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2025's Federal Shutdown Expected To Surpass 2018 Record Of 35 Days; Key Races To Expect On November 4 Polls; Josh Groban Ventures Into His Advocacy On Children And Arts. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 03, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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


[03:00:00]

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church in Atlanta. Just ahead.

The U.S. government shutdown is about to become the longest in history. Neither side is budging as Americans are increasingly feeling the impact.

Voters are heading to the polls this week to decide some key races across the U.S. We'll look at what's at stake.

Israel identifies the bodies of three more hostages held in Gaza. We'll have the latest on the Gaza ceasefire in a live report.

Plus, the latest on Ukraine's efforts to get long-range Tomahawk missiles from the U.S. Hear what President Trump is saying about it now.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

U.S. Senators are heading back to Capitol Hill in the coming hours as the government shutdown enters day 34 with no end in sight. This is on track to become the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

President Donald Trump is back in Washington after spending the weekend in Florida. He's preparing for a big week ahead, including elections tomorrow that will test how voters feel about his second term.

Well, as the shutdown drags on, millions of Americans are waiting to find out what will happen to their food stamps. The U.S. Treasury Secretary says SNAP benefits could be restored by the court's Wednesday deadline. But he says they're still trying to figure out the correct process.

The White House is urging Republican senators to scrap the filibuster, a 60-vote threshold required for most legislation, and end the shutdown. But Republican leaders are pushing back on that idea.

And the top Democrat in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, says President Trump's push to end the filibuster is a reflection of his desperation. But the President's press secretary says Democrats would get rid of the filibuster if given the chance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: These are radical left lunatics in charge of the Democrat Party today, and they will nuke the filibuster. They want to make Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico states, they want to pack the Supreme Court, they don't care about our sacred institutions in our country. And so Republicans need to play tough, and they need to play smart, and that's what President Trump thinks.

REP. HAKEEM JAFFRIES (D-NY), U.S. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: From the very beginning of this presidency, he's enacted a my-way-or-the-highway approach to jam their extreme right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people. Reckless Republican policies, which are now causing hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers to close all across the country. Now he's saying to his Republican colleagues, senators, those who actually just work for him because they don't work for the American people, reopen the government, and they refuse to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Voters will head to the polls tomorrow in several high-stakes elections across the country, that includes the race for mayor in New York City. California is voting on a redistricting measure known as Proposition 50 that would have big implications for next year's midterm elections. We're also keeping an eye on the races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino is in New York with details on the city's mayoral race.

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GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've been speaking with New Yorkers throughout this entire campaign, and so far the issues continue to be the same. Affordability, the cost of living, public safety, and also how the city of New York is going to respond to threats from the Trump administration.

There are three candidates running in this race. The Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, the Republican, Curtis Sliwa, and independent former governor, Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Mamdani in the primary but relaunched his campaign.

Now, as I said, we've been speaking to voters, and I want to note that while we do not know the results of this race yet, we do know that there's just so much enthusiasm for the outcome of this election. More than 500,000 New Yorkers have already cast their vote during the early voting period. We've heard from people here today who are supporting Andrew Cuomo,

some who are supporting Zohran Mamdani, all of them talking about the same issue, affordability.

UNKNOWN: I'm most concerned about getting the right leaders in place. So, in particular, the mayor, I already have made up my mind. I'm very excited to cast my vote.

[03:05:00]

PAZMINO: Can you tell me who you're voting for?

UNKNOWN: I'm voting for Cuomo.

PAZMINO: Why?

UNKNOWN: I think he's just a proven juggernaut in terms of he gets things done. He's not the perfect candidate, but, you know, my goal isn't to find Jesus or anything to run for office. It's to find somebody who gets the job done, and he does it for me.

UNKNOWN: The rhetoric towards Mamdani and just being, like, just a lot of racism and all that is just really disgusting, especially from the other two candidates, like the big candidates, Cuomo. And, yes, it just, like, really makes me want to root for Mamdani even more.

