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Iran: Strait Of Hormuz "Cannot Be Seized With A Tweet"; Trump Dismisses Concerns About Conditions In USS Lincoln; Three Earthquakes Rock Indonesia Within Hours; Hawaii Could See First Hurricane Landfall In Decades; Hate Crime Charges After Attack During NYC Synagogue Service; Effect Of New Florida Maps On Display In Tuesday's Primaries; Surprising Poll Numbers Or Swing Senate Race In Michigan. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired August 15, 2026 - 17:00:00   ET

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

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[17:00:31]

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN HOST: Welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM, everyone. I'm Omar Jimenez in Atlanta.

Tonight, talks between the United States and Iran on ice as Iran's foreign minister says his country hasn't decided if they are going to resume negotiating with the Trump administration.

And this comes just a week after President Donald Trump says the U.S. Was, quote, "low-keying" in talks with Iran.

And then yesterday, President Trump said he plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory but after the U.S. finishes, quote, "defeating Iran". Still, questions on when that might happen.

Iran's deputy foreign minister is pushing back, saying the critical waterway cannot be seized with a tweet.

So for more on where these talks stand, I want to bring in CNN's Julia Benbrook, who joins us now. So, Julia, what is the latest from the administration here?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Strait of Hormuz remains a key area of focus during this now nearly six-month-long conflict. And there are conflicting messages, as Iran has laid out demands that they say the United States must fulfill in order to see this critical waterway fully reopened.

President Donald Trump for his part, he has remained adamant. He has insisted that the United States is already in control of that waterway.

Now, I was at that event where he made these remarks yesterday. This was a rally-style event in New York on a different topic. But as he kind of went off script, he said that after the United States has fully defeated Iran, that he would like to see the Strait of Hormuz become a U.S. territory. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And after we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly-defeated, pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.

Essentially, that's what -- we have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: We do know that at least some within Trump's circle have been advocating to find a way to end this conflict.

Recent CNN reporting found that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dan Caine, had privately made clear to other top officials that the United States needs to be looking for an off-ramp.

Those remarks from Trump, though, seem to just be escalating the rhetoric more.

And in recent days, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. military could maintain a naval presence in the region to enforce its blockade there as long as it needed to, and would do that as long as it needed to.

JIMENEZ: And Julia, we're also learning about how these extended deployments amid the war with Iran are actually impacting some of our nation's troops.

Just what can you tell us about this and how the president is responding to these reports?

BENBROOK: A lot of focus has been on the USS Abraham Lincoln as it has been deployed for nearly nine months as it's supporting operations there in the Middle East. And a lot of family members have been raising concerns about the conditions on that ship.

One of the crew members recently told CNN that morale right now is very low and that there's this constant strain on some of those essential amenities there.

Now Trump, he was pressed on this by a reporter yesterday, and he seemed to dismiss those concerns, saying that the deployments have actually not gone on long enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Has the deployments gone on too long? Are you worried about the mental health concerns?

TRUMP: No, no, no.

(CROSSTALK) TRUMP: Not nearly long enough. Thank you, everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: And after he made those remarks there, he abruptly turned -- I think you can see that there. And then went to board Air Force One.

He did say, as he spoke that the Lincoln would be moved out of the region sometime soon, and replaced by a very similar ship, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Julia Benbrook, appreciate the reporting.

I want to bring in now former lieutenant commander with the U.S. Navy, Julie Roland. She lived aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as an aircraft commander.

[17:04:50]

JIMENEZ: And Lieutenant Commander, can you just generally describe what life is actually like aboard an aircraft carrier group?

LT. COMMANDER JULIE ROLAND, FORMER NAVY PILOT: Sure. Thanks for having me.

I was on board the USS Lincoln. I've also done deployments on other aircraft carriers. They're all kind of the same.

And it's tough for being that far away from your family for a long period of time. Under normal circumstances, sure. But we know that when we sign up for it, that it's going to be a hard job.

This is not normal what these sailors are seeing. They're not experiencing what I experienced. They're having food shortages, water shortages. They're having hot water turned off, laundry secured, they're having showers secured. Not to mention some, I'm hearing reports of water contamination, inadequate medical supplies.

So the normal life that I had on the carrier, that's not what these sailors are experiencing at all.

JIMENEZ: You know -- and initially, President Trump said the war with Iran would last four to six weeks. It's now been almost six months.

