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Hurricane Isaias a Category 2, Barreling Toward Gulf Coast; Ken Paxton Tells Donors: Sen. Cornyn 'Wants Me to Lose'; Hurricane Isaias to Impact Gas Prices Further. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired October 09, 2026 - 06:00   ET

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

BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: -- are, so clearly, premeditated and planned out. This, just some of the images of what was left behind there in Chicago. Much more to the investigation that we know will -- continuing to be ongoing there.

[06:00:14]

Well, that does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. CNN THIS MORNING with Audie Cornish starts right now.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning, we are tracking this hurricane as it heads towards the Gulf. Mass executions [SIC] are -- evacuations are underway. We want to know how bad the storm could get.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst just in case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Plus, the Pentagon is saying that the firing squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed for the public. We're going to talk about whether that's even legal.

Also, a U.S. ambassador, Kimberly Guilfoyle, accused of asking a Trump donor to pay off her credit card bill. How will President Trump respond to the scandal?

And a midterm debate so heated and personal the pair kept bickering during the commercial breaks. Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed, head-to- head.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE ROGERS (R), MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: He's kind of like a glitchy A.I. chat bot. You say the same thing over, and over, and over again.

ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: He says I like to say the same thing. He's done the same thing over, and over, and over again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CORNISH: All right. Welcome back. I'm Audie Cornish.

I want to start with this breaking news on this Hurricane Isaias. It is gaining strength that it surges through the Gulf Coast. It's now a Category 2 storm, getting stronger at this hour, bringing with it plenty of high winds and heavy rain when it makes landfall later tonight.

Now, there's a state of emergency issued in parts of Alabama and Florida, where people spent yesterday filling up sandbags, boarding homes, and stocking up on supplies, preparing for a potentially dangerous flood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When Sally came through, we weren't prepared for it. So now, it's just a matter of making sure that we're prepared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My first time being in a hurricane, so I'm not -- I'm not too nervous, but I do worry about the flooding.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): It's not just a coastal event. There will be major impacts on the interior, particularly with flooding and with rising water.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will deteriorate closer to midnight. It will get where's and where's. We don't want to see anybody on the roadway unless it is absolutely necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: CNN meteorologist Chris Warren is tracking it all for us. And we just heard the governor there saying it's not just a coastal event. So, where is the storm headed to in this hour?

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Multi states, Audie, and with multiple impacts, as well. A lot of threats to deal with this.

When we're looking at this, it is heading right to the Northern Gulf Coast. Winds at 110 miles an hour. This is a Category 2 hurricane, a mile an hour away from becoming a major hurricane, a Category 3 hurricane.

But also remember, category is only talking about wind, which you see people boarding up for. That's what you do for wind. You prepare for power outages. You protect your home with a potential hurricane landfall.

Now it will be coming down somewhat in terms of wind speed from a three to a one. That's the forecast right now. So still could be a two. Again, expected to go up to three. Still could be a two. That's just the wind.

But as it -- the storm starts to unwind, starts to weaken a little bit, it will get bigger, pushing more water. That's the other threat.

You go from wind to water. More surge, more rain. In fact, tropical storm watches extend all the way up North of Birmingham.

So, wind 39 to 57 miles an hour, still ongoing during the day on Saturday. But initially, hurricane-force winds with gusts getting up close to Category 3 strength.

So, we are looking at a high impact event. Here is that surge. Remember now it's the wind that's pushing this Gulf water onshore 5 to 7 feet above normally dry ground.

And then, the tornado threat. The spin with the hurricane as its making landfall. Some of the outer bands have a little bit extra spin that can turn into tornadoes.

So, very heavy rain and thunderstorms, tornadoes tonight and into Saturday possible. That goes all the way into South Carolina. You can see this, Category 2. This is now after lunch. Now dinner time. Hour after hour of pounding, driving rain. And this is through the day on Saturday. Here's 1 p.m. on Saturday.

So, all of this rain, Audie, falling from as far away as North Carolina, the outer banks to parts of Mississippi up to Tennessee, flash flooding. What you do with that, you stay off the roads, avoid flooded areas.

[06:05:10]

CORNISH: Is it looking at all like there could be any changes before it makes landfall, gaining or weakening in strength?

WARREN: Well, so as far as the storm itself, these are the flood watches. A lot of things are locked in place here. So, we know that the impacts are going to be there with the wind, with the surge, with the tornadoes, and then the flooding.

As far as movement goes, the skinnier this area is right here. This shaded area, that's basically where you can see the center of the storm go.

So, if the center is -- it can -- can go just outside of it here or here. There's not going to be much difference. Things now are pretty much locked in place.

You need to have things done. If you're at the Gulf Coast out of there, you get away from the storm surge, you hide from the wind. You need to be out of there by lunchtime today is what I would say. Things are going to be going downhill.

And then throughout the day tomorrow, I think, Audie, here's the big wild card with all of this. How are these storms going to play out? What's the flooding going to be like? Where's the tornado threat going to be?