PAZMINO: Now, Sunday is the last time that New Yorkers can cast their vote early. Polls will reopen on Tuesday for election day.

We have heard from all of the candidates throughout the day, Zohran Mamdani telling me earlier today that he is taking nothing for granted, even though he's got a double-digit lead in the polls. He's continuing to campaign until the very last minute, but so are his opponents.

Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa have spread out across the city, also meeting with New Yorkers, trying to shore up their support. Cuomo speaking in some of the churches throughout the day on Sunday, and Curtis Sliwa also meeting with his supporters.

Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

CHURCH: Four months after Donald Trump reached a $16 million settlement with CBS News, he was on the show that sparked his lawsuit. The U.S. President sat for a 90-minute interview with "60 Minutes" and was questioned about a number of controversial topics. Here's what he had to say about tactics his agents are using during immigration raids.

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NORAH O'DONNELL, "60 MINUTES" CONTRIBUTOR: More recently, Americans have been watching videos of ICE tackling a young mother, tear gas being used in a Chicago residential neighborhood, and the smashing of car windows. Have some of these raids gone too far?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: No, I think they haven't gone far enough, because we've been held back by the judges, by the liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama.

O'DONNELL: You're okay with those tactics?

TRUMP: Yes, because you have to get the people out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The President also said Russia and China are testing nuclear weapons in secret. In response, he has called for the U.S. to resume testing. He also said he thought Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would not be in power much longer, but he refused to say what action the U.S. might take against him and his country.

President Trump has ordered the U.S. aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford to the waters of Venezuela, and he's ramped up military strikes against small boats in the Caribbean. Mr. Trump claims, without providing evidence, those boats are transporting drugs.

Well new polling shows President Trump's approval rating is underwater. A "Washington Post" and ABC News poll shows almost 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of the job he's doing, with just 41 percent approving. A separate NBC News poll finds 55 percent disapprove of the President's job performance, and 43 percent approve.

Larry Sabato is the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. He's also the editor of "A Return to Normalcy? The 2020 Election That (Almost) Broke America." Good to have you with us.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA-CENTER FOR POLITICS: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So one year after Donald Trump won the presidential election, voters are heading back to the polls Tuesday, this time for critical elections across the country, including the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races, the mayoral race in New York City, and of course the California redistricting referendum. What do the polls show about the likely outcome of those races, and what might these elections reveal when it comes to the midterms next year?

SABATO: Well, if the polls are correct, it's likely to be a Democratic sweep, and I'm including Proposition 50 because that is a Democratic- sponsored proposition to help them with redistricting to balance taxes. So on the whole, I don't think it's going to be a good night for Republicans or for Donald Trump.

If there is an upset in any of these blue states, and they're all blue states and blue localities, then that's more bad news for Democrats. So we have to see whether the polls are right or wrong. But right now, it looks like a Democratic sweep.

CHURCH: And of course, you mentioned polls. Latest polls out Sunday show President Trump's approval rating is underwater, remaining in the low 40s amid broad unhappiness with his performance on economic issues. But this doesn't appear to help Democrats, why is that?

SABATO: Because Democrats have not demonstrated an ability to really take Trump on and make their attack stick. And that's what Democrats, average Democrats, rank-and-file Democrats have been waiting for and looking for, because every day outrages them. There are so many things that Trump does in a day that they dislike, that they hate.

[03:10:02]

So Democrats have got to get on the stick. And maybe, maybe these election returns will give them the enthusiasm and momentum that they need.

CHURCH: And Larry, President Trump's highly scrutinized and anticipated interview with "60 Minutes" aired Sunday night, that was after he sued CBS over the editing of an interview with Kamala Harris before the 2024 election.

What was your assessment of the overall questioning and his answers, particularly his response to the polarizing issue of ICE tactics when asked if ICE had gone too far? He replied saying, quote, "I think they haven't gone far enough."

