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Thousands Set To Attend Charlie Kirk Memorial In Arizona; Ukraine Reels From Massive Wave Of Russian Strikes; Marine Heat Wave Called A "Blob" Engulfs Northern Pacific; Early Voting Underway In Virginia Gubernatorial Race; Young Future Defenders Hone Drone Skills In Lithuania; Hong Kong Rejects Bill Granting Rights To Same-Sex Couples. Aired 5-6 am ET

Aired September 21, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:35]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

An enormous crowd is set to attend the memorial service for Charlie Kirk. We'll have details on the remarks President Trump is expected to give along with the security preparations. Trump is also calling on his Attorney General to use the Justice Department more aggressively.

Plus, NATO and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy respond to Russia's repeated airspace violations. We'll have the latest in a live report.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Tens of thousands of people, including President Trump, are expected to honor Charlie Kirk at a memorial service in the hours ahead. It'll be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, 11 days after Kirk was assassinated while speaking on a college campus. Americans are traveling from across the country to pay tribute to the conservative activist.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SETH REYES, COLLEGE STUDENT FROM RENO, NEVADA: It sucks, you know, I'm deeply devastated that Charlie Kirk died at such a young age. And to be able to attend his funeral, being a young age, you know, and like, I'm a part of the youth that he impacted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Several high-profile guests are set to give remarks at the memorial, including Kirk's widow, Trump administration officials, and the President himself, who spoke about Kirk at an event on Saturday night. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: He was unbelievable. He had a, just an army of young people that loved him so much. I mean, they're devastated right now. Everybody's devastated. So, we're going tomorrow. We're going to be flying in and we're going to say some little words, but there are no words to really describe what happened. It should never have happened to him. He's a good person. Nobody deserves that, but he really did deserve that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Security at the memorial will be tight with the Secret Service taking the lead. One expert tells CNN authorities are under a lot of pressure in an era of rising political violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES MARINO, FORMER SECRET SERVICE SUPERVISORY AGENT: This has been designated a special event by the Department of Homeland Security, receiving a special event rating of one, which is similar to the Super Bowl, which has been hosted in Glendale at State Farm Stadium previously. So, that's a good thing, should make the job easier for the Secret Service. But the Secret Service has been very busy this month. You had the September 11th attendance of the President at Yankee Stadium. You had his trip to London. You've got the United Nations General Assembly underway in New York, and now the memorial out in Arizona.

So, a busy time for the Secret Service, but I have no doubt that they're up for the challenge.

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Betsy Klein has more from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: From the highest levels of the Trump administration and Republican Party set to converge in Arizona on Sunday to honor the late Charlie Kirk. Now, Kirk was a trusted advisor to President Trump. His Turning Point USA group absolutely critical to propelling the president back to the White House in 2024.

But he was also a very close friend of President Trump and members of his family. He was instrumental in helping the president to select aides and members of his cabinet during the presidential transition. And so, there are so many here at the White House who are grieving the loss of a close personal friend.

Now, a senior White House official tells me that the president has been personally involved in preparations for this speech. He is expected to discuss Kirk's life as well as the impact that he had on the MAGA movement. And these remarks, according to that official, will be more personal than the typical presidential speech.

But just remember that President Trump, when he was initially reacting to Kirk's death, really laid bare some of the deep political divisions in this country. He went after the radical left. He also vowed to crack down on political violence. It's really unclear at this point whether those themes are going to emerge in his speech on Sunday.

And among others speaking, including President Trump, there's going to be Vice President J.D. Vance, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and many other top U.S. officials. And really underscoring the very close ties that Kirk built with many in Trump's orbit, the White House is sending two full planes filled with officials, staffers, as well as guests of the president, really underscoring how much Kirk meant to this administration.

[05:05:09]

This gathering is also setting up a major test for law enforcement, particularly the U.S. Secret Service, which is already under so much pressure and strain. And to help with some of that, this event has been given a special event assessment rating level two designation. And what that does is really unlock some key federal resources to help bolster security. According to a senior Department of Homeland Security official, quote, "This designation is reserved for events of the highest national significance and enables the federal government to provide the full range of law enforcement and security resources necessary to support local officials in ensuring a safe and successful event."

