to, right?

What do you think about that?

MANN: Yes, well, there's no question. You know, any response has to be a combination of, you know, adaptation, putting in place measures to instill greater resilience in the face of these increasing threats, and mitigation, preventing it from getting worse. We have to do both.

We have to prevent any worsening of the problem. And the only way we can do that, again, is by moving away from fossil fuels, moving towards clean energy. And we have to find a way to adapt to those changes that are now baked in.

We're basically going to be living with these sorts of catastrophic storms for the near future. And we have to come up with a way to protect people, to prevent those from, you know, those in harm's way from being, you know, impacted.

SANCHEZ: Professor Michael Mann, thank you so much for joining us this afternoon and sharing your expertise.

MANN: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Up next, the top Border Patrol official overseeing the immigration crackdown in Chicago is facing a judge over the aggressive tactics used in the city.

Stay with us.

[15:45:00]

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SANCHEZ: The top Border Patrol official in Chicago, Gregory Bovino, in court for hours today, answering a judge's concerns about aggressive tactics allegedly used by him and his agents during immigration enforcement operations. In one of these incidents, he's seen in this video throwing what appears to be a tear gas canister into a crowd of protesters in a residential neighborhood.

KEILAR: Protesters were on scene when Bovino arrived at court today. The judge wants him to appear for daily updates to make sure he and his agents are complying with her order and to avoid violent encounters with protesters.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is here with us. That's pretty extraordinary, that demand, as are the actions of Bovino. PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, the federal judge made it clear that she is watching him and his federal agents with a microscope. Her temporary restraining order was essentially about the way that these confrontations unfold between the federal agents and protesters and journalists, and the limited use of tear gas and other tactics, unless there's an imminent threat. And that was really the question today, including, for example, are they wearing body worn cameras where they can start to get more fidelity on these incidents?

Because oftentimes they are captured on social media, but it is harder to piece together everything that unfolded. And that's exactly what she's looking for in these daily check-ins that she has required of Bovino for him to come in and to essentially give her a rundown of what has happened on each day. So it's an extraordinary ask that speaks to what is happening on the ground in Chicago on a daily basis.

Now, our colleagues in the courtroom said that it wasn't tense that they were having these exchanges, the judge and Bovino, as she was trying to convey some of her concerns about her order being violated, and also her noting that she's not on the streets. She is trying not to micromanage, but even if she's not trying to micromanage, she's certainly trying to keep tabs on that. And that certainly came through with her order now that he has to come in for these daily checks.

And as far as the video that prompted all of this with that tear gas incident and him throwing the canister, the Department of Homeland Security this afternoon released additional video that they edited together that shows some of the rocks and objects that were being thrown because they say that the agents were under threat when they threw that canister.

SANCHEZ: Meantime, Priscilla, the administration is considering a shake-up at ICE because they don't feel enough deportations --

ALVAREZ: Yes.

SANCHEZ: -- have been completed.

ALVAREZ: Look, I've been talking to my sources over the course of the last several days, and they say the message is clear. They want more arrests.

[15:50:00]

They don't think that the pace of arrests has been enough for them -- and them being the White House.

That means change is underway, and that has included up to half of the leaders in these field offices across immigration and customs enforcement being reassigned and potentially installing Border Patrol officials, so officials from another agency in those leadership posts.

Now, the U.S. Border Patrol has fanned out across the country. Gregory Bovino, for example, is a chief patrol agent that is part of the U.S. Border Patrol, and they have employed more aggressive tactics. In fact, they're usually the ones at the forefront of some of the most controversial actions over the last several months.

So the message seems to be that the White House and leadership of the Department of Homeland Security wants those types of tactics. This is going to cause more tension between ICE and U.S. Border Patrol, which dates back years, and certainly something that is of concern.

Now, I do want to note that Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that they have no personnel changes to announce, and they want to say the Trump administration remains laser-focused on delivering results and removing violent criminal illegal aliens from this country.