And look, I mean, it's difficult to predict the -- any sort of war, especially the timing of it.

But when you sort of have a mismatch between what is being projected versus what the reality actually is, how does that affect morale? Like, is there training for unexpected extended deployments, for example?

ROLAND: I think we always expect that things can get extended. That's normal. Often they come with port calls. In COVID we saw some long deployments. We saw 11-month deployments without port calls, but they knew that going in that there wouldn't be port calls because it was COVID. I'm hearing from sailors' friends I have on board that this is -- this

is worse than that. Folks that were on those carriers for 11 months, they are saying this is even worse.

And they were told they were going to be in the Seventh Fleet, which is like the waters of Asia. They were going to be there for a six- month deployment, see five different port calls.

And instead, what they got is a nine-month deployment without any port calls. And in a highly-pressurized conflict zone with no clear mission articulated, no end in sight, frequently getting comms turned off with their friends and family with no warning and indefinitely, it's almost impossible to keep morale up, which is why its harrowing, but not surprising that some of them are even trying to throw themselves overboard rather than continue in this ambiguous mission under the conditions that they're currently being forced to live in.

JIMENEZ: And so when you look at where things stand, I mean, it's no secret that I mean, for weeks, if not months now, strategically, there has been a stalemate here. Even if we have seen strikes back and forth and including strikes that have -- that have resulted in American service members being killed on certain bases.

But in terms of the actual pushing forward, it does seem to be at a stalemate here. What is the impact of that on service members as they continue to endure what they're enduring? And do you get the sense that there is a clear strategy here in terms of what they're supposed to be doing?

ROLAND: I don't personally feel like there's a clear strategy, but I'll say that February 7th, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the USS Lincoln. This is before conflict officially began with Iran, but tensions were high in the region.

And they said something on the -- one MC that -- the loudspeaker on the ship and said, we don't need to be good at negotiating because we have you guys -- something to that effect.

That's before the conflict even started. So that already suggests they're not serious about ending the conflict. They were never serious about negotiating to begin with.

And then when you have a president who is hearing these conditions and responds with saying that their deployment should be longer, and while also escalating things with rhetoric like suggesting that the Strait of Hormuz will become U.S. territory or threatening to decapitate Iran.

This is not -- these are not the signs of people who are taking ending this conflict seriously.

Not to mention, it's never been properly defined with clear end-goals or how we're going to reach them in the first place. So with that starting in February, which was just when the Lincoln got rerouted and sent to the -- to the region in the first place, that was just the beginning. Now it's been months later, they haven't seen port calls, and conditions continue to deteriorate. Of course, morale is plummeting.

JIMENEZ: Lieutenant Commander Julie Roland, really appreciate you taking the time. Thanks for being here.

ROLAND: Thank you so much.

JIMENEZ: All right. Still to come, a string of powerful earthquakes have rocked parts of Indonesia, causing death and destruction and fears of more dangerous aftershocks. We'll bring you those details.

Plus tracking Hurricane Lala. It is growing strength, and it is closing in on the Hawaiian Islands right now. We're going to have a live report from the Big Island just ahead.

And then later, new polls show who has the edge in the Michigan Senate battle that could decide the balance of power on Capitol Hill. We're going to take a look at the numbers.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

[17:09:32]

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JIMENEZ: A third powerful earthquake has rocked Indonesia. This one was a 5.7 magnitude tremor, but it hit hours after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck. It was felt in the eastern part of the country, including the tourist hotspot Bali.

Now, another 6.9 magnitude quake rattled the northern part of the country as well. New video shows a building that's been practically leveled here. At least 47 people were killed in the first quake.

And I want you to listen to one woman describe the aftermath.

[17:14:46]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The trauma is overwhelming. When I was a kid, I felt the 1992 quake and then the 2022 quake, and now this. So the fear is there. The trauma is there.

Even worse is we have small children at home. We're now evacuating with a baby in tow. So there's a baby in the evacuation camp about a month-and-a-half old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Now, dozens of people have been hurt and many have had to flee their homes. We'll continue to bring you the details there.

Meanwhile, in Hawaii, people are bracing for what could be the state's first hurricane landfall in decades. Tropical Storm Lala officially strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches the Big Island, where it's expected to bring dangerous surf and torrential rainfall of up to two feet.