SABATO: Well, first, the moderator, former "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell, did a great job.

It was -- she was tough on him, but not so tough that he would have blown up and possibly walked off the set, which he has been known to do.

She was quite good. I think she got answers out of him that another interviewer would have had trouble getting.

Now, she was tough, but also fair. She covered a wide variety of topics. And in fact, there was a lot more online than we actually saw on air.

As far as Trump's answers. Yes, the ICE answer stuck with me because he basically endorsed all the brutality from ICE. And almost everyone, even Republicans, admit that ICE has gone too far in quite a number of cases and tackling women and others who are American citizens and arresting them.

This is not the way we conduct business in America and I think Trump should have balanced it a bit more. But that's not Trump.

And I've got to mention one other answer. He claimed that he didn't know the man he pardoned, who just happened to be a Chinese billionaire who had helped Trump and his two sons make a billion or two in their crypto industry.

You know, something tells me that he does know who he is. People have a hard time forgetting people who helped them make billions. CHURCH: No doubt that will follow up on that. And of course, Larry,

meantime, the U.S. is now at day 34 of the government shutdown, just one day away from a previous record of 35 days. How much longer might this partisan divide drag on before it gets resolved with most polls showing the Democrats are winning the shutdown politics?

SABATO: Yes, Democrats are winning and they're winning by more than they were in the beginning. Look, the walls are closing in on this government shutdown because so many people are hurting. The end of SNAP benefits, extra food for those who need it, the increases in health care, Obamacare, premium insurance all across the country.

We're talking about millions and millions of people with increases so large they can barely pay.

And here's the kicker. We're approaching Thanksgiving, and some of the airports can't even operate because so many air traffic controllers who haven't been paid in a month are calling in sick.

I'm sure they are sick, they're sick of not being paid. TSA agents, so many others in the federal workforce, you know, congressmen are paid. They're paid throughout shutdowns.

All of this is coming at once, and because it is, and with the election results Tuesday, finally, congress may be willing to act. They should be because they're all going to suffer, and Republicans disproportionately, if this doesn't stop soon.

CHURCH: Larry Sabato, we always appreciate your political analysis. Many thanks.

SABATO: Thank you, Rosemary.

A short time ago, Israel confirmed it has received the bodies of three deceased hostages. The latest on that and on the ceasefire in Gaza, just ahead.

Plus, the death toll is rising across the Caribbean as communities begin picking up the pieces after Hurricane Melissa. We'll have the latest on the recovery efforts.

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CHURCH: Israel has confirmed that remains handed over by Hamas are those of three deceased hostages. The Prime Minister's office says they are Captain Omer Maxim Noytra, Colonel Asaf Hammami, and Staff Sergeant Oz Daniel.

Omer Maxim Noytra is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump says he's already spoken with Noytra's parents.

Joining me now with the latest live from Abu Dhabi is CNN's Paula Hancocks. So, Paula, what more are you learning about Israel's confirmation of the return of these three more deceased hostages, and what's the latest on the fragile ceasefire?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, that confirmation of three more hostage remains having been identified brings the number of remains still in Gaza to eight at this point.

Now, we've heard from the head of the IDF that the mission will not end until they ensure that all of the remains of the Israeli hostages that were taken have been returned to Israel. Now, it was the first of these to be identified.

Colonel Asaf Hammami is a 40-year-old who was killed while fighting Hamas in one of the kibbutz in just along the border with Gaza on October 7th.

Captain Omer Maxim Noytra, a 21-year-old, as you mentioned, he was an American-Israeli soldier. He was also killed while fighting on October 7th.

And 19-year-old Sergeant Major Oz Daniel, again, was fighting just along the Gaza border when Hamas militants carried out the October 7th attack.

Now, we are hearing from the Israeli side that they are determined to ensure that all of the hostage remains are returned.