This includes things like bomb detection canine teams, as well as air support, things like drones and helicopters hovering over this event, as well as cybersecurity risk assessments and enhanced screening. Attendees are told to expect TSA level screening procedures. And there is a strict no bag policy.

Betsy Klein, CNN at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein is hoping the president will soothe tensions when he speaks at the memorial. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Obviously, I think the president, the vice president, senior officials in the administration are personally moved by this terrible tragedy. I mean, there's just simply no excuse for anyone facing violence for expressing their political views. But they are also moving to use the aftermath of this tragedy to do things that they already, you know, very clearly signal that they want to do to suppress dissent and to go out to weaken those they view as their political adversaries on multiple fronts.

And that's what really you have seen from the president in the aftermath, this mixture of genuine, I think, sense of personal loss and the attempt to kind of use this as a means to move forward on an agenda that is fundamentally about debilitating the ability of those in society who don't like his agenda to resist him.

And -- so it is a very fraught moment, as we saw with the, you know, Jimmy Kimmel suspension this week, and one where I think the president, whatever his tone tomorrow, his overall direction on this is to blame political violence solely on the left, which is obviously not supported by the evidence. We have a problem of political violence on both ends.

In fact, most studies have shown more of it has come from the right than the left in recent decades. And it is a moment where some of the civil liberties that we have assumed are bedrock in American society are probably going to be under serious risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: President Trump appears to be increasing pressure on his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to use the Justice Department to settle political scores. In an initial social media post on Saturday, he questioned Bondi's initiative. Later, he said he does have confidence in his attorney general, but wants more action on bringing charges against people he considers political enemies.

He then went on to criticize former U.S. Attorney, Erik Siebert, who's stepping down after intense pressure from Trump to bring charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James. It was James who prosecuted Trump on the charges that resulted in his felony fraud convictions in New York.

Now, as CNN has previously reported, Justice Department attorneys don't believe they have enough evidence to indict James. Trump also announced plans to appoint his lawyer, Lindsey Halligan, in place of Siebert. He says she will be the tough prosecutor Bondi needs to, quote, "get things moving."

President Trump is now saying that Disney's suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel wasn't motivated by pressure from his administration. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Did you or anybody from your administration pressure ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel?

TRUMP: No, not at all. I think Jimmy Kimmel's terrible. You know what suspended him? His talent. You know what else is really what -- take a look at this guy, his rating. That's what got Jimmy Kimmel out. He was terrible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Kimmel was pulled from the air Wednesday following his comments about reactions to Charlie Kirk's murder. The decision came hours after the head of the Federal Communications Commission publicly pressured Disney to punish Kimmel. Brendan Carr suggested the FCC could try and revoke broadcast licenses of ABC affiliates. While speaking with a right-wing podcaster, Carr said, quote, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Ukraine's president is headed to the U.N. General Assembly this week, where he says he will meet with his U.S. counterpart. They will discuss postwar security guarantees for Ukraine, even though the U.S. push for peace appears to be stalled. Meanwhile, Ukraine is reeling from the latest wave of Russian strikes involving hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, while some NATO countries are on edge as Russia steps up incursions into the alliance's airspace.

[05:10:00]

For more, Clare Sebastian joins us from London. Clare, lots going on. Take us through the latest developments for us.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, look, I think it's clear that as Zelenskyy heads to the United States this week, the backdrop is not only these escalating overnight attacks that attacked Friday into some 579 drones and 40 missiles. One, frankly, of a rising number of attacks on the scale that we've seen since the Alaska summit in mid-August between Putin and Trump, a summit, by the way, that was heralded as something that could start the peace process. Actually, we're seeing things in reverse.

That, of course, alongside the incursions that we've seen over the past two weeks into NATO airspace by drones into Poland and Romania. And then on Friday, Russian fighter jets edging into Estonian airspace. And with this overnight attack Friday into Saturday on Ukraine, we again saw Polish and allied aircraft fighter jets scrambled again to try to deal with what could have been a threat again to their airspace.