I want to bring in KITV reporter Angela Cifone, who joins us now from the Big Island.

Angela, clearly raining there. Just give us a sense of what you are seeing, especially over the last hour or so.

ANGELA CIFONE, KITV REPORTER: Yes, Omar. It's definitely raining. It's a little bit strange because sometimes it gets really, really heavy. And then sometimes it's very calm, but you can see it's picking up yet again.

We've been here since 7:00 a.m. this morning and it's only increasing within time. You can see these waves are getting larger and larger.

I'm going to step out of the way. We are at Kaloli Point, which is the easternmost -- eastern island in the island. And we are here with the south facing shore waves that are just crashing through those rocks right there. You can see the salty air mist brushing through those rocks as well.

We have branches flying. We have coconuts falling. The trees are just blowing in the wind. And we are here, this house that I'm at, this is the second most eastern house on the island. So we are getting the brunt of the storm. We're getting it before anyone else in real time.

So you're seeing what people could be seeing in the inland even later today.

But I'm here with the homeowners' daughter right now. This is Maxine. She's going to kind of tell us a little bit about her experience of living here.

So you tell me you've never been through a hurricane. This is the first hurricane in three decades for Hawaii. What has your experience been like here?

MAXINE TOTTY-HEFLEY, HAWAII RESIDENT: So far, the experience is like really crazy because like what you were just saying, like this is the first hurricane in like three decades to ever, like land hit.

So it's like, really surreal. And it's like living through it and like seeing people like yesterday at the store, seeing people like rush through and getting their food and stock up on stuff. Like lanterns were out, toilet paper was almost out. It's yes.

CIFONE: Yes. And we can see here we're obviously soaking wet. We've changed our clothes about three or four times. You know, the rain is getting even stronger.

Now, we do have this plan that if we have to evacuate because it's going to increasingly get worse. What is that plan for you guys? We see that you have your dogs here. What are you guys kind of planning to do?

TOTTY-HEFLEY: We are going to like pack up all the dogs and the dog food and everything. Take it to my mom's friend's house, who is like the fifth street in from us. So it's more up -- a little uphill than us.

And we have other friends in like Mountain View. My sister lives in Mountain View and other friends that we can stay with.

CIFONE: Well, we obviously want you to be safe as well as us here. Thank you so much for allowing us to be in your home and kind of witnessing what's happening during Lala.

Again, we're seeing this firsthand. It's something that's interesting is that we see that not many people are boarding up and people are just leaving their homes and trying to protect themselves.

Again, we're going to keep you updated throughout the day as Lala continues to approach the islands. Angela Cifone, back to you, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Yes, stay safe out there as we continue to monitor those conditions. Really appreciate that report and bringing in that resident as well. We'll talk soon.

Meanwhile, still to come, panic during services at a Manhattan synagogue as a woman was attacked and a suspect is now facing multiple hate crime charges. We're going to have the latest on the investigation just ahead.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

[17:18:46]

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JIMENEZ: New York police say a man has been arrested and charged with hate crimes after shouting and disrupting a service, then attacking a woman and a security guard at a New York City synagogue last night.

CNN's Rafael Romo is following this story for us. Rafael, what have you learned here?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Omar.

Well, a law enforcement official has told CNN the suspect entered the synagogue during Shabbat services Friday night and was sitting down for roughly ten minutes before he got up and was confronted by security.

A clip from the synagogues live stream, obtained by CNN affiliate WCBS, shows how congregants scrambled as shouts of panic erupted while a security guard is seen trying to restrain the suspect as he barreled down the aisle.

And Omar, the law enforcement source also told CNN that when the suspect tried to make his way toward the rabbi, security tried to escort him out, and that's when he proceeded to attack a woman and the security guard, while also yelling a racial slur at him. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the suspect as

46-year-old Larry Montes from the Bronx. She also said the suspect has now been charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime as well, among other charges.

Tisch also said that no one was seriously injured and that the NYPD increased security at the synagogue.

The synagogue's rabbi opened the service Saturday morning by saying the congregation is grateful to be safe.

[17:24:46]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RABBI ANDREW KAPLAN MANDEL, CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE: Our day of rest was interrupted last night by a security incident in our main sanctuary. But we are ok.

We are safe. We are grateful to be here. We are grateful to our security team for supporting us. We feel so grateful for our community.