[03:20:01]

We've also heard from the Forum for the Hostages and Missing Families. They've given a statement from the parents of Maxim Noytra saying that alongside the grief, they are also finding comfort in the fact that they can finally put him to rest, that's a closure which is still elusive for eight of the families waiting for their remains to be sent back.

We've heard a lot of criticism as well from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Hamas, accusing Hamas of, quote, "pathetic attempts to deceive us, the United States and the world."

Now, we also have been hearing more from the U.S. President Donald Trump in an interview he did with CBS "60 Minutes" talking about these hostages, also talking about the state of the ceasefire, and he was asked specifically about his relationship with the Israeli Prime Minister and whether he can convince him to agree to a Palestinian state. Let's listen to his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Yes, he's fine. He's fine.

Look, he's a wartime Prime Minister. I worked very well with him.

Yes, I mean, I had to push him a little bit one way or the other. I think I did a great job in pushing him. He's a very talented guy. He's a guy that has never been pushed before, actually. That's the

kind of person you needed in Israel at the time. It was very important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Now, this has certainly been the assumption from experts in the region that there had to be some coercion from the U.S. President Donald Trump for Netanyahu to agree to this ceasefire. And we also know that he has felt frustration with Netanyahu in the past when it comes to Gaza, the strikes in Syria, and also that strike against Hamas negotiators in Qatar, Qatar being a key U.S. ally.

In fact, we heard from the Middle East envoy for the Trump administration, Steve Witkoff, at the time saying that they felt betrayed by that strike itself. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Paula Hancocks in Abu Dhabi. Many thanks for that live report, I appreciate it.

President Trump again addresses the chances of sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Coming up, a closer look at how this could impact Ukraine's war effort heading into winter. Back in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom," I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

This week, the U.S. government shutdown could become the longest in American history. Senators remain deadlocked as they prepare to reconvene later today. President Donald Trump is pressuring Republican senators to scrap the filibuster, a 60-vote threshold required to advance lost legislation but lawmakers have long been reluctant to do so.

We are now less than 24 hours away from Election Day in America. All eyes are on several key races across the country, that includes the race for mayor in New York City, the races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, and the Prop 50 redistricting measure on the ballot in California.

Israel has the remains of three hostages Hamas released on Sunday. The Prime Minister's office says they are Captain Omer Maxim Noytra, Colonel Asaf Hammami, and Staff Sergeant Oz Daniel. The confirmation means the remains of eight deceased hostages are still in Gaza.

President Trump says he is not really considering sending U.S. Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. His comments follow repeated attempts by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to secure the long-range weapons and expand Kyiv's striking distance into Russia. The U.S. President told reporters on Sunday there was no final straw for Russia's Vladimir Putin that would signal he's not ready to end the conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: There's no final straw.

Sometimes you have to let it find out. They're fighting it out. It's been a tough war for Putin.

He's lost a lot of soldiers, maybe a million. That's a lot of soldiers.

And it's been tough for Ukraine. It's been tough for the world. Sometimes you have to let it, you know, just get caught out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN military analyst and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton joins me now. Always good to have you with us.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's great to be with you, Rosemary. Thank you so much.

CHURCH: So, Colonel, what's happening right now on Ukraine's front lines, especially around Pokrovsk, and why is this fight so critical?

LEIGHTON: Well, Pokrovsk is kind of basically a node where all of the forces are coming together. So you have about 170,000 Russian troops that are massed around or near Pokrovsk. Those troops are being used partially to move into the city, and they're basically occupying the southern parts of the city.

Now according to some reports, they're about 60 percent. They control about 60 percent of Pokrovsk. Other reports say that they control less than that.

But regardless, Pokrovsk is a major point of contention right now between the Ukrainian forces that are trying to defend that area and the Russian forces that are trying to take it over. So Pokrovsk is important because it's basically that southern anchor point in kind of a belt of fortifications that the Ukrainians have in the western part of the Donetsk Oblast region that is still controlled by Ukraine. If Pokrovsk were to fall, it would not only impact Ukrainian supply lines, but it would also impact the ability of the Ukrainians to hold on to that part of the Donetsk Oblast.