And I'm talking daylight hours on Saturday. This is going to be a long duration multi-state storm.

CORNISH: All right. That's Chris Warren. We'll be checking back with him throughout the day. And our coverage of this hurricane continues on CNN THIS MORNING.

In the meantime, after losing more than 5000 workers, is FEMA ready for what's coming?

But first, there is brand-new leaked audio, again, of Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton. And this time, he's talking about Senator John Cornyn. You're going to hear it for the first time after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:11:15]

CORNISH: Everything is bigger in Texas, even hurt feelings over campaigning. And just into CNN, we have a new leaked piece of audio of Republican Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton complaining about his campaign.

CNN obtained more than a minute and a half of audio, where you hear Paxton privately lashing out at a fundraiser last month. He believes current Texas Senator John Cornyn is not only refusing to support his campaign, but actively wants Paxton to lose.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN PAXTON (R), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: No, she's not, but I don't know how much she really affects votes. I mean, maybe a little bit around the margins, just like Cornyn, basically, how much he affects me. Because he's clearly not helping. He wants me to lose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: In a statement to CNN, a spokesman for Senator Cornyn says, quote, "If Senator Cornyn wanted Ken to lose, I can assure you he'd be more active in the campaign."

Joining me now in the group chat to discuss, Sabrina Rodriguez, politics reporter for "The Wall Street Journal"; Corbin Trent, former communications director for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; and Jonah Goldberg, CNN political commentator and editor in chief of "The Dispatch."

I have to say, we're very lucky, Sabrina, because you have been to Texas recently. So, as people like to joke about the girls fighting, I don't understand why every week is a steady drip, drip piece of audio from this fundraiser.

What's going on with this campaign?

SABRINA RODRIGUEZ, POLITICS REPORTER, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": I mean, the leaks keep coming. What is -- what is next in the audio that we're going to hear? But I think it's interesting, this one that comes out today about

Cornyn specifically, because this is the concern that Republicans had when they had the messy primary, and then went off into a runoff.

You know, Republican and groups aligned with John Cornyn spent roughly $90 million in ads in the primary and runoff to make the point that Cornyn was the right choice. And to really point out that Paxton would not be the best choice for the Republican Party heading into a midterm.

So, it's not surprising to now see that Cornyn has not been out and about campaigning.

CORNISH: I mean, in fairness, Cornyn publicly called Paxton lazy and a bad campaigner. Like, this is not subtle, this dislike.

And to be honest, he was mentioning Jasmine Crockett there in passing at the start of that clip. And I think that may be because, on that side of things, there are still maybe some hurt feelings coming out of the Democratic primary.

RODRIGUEZ: Well, and Cornyn -- and Cornyn has gone out of his way. I mean, Cornyn has been out campaigning for other Republicans.

CORNISH: Yes.

RODRIGUEZ: He had a fundraiser with former President Bush last month where he was fundraising for other Republican Senate candidates.

CORNISH: Yes.

RODRIGUEZ: And Paxton was not included in that.

CORNISH: And then Crockett also had a super PAC release a list of endorsements. Talarico not on it, although she replied to this. And I think it's worth mentioning.

She says, "Y'all are corny. I keep receipts. I'll be happy when people either give a damn about the facts, or news media goes back to the news, instead of deciding to ride the tabloid lane."

She also points out, do you know the five other 103 races in the Harris County ballot? She's basically saying, it doesn't matter whether or not I'm going after this guy that you love.

Are you guys paying attention up and down?

JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. I mean, the I mean, the schism between Crockett and Talarico is basically more or less personal, right? It's not a -- it's -- the schism in the Texas GOP is -- is Sunni versus Shia at this point.

It is like, remember, they impeached Paxton. A Republican dominated legislature impeached --

CORNISH: We all remember. GOLDBERG: Yes.

CORNISH: It's Paxton and Trump who didn't remember. I mean, this is the thing --

GOLDBERG: Yes.

CORNISH: -- we're trying to figure out is how did they end up here?

GOLDBERG: But the important point is -- but my point is, is that there are basically two Republican parties in Texas, and they hate each other.

[06:15:02]

And Paxton represents the sort of -- the MAGA, wildly corrupt wing of the Republican Party in Texas. And the other wing doesn't like it.

And it doesn't mean that they're all going to go out and say terrible things about Paxton. Although Karl Rove is doing yeoman work undermining the Paxton case.

CORNISH: Yes. He also wrote an op-ed criticizing other candidates in the state. But it's basically saying, I'm not voting Republican here.

GOLDBERG: And he's criticized Paxton pretty directly. And it's because, like, there's an establishment GOP, the sort of Bush wing of the Texas GOP. And then there's this sort of populist thing.

CORNISH: I didn't know the Bush wing was still alive. It felt like it.

CORBIN TRENT, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR ALEXANDRIA OCASIO- CORTEZ: Both parties are kind of seeing that, though, like in the Democratic Party, you see a much more muted version of that, with candidates like Abdul El-Sayed, Angie Nixon, Mai Vang, you know, Justin Pearson in Tennessee 9, where you're not seeing a full rally of the party behind folks.