JENNA PEARSOLL, CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE CANTOR: Went through something really hard and scary last night. And I think this healing prayer can be focused on the whole community, on all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani sending a post on X that "This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe."

The law enforcement official familiar with the investigation also told CNN that Montes, the suspect, tried to walk toward an area that is not open to the public, and when they confronted him, he proceeded to chop with his hands at two candles, each valued at $10,000.

According to the CNN source, Montes has several sealed arrests, some of which were robberies, as well as a history of mental health issues. And investigators do not have evidence that he was targeting anyone inside the synagogue.

CNN reached out to the federal public defender's office in the Southern District of New York, Omar. But we were told the suspect had not yet been assigned an attorney.

Now, back to you.

JIMENEZ: Scary situation. Raphael Romo, really appreciate the reporting.

Still to come for us, rapper and community activist, Luther Campbell is in a crowded Democratic primary. He's going to join us to talk about his race to get to Capitol Hill. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

[17:26:23]

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[17:31:08]

JIMENEZ: We're back following the breaking news in Hawaii as the state prepares for what could be the first hurricane landfall there in decades. Hawaii Governor Josh Green declared a statewide emergency Thursday, allowing officials to activate the National Guard and access emergency funding to prepare. And now, Lala has reached hurricane status, intensifying into a Category 1.

So, I want to bring in Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, who is with us now. And Michael, I just want to start with what are your biggest concerns about the storm's impact on the Big Island right now?

MICHAEL BRENNAN, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Yes, the impacts there are already happening. Very heavy rainfall. We've seen rainfall totals of over a foot already reported in parts of the Big Island, we've seen hurricane-force wind gusts at some of the higher elevations. So, those impacts really are imminent and ongoing, and going to continue to worsen over the next several hours as the center of Lala makes its closest point of approach to the Big Island. And then those hazardous conditions, the heavy rainfall and the wind, are going to spread westward through the rest of the main Hawaiian Islands as we go through Saturday -- the rest of Saturday, Saturday night, even into Sunday.

JIMENEZ: You know, I think for people who hear hurricane, they typically think about Atlantic hurricanes making landfall in that part of the country. Not so much Pacific storm systems like this one. Why is that, and what makes this particular system different from the hurricanes that maybe we typically hear of?

BRENNAN: Yes, most of the hurricanes form in the eastern part of the Pacific, well east of Hawaii. And usually, the storms that affect the Hawaiian Islands are moving in from the east, and they sort they reach their peak intensity farther to the east, where the water is typically warmer. And they usually move in from the east and go over cooler waters before they get to the Hawaiian Islands.

So, they're usually weakening. Not to say that they can't bring impacts, but what's different about Lala is it formed farther south and is actually approaching the Hawaiian Islands from the southeast. So, that is allowing it to be over warmer water in a more favorable environment and actually intensifying to hurricane strength as it nears the Big Island today.

JIMENEZ: And when you think about the effects of this storm, as you're showing there, and as we've seen videos to this point, you know, one you said in your earlier briefing that there could be flash flooding and mudslides. How does Hawaii's terrain potentially complicate those potential impacts from the storm?

BRENNAN: Yes, you know, the topography of Hawaii really enhances the rainfall because you have such big mountains. You know, the two big volcanoes, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa on the Big Island. Those easterly winds are being forced up that topography, and that increases the rainfall rates.

And then, you also have the rain hitting those steep slopes and then running off very quickly, so that's what can lead to that flash flooding and the mudslides. And all of the Hawaiian Islands have that topography. So, you see those highest rainfall totals. You know, eight to 12 inches here on the eastern side of Maui, up to eight inches in Oahu and Kauai, and again up to 25 inches in parts of the Big Island.

So, that really is a complicating factor, like it is in many mountainous areas where you do have tropical storms and hurricanes affect them.

JIMENEZ: So, let's talk about that. I mean, you know, we're talking two feet of rain potentially here, just about that. I mean, that would be devastating, really anywhere that that happens. What are your biggest concerns, knowing that these are the totals that that we're talking about here?

BRENNAN: Well, that type of flooding can lead to you know roads being washed out. It can lead to structures being damaged, and it's really important that people on the Big Island and everywhere in Hawaii stay in their safe place.