So that would then mean that the Donbas region would almost entirely be controlled if the Russians move forward from Pokrovsk by the Russians.

[03:30:00]

CHURCH: And, Colonel, President Donald Trump reiterated Sunday that he's not really considering sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, but left open the possibility that this decision could change. He also said that, quote, sometimes you have to let it get fought out. Now, what does all of this signal to you as the U.S. pursues a ceasefire deal with Russia?

LEIGHTON: Yes, this, you know, kind of signals an inexplicable reluctance by President Trump to actually get Ukraine into a position where it can have real bargaining power in any negotiations. So the Ukrainians have been able to do a lot of heavy lifting on their own with some drones and missiles that they've developed indigenously that allow them to attack Russian targets. Basically pretty far from the front line.

What the Tomahawk would do, depending on the model that the Ukrainians would get, it would give them a range of anywhere from 1000 to 1500 miles, so up to around 3000 or so kilometers. And what that would do is that would put at risk a large portion of Russia's military industrial base. And that, of course, would be something the Russians don't want to have, but it would certainly give Ukraine a lot of leverage.

And the fact that President Trump is, you know, basically reluctant at the moment at least to provide the Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine makes it a bit more difficult for the Ukrainians not only to achieve some of the goals that they're trying to achieve, but it also signals kind of a wait-and-see attitude on the part of the United States, and unfortunately that's going to cost a lot of Ukrainian and Russian lives.

CHURCH: Why do you think President Trump is reluctant to hand over Tomahawks?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think he doesn't want to get into a situation with President Putin of Russia where it adversely impacts Russian-U.S. relations. Now, Russian-U.S. relations aren't that good right now anyways, so at this particular point it wouldn't probably make that much difference in terms of the atmospherics.

But the other thing is that this could serve as an escalatory excuse for the Russians, and they could then use a lot of their caliber missiles, for example, which could, even though they've used them already against Ukraine, they could intensify the barrages and they could basically intensify the strikes that they are conducting against Ukraine's energy infrastructure and other aspects of their critical infrastructure.

CHURCH: And, Colonel, how likely is it that Ukraine's targeting of Russia's energy infrastructure is making any difference, and what's the latest on Europe's goal of buying and transferring U.S. weapons to Ukraine?

LEIGHTON: So, as far as the Ukrainians striking the Russian energy sector, it's actually making quite a bit of difference. The estimates are around 20 percent of Russia's oil refining capacity has actually been curtailed by the Ukrainian strikes, and we see evidence along gas lines at the petrol stations throughout Russia.

We see evidence of other shortages within the Russian economy that could also adversely impact their ability to supply their war machines. So these attacks are having an impact, and that could, of course, mean that the Russians will either find other ways to move their forces forward into Ukraine, or they're going to be stalled out.

And right now it seems that they're basically being stalled out, with a few exceptions, possibly around Pokrovsk, but also in some other areas of Ukraine. But gains that the Russians are making are fairly minor at this point, and that's due in large part to what the Ukrainians can do.

As far as the Europeans are concerned, they are moving some weapon systems into Ukraine. The process is slow. It's not fast enough for the Ukrainians right now to achieve some of their medium-term goals, and that is something that is going to impact the Ukrainian war effort basically negatively at this particular point in time.

CHURCH: Colonel Cedric Leighton, we want to thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate it.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Rosemary. Anytime.

CHURCH: President Trump says Taiwan quote, "never even came up" during talks with his Chinese counterpart, but he wouldn't say whether he would order U.S. forces to defend Taiwan if China launched a military attack on the self-governing island. Mr. Trump told CBS's "60 Minutes" that Beijing knows what the consequences would be of such a move.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You'll find out if it happens. And he understands the answer to that. I don't want to be one of these guys that tells you exactly what's going to happen if something happens.