So this, I think, will hear Zelenskyy emphasize that this is a new phase in this war when it comes to the real and present danger that Russia poses to European and NATO security, which is an argument that, frankly, he's been making for three and a half years. But the rhetoric going into this certainly suggests that he will continue to make that. Take a listen to part of his address to the Ukrainian people last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Everyone can now see Russian interference against Poland and against Estonia. These are not accidental things. Russia will continue trying to spread its aggression, destabilization and interference. This is their system. This must be countered systematically and together. I thank everyone who is helping.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So, look, there's a couple of reasons why it's important for Ukraine to emphasize this, number one, because they need the U.S. support to not only continue, but to step up. They want to see President Trump get tough on Russia. Obviously, we've seen multiple sanctions, ultimatums, deadlines expire.

So, he certainly will be wanting to push for that. He'll also want to get more detail of what exactly U.S. involvement in future post-war security guarantees could look like for Ukraine. So, this will be a closely watched meeting.

And, of course, we know that President Trump is also facing internal pressure. His Russia-Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, over the weekend, in comments to the Daily Telegraph here in the U.K., said, you know, you have to look at Putin and Russia as an expansionist power. He said, give him an inch and he'll take a mile. So, certainly there are those in his orbit who will be warning the same as Zelenskyy.

Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Well, I appreciate that, CNN's Clare Sebastian in London. Thanks so much.

The U.K. is expected to become the latest country to recognize a Palestinian state today. The move comes after Israel failed to meet a number of conditions set out by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a change of course in Gaza. The U.K. is among a growing number of countries, including France and Portugal, which are due to recognize a Palestinian state. Starmer pledged to do so in July if Israel failed to agree to a cease fire and work towards a two-state solution. The U.S. has pressured its allies against recognizing a Palestinian state. Israel says the move rewards terror.

Gaza health officials say more than 30 Palestinians were killed overnight in Israeli strikes. The majority of those casualties were in Gaza City.

The overnight attacks come just one day after the Israeli military announced it's expanding its operations in Gaza City. The IDF said on Saturday it had struck more than 120, quote, "terrorist targets since the start of its ground incursion a few days ago."

The IDF says it eliminated more than 30 terrorists, discovered tunnel shafts, underground passages and surveillance cameras, and that it was creating a corridor to enable the movement of the civilian population to move away for their safety. Officials in Gaza say at least 90 people were killed in the Israeli attacks on Gaza City on Saturday. Israeli officials have said the objectives of the incursion are to eliminate Hamas' rule in Gaza, prevent future attacks and secure the release of the remaining hostages.

Palestinians continue to flee from Gaza City after Israeli forces ordered residents to get out. The IDF estimates more than half a million people have left Gaza City since the beginning of September. But Hamas, which controls Gaza, says fewer than 300,000 people have fled.

Displaced Palestinians are angry and exhausted after facing overcrowding and soaring prices for shelter, leaving many with nowhere to go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMI JIBRIL, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN: The children are gone, the elderly are gone, the young are gone. Where should we go? There's no stone left, and houses are no longer our home. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Authorities have announced an arrest in a shooting in a New Hampshire country club that left one person dead and at least two others injured. The state's attorney general says police have arrested 23-year-old Hunter Nadeau, who's been charged with one count of second-degree murder. Officials say there's no known connection between the alleged gunman and the victim, Robert DeCesare.

[05:15:09]

The shooting happened Saturday in Nashua, about 45 minutes away from Boston. There was a wedding taking place in the club at the time. A witness says that the suspect yelled, quote, "The children are safe and free Palestine."

All right, still to come, a government shutdown is looming in Washington, and Democrats are seeking a meeting with President Trump or his response next.

Plus, there's an enormous blob right now in the northern Pacific Ocean. We'll explain what it is and why scientists say we could be seeing more of them soon. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Officials say disruptions may continue at several major European airports well into today. That's after a major cyberattack caused turmoil throughout the day on Saturday. The hack has affected automated check-in and boarding systems at Europe's busiest airport, London Heathrow, where staff have been manually checking in passengers and processing baggage.

Airports in Belgium, Berlin, and Dublin have also been affected. An investigation into the source of the attack is ongoing. Meanwhile, passengers are coping with delays and cancellations as best they can.