Now, you don't want to be out in those flooded roadways? Most of the flood fatalities in the United States occur from people trying to drive through flooded roadways. Roads could be washed out. You can't really see, especially at night. You know if a road's still there, if a bridge is still there. So, it's really important to stay safe, get to higher ground if there's a flash flood warning issued, and if you're asked to evacuate by your local officials.

JIMENEZ: All right, Michael Brennan, really appreciate you taking the time. I know it's a busy one for you all as we continue to monitor the effects. Thanks for being here.

BRENNAN: Thanks.

JIMENEZ: All right, straight ahead, one House race in Florida has name recognition as the former 2 Live Crew rapper Luther Campbell is competing in the Democratic primary against Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and several other candidates. He joins us live next. We're going to talk about it all here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[17:39:55]

JIMENEZ: In Florida this week, the ripple effects of new congressional maps are going to be on full display here because after longtime Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz saw her district broken up during redistricting. She is now instead running in a district that has had a historically large Black population and historically majority minority.

[17:40:16]

Now, it does include parts of her current district, but her decision to run there has prompted pushback from Black Democrats.

Now, Democratic primary voters on Tuesday are going to be forced to decide what to prioritize: maintaining minority representation in Washington or Wasserman Schultz's seniority. This also comes as the U.S. faces potentially the largest loss of Black representation in Congress in six decades.

One of the candidates running against Wasserman Schultz, rapper and community activist Luther 'Uncle Luke' Campbell, who joins us now. And Luther, after Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz announced she was running in Florida's 20th congressional district. She told Florida Politics, "The overwhelming sentiment that I got from people is that they know how important it is that someone have the seniority and the tenure and the clout in Congress to be able to get things done, and that we can't start over with beginners who will just be first trying to figure things out." How do you respond to that?

LUTHER CAMPBELL, (D), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE OF FORIDA: I respond to that basically saying that that's asinine. She came in as a -- as a college student from the University of Florida, and she ran. Never had a job. Never owned a small business. Never -- was a first-time politician. Was a first time Congress person, and she did obviously a horrible job.

But at the same time, when you think about this district, and when you think about Alcee Hastings, when you think about this district being held by African American for over 30 years, you know, for her to come in this district, she could have ran against Jared Moskowitz, she could have ran in '22, where Joe Biden won the seat by five percent, Donald Trump won it by 10 percent and flipped a Republican seat to become -- to give us a dominant force in the House.

But yet, and still, she, you know, brought her $15 million in PAC money and her $3 million in liquid cash into this district to do what the Republicans are doing, which is trying to erase Black representation in the state.

JIMENEZ: You know, she previously or the previous version of the district did represent a majority minority portions at least, and I just wonder for you what specifically makes you concerned about her ability to represent a largely Black district like yours?

CAMPBELL: Well, it's really simple when you represented people who live in $5 million houses, and now you've got to come and represent people in my district, my people who you do not understand. If you -- you've never came on this side of the district to even support individuals in this community.

I mean, this community is hardworking people. People who are working from paycheck to paycheck. This community is being gentrified, you know, by people who put money into her campaign.

And so, when you look at a person like her coming into this district, she has no ideal as to the day to day and how these folks are living with the -- with the high cost of insurance things that her and the other -- my other opponents.

When you look at my opponents, it's 65 years of being politicians. I mean, at some point, you know, you got to say enough is enough. They're not doing enough. We're talking about the same things, affordable housing. We're talking about SNAP benefits. We're talking about things that we shouldn't be talking about this day and age. And she needs to be fired.

At the end of the day, she has not did the job. I mean, she's been in politics since 1994, I think. And at the end of the day, you know, it's time for new change. I'm a businessman. I know how to get things done. I've done it before, and it's a matter of good folks coming out and voting.

JIMENEZ: So, let's talk about that a little bit because, look, if you're looking at the landscape of the race right now, you have multiple Black candidates that are running, but you have one White candidate. And if we're talking sort of about that representation portion of it, are you concerned at all about splitting the vote and actually giving her a leg up, especially when she's coming in with so many resources, the name recognition -- the name recognition? She's obviously served in Congress in that area for a long time. I mean, how are you looking at that aspect of things?

CAMPBELL: I'm looking at it as the same game plan that Steve Cohen did in Memphis, and you see what happened in Memphis. Memphis went from 165 deaths a year to 385 deaths a year with A.I. plants and everything like that coming in. Steve did the same exact thing, ran in a crowded field of African Americans, took over that district, and you see the downfall of Memphis with great people.