The other side knows, but I'm not somebody that tells you everything because you're asking me a question, but they understand what's going to happen, and he has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, we would never do anything while President Trump is president because they know the consequences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:35:10]

CHURCH: And President Trump says a deal will be signed with China soon. Coming up next, how his Treasury Secretary is characterizing U.S. trade relations with Beijing. That in just a moment.

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CHURCH: Welcome back to CNN. This is your Business Breakout.

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over President Trump's sweeping global tariffs, but he says he won't be in attendance, despite earlier suggesting he might be there. The case will consider whether the President had the legal authority to circumvent Congress to impose tariffs using emergency powers. The White House says President Trump has backup plans prepared in case the court rules against him. Well despite a new trade truce between the U.S. and China, U.S.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is calling Beijing an unreliable trade partner. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met last Thursday, and President Trump agreed to lower tariffs on Chinese goods by 10 percent. But Bessent says although the U.S. doesn't want to decouple from China, it wants to de-risk.

Berkshire Hathaway reported a rise in profit for the quarter ending in September. It also signalled that it's being cautious about markets by letting cash swell to over $380 billion, a record for the company. This was the last financial report for Berkshire Hathaway before legendary investor Warren Buffett steps aside as chief executive.

The death toll from Hurricane Melissa has risen to at least 59 people across the Caribbean, that is according to the "Associated Press". Twenty-eight of those deaths are in Jamaica, where Melissa was the most powerful storm to ever hit the island.

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New images show the extent of the damage, with buildings caved in and whole blocks of houses wiped away. U.S. forecaster AccuWeather estimates that Melissa caused up to $52 billion in damages in the Caribbean, and the death toll is only expected to keep rising.

Earlier, we spoke with Olga Izaza, who is with UNICEF in Jamaica. She was asked how communities in other Caribbean countries have been impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLGA ISAZA, UNICEF JAMAICA REPRESENTATIVE: The impact was beyond Jamaica. Without any doubt, the level of damage here is impressive, but certainly there are many children also suffering in Cuba and in Haiti. So the support for the complete Caribbean region is needed.

As you know, we are a small island development state, and the fragility of these places is incredible. So we really need the solidarity and the support from many different individuals, donors, companies that are able to support our mission. We are a trust-funding organization.

We have international experience managing emergency, and most importantly, we have local partners that can help us to really reach each community and each children, and we are trying to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And you can help the people impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Just go to cnn.com/impact.

We're going to take a quick break now. For our viewers in North America, I'll have more news coming up. For our international viewers, "World Sport" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [03:45:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and Canada. I'm Rosemary Church, and this is "CNN Newsroom."

It is day 34 of what may turn into the longest government shutdown.

The U.S. President is back in Washington. The Senate will return today as well, but no vote is expected on the spending bill. The shutdown battle focuses on the Democrats' demand that Republicans agree to extend subsidies for insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Right now, people who get insurance through the act are learning that the price for next year is a lot higher, and low-income families could end up paying even more. CNN's Jenn Sullivan explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENN SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): The government shutdown is now at its second month.

At the center of the battle on Capitol Hill, health care subsidies that make insurance more affordable for millions of Americans. Those tax breaks, though, are set to expire. Democrats want to see them extended.

JEFFRIES: Ripping health care away from millions of Americans is unpopular.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): More than 24 million people have health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. And roughly 92 percent of enrollees receive federal tax credits to help lower their monthly costs. Renewing the subsidies would cost $35 billion every year for the next 10 years.

Many Republicans say they won't negotiate the subsidies question until enough Democrats approve a spending bill to reopen the government.

SEN. MIKE ROUNDS (R-SD): Get this thing open. We have shown in good faith that we will do the appropriations process.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): Regardless of subsidies, the cost of health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will jump.