[05:20:06]

Tropical storm Gabrielle is brewing over the Atlantic, gathering steam. Weather officials say the storm system is expected to turn into a hurricane later today, as forecast to pass east of Bermuda by Monday. Swallows from Gabrielle are expected to bring some rough surf to the east coast of the U.S. as early as today. The storm formed earlier this week, effectively bringing an end to what had been an unusual three-week stretch of no storms through the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.

A massive oceanic heat wave known as a blob is stretching across the northern Pacific. It's making life miserable and dangerous for marine creatures, seabirds and humans on both sides of the ocean. Now, patterns of abnormally warm water temperatures aren't new but the enormous blob in the northern Pacific has already shattered records for the month of August and forecasters warn it could affect large- scale weather patterns if it doesn't cool down.

Climate experts say so-called blobs like this one are becoming hotter and more frequent. Thanks to human-caused global warming.

Joining me now is Andrew Pershing, the Chief Programs Officer and Director of Attribution Science at Climate Central. Thank you so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it.

So, the blob, I mean, it's been sort of described as if the ocean has a fever. As I mentioned earlier, this phenomenon happens regularly enough, but what makes -- what you're seeing now stand out to you?

ANDREW PERSHING, CHIEF PROGRAMS OFFICER AND DIRECTOR OF ATTRIBUTION SCIENCE, CLIMATE CENTRAL: Yeah, there are a couple of things. So, you know, we really are on a planet that has a fever and the ocean is right at the front line. So, if you look across the world right now, we're seeing heat waves popping up in all ocean basins but the Pacific really stands out with these two big areas, one in the east and one in the west off of Japan, that are -- that are unusually warm, temperatures up to three degrees Celsius. You know, that's about five degrees Fahrenheit above normal for this time of year.

BRUNHUBER: I remember I was out in California covering the famous one around I think 2015 that devastated West Coast fisheries. I mean, how does -- what we're seeing now compare to -- to say, that one?

PERSHING: Yeah, so it's -- it's a little different. I mean, each of these has a slightly different flavor in terms of exactly where they set up, how -- how big they are. A big part of them is how deep they go into the ocean and also the season.

So, this is -- these summer heat waves like we're seeing right now. This is the seventh year in a row that we've seen conditions like this off of California. So, they're starting to become part of a pattern and each of them can have some different sets of impacts. That one in 2015 was -- was really remarkable in how complex the impacts were with these sort of cascading effects coming from the plankton to the whales to fisheries to people. And they -- they really can create a lot of complex interactions.

BRUNHUBER: I mean, yeah, explain that for me because we're -- we're hearing, you know, marine mammals and seabirds dying off Alaska and so on. How does this heat affect the wildlife?

PERSHING: Sure. So, the ocean -- every part of the ocean expects to have a certain set of temperatures. The life there expects to have certain conditions. So, these very productive areas like off of Alaska and off of California rely on cold water being brought to the surface.

If that cold water isn't there, the productivity goes down and the conditions aren't right for those animals to produce the babies, right? The fish might move offshore. There might not be as many. And so you just -- they don't have enough food until you can see the collapses of some of these colonies.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. And I mean, it's affecting everything from tiny, you know, wildlife to whales. I mean, you've mentioned it's happened, what, seven years in a row now. I mean, is this the new normal? And -- and, you know, can we expect this to happen every -- every year, basically?

PERSHING: So, that's a -- so that's a great question. It was certain -- the conditions that we're seeing right now, when we calculate that with our climate shift index tool, we actually would say that these conditions are 100 times more likely now than -- than in a world without climate change. So, this really is part of the larger climate change story.

But, you know, exactly where these -- these blobs set up and when they happen can change from year to year. So, it's certainly right now the Pacific seems to be in the -- in the bullseye. And, you know, that -- that will likely, you know, move around the planet from time to time.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. So, it's not just animals that are affected here. I mean, if this heat wave carries on into winter, I mean, what could that mean for our weather here on land? And what should coastal communities be preparing for?

PERSHING: Yeah, the -- the big thing that we worry about when you see the ocean warm up like this is the interaction with -- with ocean driven storms. So, in the Atlantic, you were just talking about, you know, the hurricane brewing in the Atlantic that's fueled by warm water.