You're seeing more and more of them coming to terms with their candidates and who they are and getting behind them. But I think both parties are trying to struggle.

CORNISH: But you can always -- like, silence is an option, right?

TRENT: Silence is an option.

CORNISH: Like you can -- and I wonder why neither -- why no one's taking that here.

TRENT: There is a struggle for who's going to be in control of each of these parties. That struggle happened, and the, you know, the MAGA wing won in the Republican Party for a long time.

Now, they're going to be post-Trump. And there's this idea of, can the older -- older-guard Republicans become, you know, resurgent again. And I think that is happening right now in the Democratic Party. Will

our version of, you know, the rebranded MAGA, the one that's actually looking for solutions, looking for transformative change? Will they come to power?

Or will it be sort of the old guard, the standard, you know, the Schumers and the Jeffries?

CORNISH: Well, we're going to have more on this particular race on Wednesday.

Erin Burnett, CNN here, actually moderating a new Jubilee town hall. Senate candidate James Talarico will come face-to-face with Texas voters.

So, can this Democrat help turn the red state blue? You can watch all that on CNN, streaming live with an all-access subscription.

And our coverage of the Senate races continues. This time, we're going to talk about the Michigan debate, because things got heated between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed. In fact, they were still arguing when the cameras stopped rolling.

But first, that hurricane has already shut down more than half of the Gulf area's oil production. So, how much more could this storm cost you at the pump?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:21:41]

CORNISH: So right now, Hurricane Isaias is a Category 2 storm. It's on the brink of becoming a Category 3, and it's already disrupting oil and gas production in the Gulf. And that could result in even higher gas prices.

So, to be clear, nearly two-thirds of the Gulf's daily oil production has been temporarily shut down as more than 100 offshore platforms had to be evacuated ahead of landfall.

That's according to federal regulators.

And lines have been at gas stations in Florida and Alabama since Wednesday, as people rushed to fill up and get out of town.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been in line about ten minutes, and from what I see, I may be another 20 minutes here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was running out of gas and realizing that the storm was coming up in a couple days. So, I just really wanted to be prepared and fill up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Joining me now, Will Kubzansky, an oil products reporter with Bloomberg News. Good morning.

I know oil markets are already under pressure, but talk about the role of these refineries in the Gulf. If you take one offline, what kind of ripple effects can that have?

WILL KUBZANSKY, OIL PRODUCTS REPORTER, BLOOMBERG NEWS: Yes. Good morning.

So, in normal times, if you take a refinery offline, the impact is marginal. But right now, the U.S. is operating with its lowest gasoline stockpiles for this time of year since 2012.

Diesel, we've actually never gotten into the fall, which is peak diesel demand season, with this little fuel on hand.

So, really, any loss of production capacity could really cause a sharp spike in prices. The risk is just much higher when the market is this tight.

CORNISH: The national average for a price of gas as of right now, I think, is $4.37. Last year it was around $3.11. Obviously, there's a lot going on with the war in Iran and other things.

Could this actually make a difference or even possibly push it up in the weeks to come?

KUBZANSKY: Yes. If you get a major refining facility hit -- Chevron has one in Mississippi, although it looks like the storm has sort of tacked a little bit East of that.

But if one of those refineries is hit, then that could absolutely raise the price of gasoline. Because the price in local markets in the Gulf Coast goes up. The Gulf Coast exports a lot of fuel to the East Coast and the West Coast. So, yes, you could definitely see prices rise.

With that said, this is going to miss the major clusters of refining facilities in Louisiana and Texas. So, it certainly could be worse for gas prices.

CORNISH: How unusual is this? I mean, we haven't had very many storms this year.

KUBZANSKY: It's pretty unusual. You know, I think there's some discussion about a super El Nino. I would defer to my colleagues on the weather team at Bloomberg to get into that further.

But yes, we normally are looking at more storms in the Atlantic at this time of year. Refineries are certainly used to having more activity, battening down the hatches more often than they are right now.

CORNISH: OK, that's Will Kubzansky. Thank you so much.

And straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, the Pentagon wants you to watch an execution. Pete Hegseth says he plans to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter. So, why does the government want you to see this?

And later on CNN, an ICE agent reportedly shot a man in New York while a five-year-old child was nearby. In the next hour, we're going to tell you what happened to -- that led federal agents to open fire.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:29:38]

CORNISH: So, the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, is bringing back the firing squad to execute the Fort Hood shooter. But here's the thing. He's vowing to livestream that execution so the nation can watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Army major betrays his country. Radical Islamist kills a bunch of Americans at Fort Hood. Of course, we're going to do it at Fort Hood.

We're going to do it on a Thursday. We're going to do it at 1 p.m., which is when he did it. And it's going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad.

It hadn't been since World War Two since we've done that. Well, I kind of like the mentality we had in World War Two, which was when --