She's taking the same playbook, but more importantly, this Democratic -- this Democratic body is suffering from real Black men and real Black men representation. We're leaving this party, going to the Independent Party, and a large part of us are leaving this party, going to the Republican Party.

[17:45:19]

So, the bigger issue of it all, for her to come in and do exactly what we have been complaining about, what the Republicans have been doing, we're hypocrites.

And at the same time, I represent, you know, those people who are sick and tired of being sick and tired. You know, who are on the fence whether we leave this party because this party is not really doing anything for us. And you know, it's obvious. It's really, really obvious.

You know, I've been a Democratic shield. I went out and campaigned for Kamala Harris. You know, when she was running before she became the nominee, and I've been a blue no matter who.

But right now, in this climate, and what is going on in this race, and what is going on with the Democratic Party not supporting an African American candidate in this race because they're scared of their AIPAC money that she obviously controls. You know, it's really sad where we're at right now in --

JIMENEZ: It sounds like -- no, I was just going to say it sounds like you see her as the status quo, and you see yourself as something different. We got to go. We're out of time, but I just want you to give me the elevator pitch, and I mean just real elevator pitch why you believe you stand out from the rest of the crowd that that's trying to gain this nomination here?

CAMPBELL: I mean, I'm different. I'm a businessman. I'm a true leader in the community. I've not taken any PAC dollars or anything like that. And the things that I built in Miami are the things that I'm going to build twice as many times in here in Broward County. And I expect people to come out and vote, and we will win, and we will go to Washington, and we will make that change.

JIMENEZ: Luther 'Uncle Luke' Campbell, you stuck to the elevator pitch. Honestly, not a lot of people do that. They come on and they -- and it's a long elevator ride. But I appreciate you sticking to it and hanging with us today. Thanks for taking the time.

CAMPBELL: Thank you.

JIMENEZ: And be sure to watch CNN for the primary results and analysis in Florida and other states. "ELECTION NIGHT IN AMERICA" live coverage begins this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN and on the CNN app.

All right. Meanwhile, the Senate race in Michigan, one of the closely -- one of the most closely watched contests of the midterms. Progressive Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary last week, but new polling suggests he faces an uphill battle in the general election. CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten breaks down the numbers.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Hey there, Omar. Happy, happy Saturday to you. Look, on Thursday night, a poll came out from Fox News in the great state of Michigan, and what a potential lifeline it says the Michigan Senate race may be to Republicans.

Look, this is just a snapshot in time, but it is a troubling snapshot for Democrats who want to hold on to the Michigan Senate seat as they try and climb up and take the majority away from Republicans in the United States Senate. Look at this. Look at these numbers. OK, the Michigan Senate race: Mike Rogers versus Abdul El-Sayed at the Fox News. Look at this. Mike Rogers is up by four points. He's up by four points after that bruising primary.

More than that, he's leading amongst Independents. He's leading amongst Independents by five points. Why is that so unusual? It's so unusual because in all the other Fox News polls, which frankly have been very, very good for Democrats, the Democratic candidate, as far as I can tell, has always been leading amongst Independents, and that points to a potential problem when it comes to Abdul El-Sayed's candidacy, potentially a candidate quality problem, at least in the minds of the voters.

And you can see that because, for no other reason, they also polled Fox, also polled the gubernatorial race, and the Democrats were leading the governor's race. So, Abdul El-Sayed is underperforming the Democratic ticket in the great state of Michigan.

Now, what is driving these numbers? You know, what is driving them? It might be one thing. Hey, Mike Rogers is just a really great candidate. In this case, it's that at least in the minds of the voters, Abdul El- Sayed is not a very good candidate. I dare say, a bad candidate.

Because just take a look at these net favorability ratings of the different Democratic Senate nominees in the northern battlegrounds, per Fox News, look at the only one who's underwater and way underwater. We're talking lower than Lake Michigan, 13 points underwater. Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. All the other Democrats, Troy Jackson in Maine, one point above water, positive net favorable.

That is favorable minus unfavorable. How about Sherrod Brown in Ohio, four points above water. Josh Turek way above water. I'm not sure that there are oceans in Iowa. I think there might be more like cornfields. But either way, 18 points above water. Josh Turek is in Iowa, a very strong candidate indeed.