Ultimately, tensions clearly still rang high between ICE and the White House, even as these plans are still being finalized.

KEILAR: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, a story to watch. Thank you.

And ahead, just weeks after President Trump took aim at Tylenol over unproven claims, Texas is now suing the drugs manufacturer.

We'll have that next.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Now to some of the other headlines that we're watching this hour. Jury deliberations now underway in the trial of a sheriff's deputy charged with killing Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was shot in her home last year after calling police for help.

That call led to a confrontation in her kitchen, where deputies demanded that she put down a pan of hot water. If convicted of first- degree murder, Sean Grayson faces a sentence of 45 years to life in prison. The jury also has the option of considering second-degree murder, which is punishable by four to 20 years in prison or probation.

SANCHEZ: Also, Amazon says it's cutting 14,000 corporate jobs this year in a mass layoff ahead of a wider AI rollout, while the company will be hiring in some key areas. The online retailer also noted that more layoffs are coming. The shift signals the beginning of a larger reduction in staffing as operations move closer to automation.

The layoffs represent some 4 percent of Amazon staff, and they begin today.

KEILAR: And Apple is now one of the few publicly traded companies to surpass $4 trillion in market value. The tech giant joins Nvidia and Microsoft to reach that milestone. It's a big reversal from earlier this year, when the company's stock tumbled following President Trump's tariffs and other challenges.

Apple shares rising today thanks in part to strong iPhone sales, including in China, where the company has previously underperformed. And new today, the state of Texas is suing the makers of Tylenol,

claiming that the medication is linked to autism and has been, quote, deceptively marketed to pregnant mothers.

SANCHEZ: This move comes a month after President Donald Trump made similar claims, despite leading medical groups saying that the research suggests otherwise. CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard has been following these developments. So, Jacqueline, what have the makers of Tylenol said in response?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Boris and Brianna, the company Kenvue says it's standing by its product. I reached out to the company this morning to get their response to this lawsuit. And here's what they had to say in a statement, quote, "We will vigorously defend ourselves against these claims and respond per the legal process. We stand firmly with the global medical community that acknowledges the safety of acetaminophen and believe we will continue to be successful in litigation as these claims lack legal merit and scientific support" -- end quote.

And acetaminophen, that's the active ingredient in Tylenol. So in a nutshell, the company is saying that based on the general medical consensus, Tylenol can be safely used during pregnancy. And that's what they want to get across as they fight this lawsuit.

KEILAR: For mothers who may be pregnant right now, Jacqueline, and worried about this, what should they know?

HOWARD: Yes, it can definitely be confusing hearing these different messages. But first, you should definitely speak with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medicine. But when it does come to Tylenol, many leading medical groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, they say that the benefits outweigh the risks.

They say this because during pregnancy, your doctor may recommend Tylenol if you have a high fever or if you're experiencing significant pain. And the reason why is because a fever during pregnancy can actually have impacts on the baby. Research shows that a high fever can be associated with congenital heart defects, neural tube defects, oral clefts, and it can affect the fetus's brain development.

So that's why treating fever and pain during pregnancy is important. And Tylenol is one of the only over-the-counter pain medications that we know can be safely used during pregnancy.

SANCHEZ: Yes, really important facts to put out there. Jacqueline Howard, thank you so much for that reporting.

So we are continuing to monitor Hurricane Melissa, a slowly moving storm, moving at about eight miles an hour, making landfall earlier this afternoon in Southeast Jamaica, a Category 5 storm, one of the strongest hurricanes ever in the Atlantic, now hitting Jamaica.

Jamaica's never seen a Category 5 of this strength, and we are monitoring with live images and folks on the ground what is likely to be a devastating storm for the island nation.

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KEILAR: That's right. As it's tracking over the western side of the island there, we have been talking to some people as they're awaiting the storm on the northern side of the island, this, they understood, is something unlike what they have seen so far. They were bracing very much for this, and we'll continue to monitor it.

"THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

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