In the Pacific, especially going into the winter. The concern around that some of the atmospheric river that's -- that are of the winter weather pattern on the West Coast of the U.S. And so, those bring moisture off of the ocean onshore. If the ocean is

warmer, you get more moisture going up into the atmosphere and you can -- you can drive even more rain. You can make those events even more powerful.

[05:25:15]

BRUNHUBER: Gosh, just yet another symptom of a troubled planet. Andrew Pershing, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.

PERSHING: You're welcome. Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: All right, still to come early voting is underway in the first test of the current political climate. The key issues motivating the voters in Virginia's gubernatorial election next. And lawmakers in Hong Kong voted down a bill to protect same sex marriage. When we come back, one couple's personal journey and their fight for recognition.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Let's check some of today's top stories.

President Trump is preparing to head to Arizona later today for Charlie Kirk's memorial service. He's set to speak in front of thousands of attendees, along with the Vice President and Kirk's widow, Erika. The memorial is taking place 11 days after the conservative activist was assassinated during an event at Utah Valley University.

President Trump is putting pressure on his attorney general, Pam Bondi. He wants her to be more aggressive in using the Justice Department to go after his enemies. He plans to replace departing U.S. attorney Erik Siebert with his own lawyer, Lindsey Halligan.

Authorities have announced an arrest in a shooting in a New Hampshire country club that left one person dead and at least two others injured. It happened Saturday in Nashua, about 45 minutes away from Boston. The state's attorney general says police have arrested 23- year-old Hunter Nadeau, who's been charged with one count of second- degree murder.

[05:30:09]

The clock is ticking for Congress to avoid a government shutdown with funding running out on October 1st. Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have requested a meeting with President Trump to discuss how to prevent a shutdown, but Trump tempered expectations when asked about a potential meeting. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Will you meet with Democratic leaders to talk about how to avert a shutdown?

TRUMP: Well, I will, but they don't care about crime. They want to keep men and women's sports. They want all this stuff. They don't change. They haven't learned from the biggest meeting they've ever taken just about. I'd love to meet with them, but I don't think it's going to have any impact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: With Democrats locked out of power, they're expected to seize on the risk of a shutdown to get key concessions from Trump. Schumer and Jeffries warned the president that if talks fail, Republicans would be responsible for the shutdown.

Well, early voting is underway in a closely watched election in the state of Virginia. Voters will be choosing a new governor in one of the first major statewide elections in the country since last year's presidential election. Analysts will be watching for early signs of how voters feel about Trump administration policies and what the election results might pretend for the midterm elections next year.

Joining us now is Jahd Khalil. He's a reporter at VPM News. Thanks so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it. So, we have these races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. Democratic candidates all hold a lead so far. I mean, you cover Virginia state politics. Is that what you expected? I mean, I know the state seems to have drifted leftward over the past decade.

JAHD KHALIL, REPORTER, VPM NEWS: Thanks for having me. The conventional wisdom in Virginia is usually that the party that is not in power in the White House takes the statewide offices here in Virginia. So, the Republican in the White House, that means the Democrats typically have a lead, according to that conventional wisdom. But that's been only not the case once when a Democrat took the office when former President Barack Obama was in power.

If you remember in 2021, we had Republicans win, and that broke that trend that you were talking about earlier of Democrats typically winning because we had a Republican win when President Joe Biden was in the White House.

BRUNHUBER: Right. OK, so not entirely unexpected, but maybe exacerbating that, I mean, we've seen hundreds of thousands of federal workers nationwide face layoffs under President Trump's workforce cuts. And Virginia, as you know, has more than some 300,000 federal employees. I mean, is that helping Democrats here?

KHALIL: Democrats are definitely emphasizing that. So, that's part of the messaging that they're bringing out. Whenever the gubernatorial nominee for the Republicans talks about federal layoffs or federal cuts, they usually tend to highlight her comments.

She's downplayed the emphasis of -- or she's downplayed how much that's she thinks that's going to play into voters' choices or actually even the extent of the problem. So, one thing that the Democrats are saying is that the Republican nominee isn't even admitting a problem.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. All right. So, that's one issue. I mean, what are some of the other main issues? I imagine cost of living is huge, but I saw, you know, maybe surprisingly that threats to democracy come out as a top issue in a recent poll.