And when I look across the map, and I look at all the Fox News polls, even in the South, I believe this is the only example in which, in a key Senate race, the Democrat is underwater.

[17:50:06]

So, Abdul El-Sayed, you got a candidate quality problem in Michigan coming out of that bruising primary. We'll have to see if he can turn that around.

But what I can say, Omar, is that these are historic numbers for a Democrat of Michigan. You know, I -- you know I pointed out that Mike Rogers was ahead of Abdul El-Sayed. They had down by four points in Michigan.

You go back over time. I went back through the spreadsheets and tried to find another example of this of a Michigan Democratic candidate for Senate polling this poorly. And you know what? I couldn't find one this century. I simply couldn't. A poll that has the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan down at least four points.

Abdul El-Sayed is the only one this century. You got to go back into the 20th century to find a Democratic candidate for Senate polling as poorly as Abdul El-Sayed is at this point in the campaign.

Now, as I noted, of course, this is a snapshot in time. We'll see what ends up happening. If El-Sayed is to come back, I think it is going to be on the ladder that President Trump is building for Democratic candidates, and very much the hammer that President Trump is in terms of bringing Republicans down because just take a look at Trump's net favorable rating in the great state of Michigan.

It's 19. It's 19 points under water. That is his unfavorable rating is 19 points higher than his favorable rating. He's actually less liked in Michigan than Abdul El-Sayed is at this moment. And if that's the ultimate driver for this election, well, then Michigan Democrats and Democrats nationwide will be very happy indeed.

And speaking of happy, Omar, I wish you a very happy rest of your Saturday.

JIMENEZ: And always happy to see you, Mr. Harry Enten. Speaking of someone with high favorability ratings, especially in New York City, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and his mom Sandra on his basketball journey and their mission to improve life for the next generation. I go one-on-one with the newly crowned New York sports legend. We're talking conversation. I'm not seeing him on the court.

Also coming up, the interest in drugs and supplements marketed for performance enhancement and longevity is surging, and it's not just adults. Even teenagers are tuning or turning to performance-enhancing drugs like testosterone in growing numbers, and CNN's Isabel Young met with one of them for her latest report on the enhancement craze. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No matter how large I got, I always saw myself as tiny.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. No matter what angle, you know, you name it, and you just keep going and going and going. You look in the mirror and you just don't realize how far you're in it and how far you're pushing yourself until it's kind of too late.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you started taking these drugs, I mean, how quickly did you start to see physical changes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My first cycle, I gained 40 pounds in five weeks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 162 pounds to 203 pounds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow, that's crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, how many times were you injecting yourself like in a week?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daily, I'd say for that big cycle, probably around like 12 times per day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Per day, you were injecting yourself about 12 times?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh-huh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God. Were you addicted?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was, for sure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: It is a fascinating report. You're not going to want to miss this. Stacked: Inside The Enhancement Craze on the latest episode of "THE WHOLE STORY" with Anderson Cooper tomorrow night at 8:00 Eastern on CNN and the next day on the CNN app.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:58:15]

JIMENEZ: According to Justice Department statistics, about one out of three women who get out of prison every year end up back behind bars within five years. When CNN Hero Susan Burton broke out of that cycle of incarceration herself, she decided to pay it forward. She set up a nonprofit, A New Way of Life, to help women rebuild their lives after prison. As CNN Heroes marks its 20th year, we're highlighting just how far Susan's mission has come.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN BURTON, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, A NEW WAY OF LIFE: I was in a revolving door of incarceration. I would walk out the gates, and I would end up going back to prison over and over again. Finally, I found help, and that led me to a different path.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): For almost three decades, Susan Burton and her nonprofit have helped women rebuild their lives after prison.

BURTON: At A New Way of Life, we provide a house. We treat people with dignity, respect, and we shower them with resources, and that makes a difference. We have a 94 percent success rate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): After she was honored as a CNN hero in 2010, Susan expanded her organization from five homes in California to 12. She also wrote her autobiography and shared her story with women in dozens of prisons.

BURTON: And those women stood up with tears in their eyes, saying, We don't have anywhere to go after incarceration. So, I created Safe to train other women on A New Way of Life's model.

90 percent of the people who are replicating our model are formerly incarcerated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She literally gives you all the tools you need to hit the ground running. Also, she gives everybody a $50,000 grant.