KFF, a nonprofit focused on health policy, recently looked at monthly costs for health care coverage and found ACA insurers are raising premiums by roughly 26 percent next year. But if you take away subsidies on top of the increases, the costs will be even higher.

CYNTHIA COX, VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR, KFF PROGRAM ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ADT: We're expecting that on average, premium payments are going to more than double. That's a one hundred fourteen percent increase.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): KFF says average monthly premium costs could go from $888 to as much as $1,904 in 2026.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-OK): I have people who are sitting at home in Massachusetts right now looking at their new health care premiums and trying to decide between health care and rent.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): Federal tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year.

I'm Jenn Sullivan reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The shutdown is leading to even more flight delays across the U.S. The past weekend was the worst for air traffic control staffing shortages since the start of the government shutdown, that is according to a CNN analysis of federal aviation administration operation plans.

Between Friday morning and Sunday night, nearly 100 FAA facilities reported what's known as a staffing trigger that means air traffic controllers had to alter operations just to keep the airspace safe with fewer people working. The U.S. Transportation Secretary says he only expects things to get worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We will delay, we will cancel any kind of flight across the national airspace to make sure people are safe. But there is a level of risk that gets injected into the system when we have a controller that's doing two jobs instead of one. We manage that, we look out for it and safety is the priority.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The mayor of Evanston, Illinois, says he's opening two investigations against federal agents. Videos like this one shared on social media show Border Patrol agents pinning a man to the ground and punching him repeatedly in the head. The mayor says the agents used violence against innocent bystanders and deliberately caused a car accident.

The Department of Homeland Security argues agents encountered a red vehicle tailing their car aggressively before crashing into Border Patrol. Officials also said agents were surrounded by a hostile crowd while detaining the suspect.

Some Latino voters who backed Donald Trump in 2024 tell CNN they're not happy with him. Reasons include the President's massive immigration crackdown and economic worries.

Our Maria Santana spoke with them.

[03:50:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MARIA SANTANA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Normally at this time, Ricardo Francisco's Dominican restaurant is full, serving clients pica pollo, pernil, and the traditional tres golpes, mashed plantains with fried eggs, cheese and salami.

SANTANA: Tres golpes, three hits. This is my favorite dish, the platanos.

SANTANA (voice-over): But he says business has dropped about 35 percent in the past year.

SANTANA: Do you think that Trump's immigration policies and the way he's cracking down on immigrants, that that has something to do with it?

RICARDO FRANCISCO, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER (through translator): Of course, that's had a lot to do with it. There are fewer people out on the streets. Now they prefer delivery instead.

SANTANA (voice-over): When we first met Francisco last year, just after the election, he said he backed Donald Trump, trusting his economic plans while brushing off his talk of mass deportations.

FRANCISCO (through translator): No, I don't agree with mass deportations because almost all of us here are immigrants. I think Trump should reconsider that, and I think he will.

SANTANA: It hasn't even been a year since Trump has been in office. And you don't like what he's doing with immigration.

FRANCISCO (through translator): No, because many families have been separated. I think the government should refocus and pay more attention to the economy.

SANTANA (voice-over): That frustration seems to be growing across Allentown. Large crowds recently gathered throughout the region as part of nationwide No Kings protests. A once industrial hub in northeastern Pennsylvania, the city is now home to a majority Latino population that swung sharply toward Trump in 2024.

JOHNNY HERRERA, BARBER (through translator): The majority of us regret it very much.

SANTANA (voice-over): Johnny Herrera, a barber at a local shop, says that many here feel deceived by Trump.

HERRERA (through translator): Right now, I don't support him. He said he would go after the undocumented immigrants doing wrong and help those who are working and doing the right thing. But that's not what's happening.

SANTANA (voice-over): Back at the restaurant, Francisco worries that if things don't change soon, he may have to close.

FRANCISCO (through translator): I don't have the resources to keep this place running long term. SANTANA (voice-over): But he's still not ready to completely give up

on Trump.