KHALIL: Yeah. So, that that comes out also, like you said, affordability is really like the biggest issue that -- that people are talking about. I think threats to democracy is also a big issue for a lot of voters, especially in northern Virginia, because you have a lot of people that are a little more keyed into -- into D.C. But it's not as big of an issue as -- as some of the, you know, the kitchen table issues.

One thing that's also at people's -- on the top people's minds is reproductive rights. So, if there's a Democratic Assembly that comes in, so that's also on the ballot, not just the statewide offices that -- that legislature will be deciding whether to forward on constitutional amendments that would protect things like abortion access or contraception.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Reproductive rights, obviously a huge national issue as well. So, this is being called one of the first major tests of Trump's presidency in this administration. I imagine there's plenty of attention sort of nationwide on what's happening there. I mean, Virginia has sort of been called a political bellwether for a long time. And what are you watching for on election night that might tell us where national politics are headed in the next few years?

[05:35:07] KHALIL: I think what I'm interested in is how much Democrats are able to connect with voters on the idea of affordability and if that's something that voters are believing are -- is that they're going to that Democrats are going to be the ones that -- that's a better choice for them.

I think turnout is also a big question. You know, we've -- it's been kind of a rough few weeks here in terms of politics and, you know, with the assassination of Charlie Kirk and whatnot, that may play into people being a little more cynical. I was at an early voting site on Saturday and there was lots of people that came out. And I haven't got a chance to look at the numbers of how much people are coming out for early vote, but that's something I'll be paying attention to also.

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. And finally, your outgoing governor, Glenn Youngkin, I mean, he's been mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, but he's been pretty supportive of the president's federal cuts that are hurting Virginia workers. I mean, how does this election outcome do you think affect his national ambitions, if at all?

KHALIL: I think he has kind of a tough line here to toe. I mean, he has to, you know, make sure that he doesn't draw the ire of President Trump. But, you know, I think his presidential ambitions will be sort of judged on how well Republicans do, even if they don't. If they don't end up keeping the offices, if he's able to sort of like stop the bleed, I guess that would be something that would be promising for him -- for him if people are watching him as a contender.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, it'll be a fascinating race to watch. Jahd Khalil, thank you so much for speaking with us. Really appreciate it.

KHALIL: Yeah, thanks for having me.

BRUNHUBER: The Trump administration is now charging H-1B visa applicants a $100,000 fee to enter the United States. The new policy took effect just hours ago. President Trump claims employers have abused the skilled worker visa program. He says they offer relatively low wages to foreign workers while denying jobs to American workers. The White House says the $100,000 is a one-time fee and only applies to new visa applicants.

Now, H-1Bs are most commonly associated with tech companies. The largest sponsor of the visa is Amazon. Google, Meta, Microsoft and Apple employ thousands of foreign-born workers each year. And many of them come from India, where some say they hope Trump's new policy will actually benefit the workforce at home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUNIL RAO, MEMBAI RESIDENT (through translator): It's a big hit for the tech talent. But also, on the other side, I think it will be good for India, because it could be a reverse brain drain in the lakes where people can work here and do something better.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: New details are being released from the White House concerning the United States' deal with TikTok. This includes the U.S. having control over the app's algorithm with the data and privacy aspects of the app in the hands of tech giant Oracle. While speaking on "Fox News" on Saturday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump is working with the app's Chinese team.

Here's what she said about what the deal might look like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This deal means that TikTok will be majority-owned by Americans in the United States. There will be seven seats on the board that controls the app in the United States, and six of those seats will be Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The Press Secretary said she expects the deal to be finalized in the coming days.

Lithuania is creating a future drone force to counter military threats from Russia, but some of those would-be defenders are too small to even fit the uniform. That's ahead. Stay with us.

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[05:42:02]

BRUNHUBER: Venezuela is flexing its military muscle amid rising tensions with the United States. Military forces in Caracas conducted civilian weapons training on Saturday in response to the U.S.'s military buildup in the Caribbean and its recent attacks on Venezuelan vessels. At the event, officials slammed the U.S. for launching strikes on boats. President Trump claimed the boats were carrying drug traffickers. Venezuela has condemned the U.S. actions as pretext for intervention. In a letter to Trump, President Nicolas Maduro offered to engage in direct talks with his government and rejected U.S. claims that Venezuela played a big role in drug trafficking.

Lithuania is trying to beef up its drone capabilities as Russia poses a growing danger along NATO's eastern flank. The plan includes a new facility, a short drive from the Russian border and some very young future defenders of the country.

Sebastian Shukla explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEBASTIAN SHUKLA, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): A new school in Lithuania is taking an unusual approach to boost the country's defense. Just 20 kilometers or 12 miles from Russia's Kaliningrad enclave, in a school, the Baltic Nations Defense Ministry is teaching children as young as 10 how to assemble and operate drones.

MINDAUGAS TAMOSAITIS, TEACHER (through translator): We are not preparing children for war, as many people see and think. We are preparing children for a better, happier life, assuring ourselves.

SHUKLA (voice-over): This just one of nine centers set to open across Lithuania teaching students and adults how to operate FPV, first- person drones. Kids practice virtual flights on computers and fly small drones in training rooms.

TOMAS GODLIAUSKAS, LITHUANIAN DEFENSE VICE-MINISTER: It's all about building the military defensive capabilities, and you know that Lithuania is actually taking it very seriously, living in a neighborhood with Russia and Belarus.

SHUKLA (voice-over): After two Russian drones crashed in Lithuania after crossing from Belarus this summer, the country asked the NATO alliance to strengthen air defenses. And last Friday, NATO announced plans to bolster Europe's eastern flank after a series of Russian drones entered, this time from Polish airspace.

With more drone schools on the way, Lithuania is already preparing for the next generation of defense.

Sebastian Shukla, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Dutch police clashed with violent anti-immigration protesters in The Hague on Saturday. Water cannon, tear gas were used to disperse the demonstration organized by a far right-wing activist. The demonstrators were calling for stricter migration policies and greater restriction on asylum seekers.

Large groups threw rocks and bottles, and a police car was set on fire. There will be a national election in the Netherlands on October 29th. Anti-migration populist Gert Wilders leads in current polling. He called the use of force against police, utterly unacceptable.

Lawmakers in Hong Kong voted down a bill to protect same-sex marriage. Now experts are saying the move could cost the city its competitive edge.

[05:45:02]

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout explains the possible impact.

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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jaedyn Yu and Gloria Tsang are one of many same-sex couples in Hong Kong whose hopes were dashed when the city's legislature voted down a proposed marriage equality bill earlier this month.

They met in 2019, bonding over their shared love of music. Unable to get legally married in Hong Kong, they had the ceremony in Indonesia.

They were officially married in May, with family and friends gathered around them, and an officiant from Utah on Zoom overseeing the wedding. JAEDYN YU, DRUM SCHOOL OWNER: Basically, family recognition, as well as protecting her as my spouse, those are the main reasons why we decided to not just be, you know, like --

GLORIA TSANG, SPEECH THERAPIST: Partners or --

YU: -- or like non-married couple, but decided to actually make that official.

STOUT: The bill would have given limited legal rights for same-sex couples in Hong Kong who had registered their marriage or relationship overseas, including rights to hospital visits and to make medical decisions on behalf of a spouse. Seventy-one lawmakers of Hong Kong's 90-strong legislature voted against the bill.

HOLDEN CHOW, HONG KONG PRO-BEIJING LAWMAKER (through translator): If today's bill on registering same-sex partnerships is passed, it would be like opening Pandora's box. Our traditional family and ethical values would be breached and collapse.

STOUT (voice-over): Experts warn the outcome could potentially hurt Hong Kong's reputation as a global hub and its ability to attract talent after years of political turmoil and strict zero-COVID policy.

In a statement, Asia-based non-profit community business says, in today's global talent market, inclusion is a competitive advantage. Without legal recognition and protections for LGBTQ plus individuals, Hong Kong risks losing its edge to regional peers who are advancing inclusive policies, as well as global competition for talent.

For Yu and Tsang, the veto is not just a letdown for them, but for the future of the city they call home.

TSANG: You can ban the bill on some other things because you're not respecting the equality of like human beings. So, this is like a huge step backwards if you're fighting for equality and you're advocating yourself as the Asian financial international city of the world.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The WNBA playoffs are heating up with the semifinals starting later today. But off the court, women pro basketball players are pushing for a bigger share of the league's growing profits. We'll head courtside for more after the break. Please do stay with us.