FRANCISCO (through translator): He has time to recover, to regroup and to govern well. I think so.

SANTANA (voice-over): He hopes he's right this time. And if he is, he says next time lunch is on me.

SANTANA: I'm going to come back.

SANTANA (voice-over): Maria Santana, CNN, Allentown, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist Josh Groban has a new project reflected beautifully in one of his most well-known songs.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

This music video for "You Raise Me Up" has been viewed nearly 200 million times on YouTube. But as Elex Michaelson found out, Groban's most meaningful work is helping kids find their light around the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH GROBAN, SINGER-SONGWRITER, AND PHILANTHROPIST: If I can do Shakespeare, I can do anything.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Josh Groban is performing with the Young Shakespeareans, an L.A.-based afterschool arts program. Funded in part by Groban's nonprofit, Find Your Light.

MICAHELSON: They're finding their light.

GROBAN: They're finding their light.

UNKNOWN: There'll be none.

MICHAELSON: Why does arts education matter?

GROBAN: Arts education is the antidote to divisiveness.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Among the students, fifth grader Kenneth Monson, performing Macbeth.

MICHAELSON: How has this program changed you?

KENNETH MONSON, FIFTH-GRADER STUDENT: Oh, it has changed me to be more confident, be more brave with other people.

MICHAELSON: What goes through your mind when you see something like this, when you're part of something like this?

GROBAN: I get nervous. It brings me back to when I actually did these, you know, things as a kid.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): As a kid, Josh loved music, but was shy and never performed publicly until a teacher named Richard Barrett selected him for a solo in the seventh grade.

GROBAN: He knew that I wasn't going to offer myself for a solo. I remember it was a song called "Swonderful," George Gershwin's song.

It's wonderful, it's marvelous, yet you should care for me.

I walked forward, the time came, and I'm looking, it's like something out of a movie, the spotlight's on me. And I'm going, OK, all right, this is probably going to be the end of my social life as I know it.

It was like that slow clap, standing ovation. Kids were coming up to me the next day going, hey, bro, that was really good, man. From that point forward, there was no looking back.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Perhaps his most popular song of all, "You Raise Me Up," features arts education in the music video, a nod to his own beginnings.

GROBAN: That's always been part of my heart. It really has.

I also believe the arts are a refuge and not merely an escape.

[03:55:06]

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Josh says he realized the true power of his voice when asking Congress for more arts funding in 2009.

GROBAN: I realized that my silver bullet and experience was in this world was talking about the arts.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Josh's fans would present him with a $50,000 check at one of his concerts, launching what would become the nonprofit Find Your Light.

MICHAELSON: What is Find Your Light?

GROBAN: Find Your Light is a organization that is a grant giver to programs all across the country. There are so many programs that are in need that whenever we, we like to say we're putting out the bat signal for Arts Ed.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): In 2025, Find Your Light is funding 189 arts education programs in 33 states across the U.S.

GROBAN: It is all about using the arts as a tool to unlock fully.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Josh recently performed with some of those students during a star-studded benefit at Lincoln Center in New York, raising over a million dollars for Find Your Light.

GROBAN: It is my greatest honor to be able to blend what I do professionally with their instruments, with their talent. It's feeding my soul in ways they could never know.

MICHAELSON: What is the bottom line message you want people to take away from this story?

GROBAN: These kids matter. Their futures matter. The arts gives us something that so many other things in this crazy world cannot.

At a time when they're being cut more than ever, we need to give to make sure they get that constant in their lives.

MONSON: If I can do Shakespeare, if I can do anything.

MICHAELSON (voice-over): Elex Michaelson, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And you can watch Elex Michaelson's show, "The Story Is" right here on CNN, 9:00 P.M. Monday in Los Angeles, 11:00 P.M. in Chicago, midnight Tuesday on the East Coast.

Want to thank you so much for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "The Amanpour Hour" is next, then stay tuned for "Early Start" with Brian Abel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)