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[05:51:48]

BRUNHUBER: The musical festival farm aid held its latest edition in Minneapolis on Saturday. It was created 40 years ago to raise money for U.S. farmers struggling with everything from foreclosures to climate change. This year CNN was the exclusive television broadcaster. We asked performer Dave Matthews about the importance of the benefit concert series. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE MATTHEWS, PERFORMING ARTIST, FARM AID PARTICIPANT: If everything turns around and farmers are taken care of in the next year and we learn how to, you know, how to treat our people in this country, then we won't need to have a 41st farm aid, but it doesn't seem that likely, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

MATTHEWS: And so we have to fight -- we have to fight for the rights of working people and a good many of those are working farmers. And know that we're all in this together except for a select few. And we need to get them out of the train.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you all very much and welcome to farm aid, the concert for America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Since it began in 1985, farm aid, which was co-organized by country legend Willie Nelson, has raised more than $85 million to support programs for farmers.

Bad Bunny said goodbye to his hometown fans Saturday, closing out his summer residency in San Juan with one last locals-only performance. Supporters turned out in force for the Puerto Rican rapper's show before the launch of his world tour, one that, as he announced last week, won't include the U.S. due to its immigration policy. For many, Bad Bunny's residency isn't just about the music.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE BERRIOS, BAD BUNNY FAN (through translator): A huge amount of money will be injected into the economy. We should highlight the many foreigners who came, got to know and love Puerto Rican culture. It's been something extraordinary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The concert was live-streamed to millions of fans on Amazon platforms and Twitch. Amazon pledged to support education, disaster relief and cultural programs for the island in cooperation with Bad Bunny.

Well, the WNBA playoff semifinals tip off later today. This season, the league has seen record attendance, soaring franchise values and even scored a blockbuster movie deal. But players say they're not seeing their fair share of that growth. CNN's Boris Sanchez takes us courtside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: In the past year, the WNBA's 13 franchises have seen record-breaking growth, increasing in value by over 180%, according to Sportico. You can chart the league's growing popularity not only in financial gain, but in name recognition, too. Stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese becoming household names, as well as a spike in celebrity endorsements and attendance.

In 2024, Caitlin Clark's team, the Indiana Fever, averaged more than 17,000 fans a game. That's more than six NBA teams and three MLB teams in the same span. The uptick in popularity corresponds with a $2.2 billion TV rights deal the WNBA signed for 2026 that covers the next 11 years, which ESPN reports will increase the league's annual revenue by about $200 million a season. Yet, WNBA players say they're not being paid what they're owed.

[05:55:05]

Right now, they get less than 10% of the league's total revenue, a strikingly slim margin when compared to other pro sports leagues in which athletes typically split revenues about 50-50. That's almost 40% greater than WNBA players, and why some of the league's stars say they're due a higher percentage of revenue, though they're not looking for dollar-for-dollar parity.

Keep in mind, despite historic gains since it was founded in 1996, the league has always operated at a loss, annually losing tens of millions of dollars, even with large cash boosts coming from the NBA, which is the majority stakeholder. But as the league is poised to keep growing, adding two more teams next season, expanding to 18 total by 2030, the question remains, what will the league do with the new revenue? Are we headed for a lockout? Or can the owners and players agree to new terms that align with what they feel they're owed?

BRUNHUBER: All right, now to U.S. college football. Number 11, Oklahoma, knocked down its former quarterback, Jackson Arnold, and the number 22, Auburn Tigers. John Mateer, who replaced Arnold on Oklahoma's roster, scored on a nine-yard scramble with just under five minutes left in the game. The touchdown put the Sooners back in the lead, but the final points ultimately came from Oklahoma's defense. A late-night -- late game safety sealed the win, 24-17. That tackle also marked the 10th sack of the game for the Sooners, which is a school record.

Number four, University of Miami found a late-game surge in their state rivalry game against the University of Florida. They scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, running away with the win, 26-7. Miami still undefeated this season, cruising to a 4-0 record.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, CNN THIS MORNING is next. For the rest of the world, it's BLUEPRINT.

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