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CNN This Morning
Trump Waives Russia Sanctions Passed Under Lindsey Graham Act; Katie Zacharia Ousted After Five Days As White House Press Secretary; French Police Deploy Tear Gas, Charge Into Crowded Protest; AOC Pours $1 Million Into Abdul El-Sayed's Final Push In Michigan; Suspicious Substances Sent To Election And Congressional Offices; Dream, Valkyries Tip Off In WNBA Finals Later Today. Aired 7-8a ET
Aired October 17, 2026 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:00:00]
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN THIS MORNING. Here's what's happening this weekend. You've got the candidates on the campaign trail backed by the president here in Georgia ahead of the midterm elections. The arguments both sides are making to get people motivated and to the polls in the final two and a half weeks.
President Trump has now scrapped the planned 100 percent tax on Russian goods, happened just days before they were set to go into effect, and as the relationship between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy deteriorates.
We're learning more about that deadly school shooting in Oregon. The new details police have shared about the victim, the shooter and how the 16-year-old got his hands on a shotgun.
Also happening now, these massive protests happening on the streets of France. Reports of tear gas being deployed. We're getting word of the escalation, and we'll take you there live this hour on CNN THIS MORNING.
Welcome to your weekend. Saturday, October 17. Thanks for joining us. I'm Victor Blackwell.
We begin with the final sprint to the midterm elections. 17 days to go. And President Trump's red state campaign blitz is making a stop in Northern Kentucky today. He hold a rally in a district that has voted for Republicans for the House for the past 24 years.
President Trump headlined a rally in Georgia last night. He repeated the false claims about the 2020 election fraud in the state, pleaded with the supporters to show up on November 3, and he heaped praise on himself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This has been considered by, I think, almost everyone, to be the most successful two years. And we're not even close to the two years. We've got four months to go of a president in history. It's the most successful two years of a presidency. In this election, I'm asking you to -- you have to pretend I'm on the ballot. OK. The story is this.
We get 49 percent more votes when I'm on the ballot. When I'm not on the ballot, I guess it's a compliment. But people don't show up so much. So this is really, I think, the most important midterm election maybe we've ever had.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: So this will be another busy week for the president. He is expected in the coming days to headline rallies in Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa and Florida. We've got more on the big midterm races to watch coming up later this hour.
Breaking overnight. Russia launches new strikes on Ukraine. A Ukraine state emergency service says one person was killed, 12 were injured, including three children. Hours earlier, President Trump waived sanctions on Russian fuel sales just a month after they were passed as part of the Lindsey Graham Act, aimed at cracking down on Russia.
CNN's Nada Bashir joins us now with more. Let's talk about what happened overnight and the context of this changing landscape.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, these overnight attacks are being characterized by the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as one of the largest Russian attacks targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. According to Zelenskyy, some 15 power generation and transmission facilities were targeted and struck by the Russian military overnight. And this has been, of course, building up over the last few days and weeks, where we have seen that ramping up of the targeting of Ukraine's energy facilities and infrastructure.
Of course, there had been last week an announcement by the U.S. president of a so-called energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Of course, Russia has continued to target Ukraine's energy infrastructure. And Ukraine, for its part, after taking a three-day break from targeting Russian oil refineries, has said it will continue to target Russia's energy infrastructure in response to such attacks.
But now, of course, Ukraine is feeling the pressure with this latest announcement by the U.S. president to waive further sanctions on Russia. And of course, this is ringing alarm bells across Europe as well, amongst Ukraine's key allies there. This waiver was announced by executive order on Friday.
[07:05:03]
The sanctions were set to target Russian fossil fuel sales and were set to take place in just the coming days. Up to 100 percent tariffs on some of the five key importers of Russian oil and gas. And, of course, this will send shockwaves, given the fact that this comes just days after that other shock announcement by the U.S. president, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, of an allowance by the Trump administration of the sale of Russian diesel fuel. Now, of course, this all comes just ahead of the U.S. midterms. But this also comes as Ukraine continues to feel mounting pressure as we head into the winter months. And President Zelenskyy has been trying to shore up support amongst his EU allies, but is also appealing to American voters as well. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: At the end of the day, the American people will have their say. Putin will listen to America. If America really turns up the heat on him and makes one thing clear, either he chooses peace or he gets no more money for his war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASHIR: Now, of course, President Zelenskyy has also been raising concerns with regards to the Trump administration's support for Ukraine and lack of pressure, in his words, on Russia. There has been some concern around a lack of intelligence sharing and a fear that the U.S. may halt intelligence sharing, as previously warned, according to officials familiar with ongoing discussions between the U.S. and Ukraine. The -- President Zelenskyy warning that Kyiv had no prior warning about Russian attacks targeting the city over recent days.
And there have also been concerns around stalling restrictions -- restricting internet connectivity there. The EU, for its part, is saying that it will ramp up its support for Ukraine but will also strengthen sanctions on Russia. We are talking about now the 22nd round of sanctions targeting Russia, with the hope that further allies will continue to follow. But whether this will mark any shift in U.S. Foreign policy remains to be seen.
BLACKWELL: Nada Bashir reporting from London. Thank you, Nada.
We're following breaking news out of Rome. Pope Leo is expected to be released from the hospital today. Minutes ago, we learned that doctors have now deemed him fit to be discharged just a few days after he had surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his lung. We'll take you live to Rome in just a few minutes.
We're also getting new details about the mass shooting in Bend, Oregon, that left three children and one teacher dead. Two others were also injured. Police say the shooter started shooting in a special needs classroom at Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday. CNN Sherrell Hubbard has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The youngest victim in the Silver Rail Elementary School shooting in Bend, Oregon, Thursday is 5-year-old Rhoam Summer, killed inside a special needs classroom. The shooter has been identified as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, according to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz.
He was a former special needs student at the school, according to the Bend-La Pine school superintendent. Police say the gunman fired as many as 15 rounds, killing Rhoam, eight and 11-year-old boys and a teacher, Megan Lambert.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She loved Silver Rail.
HUBBARD (voice-over): At a news conference Friday, police said the shooter hopped a fence and shot through glass doors to enter the school. Once inside, he entered a classroom and was tackled by a teacher who tried to wrestle away the 12-gauge shotgun he was carrying. A community member who Krantz said is a father to two daughters at the school saw the shooter go inside and followed him before engaging in gunfire and killing him.
MIKE KRANTZ, CHIEF, BEND POLICE: The 36-year-old man who parked at the school took out a .40 caliber pistol that was legally secured in his vehicle and carried it towards the school.
HUBBARD (voice-over): They say he fired on the suspect multiple times, actions that the National Rifle Association and President Donald Trump are praising.
TRUMP: We had a great hero that went in and did the business. He took care of business.
HUBBARD (voice-over): The mother of the teenage gunman told CNN she wouldn't comment on how her son got access to the gun he used, but issued a message to the victims' families saying, "I'm so sorry. I'm Sherrell Hubbard, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Firefighters in Orange County, California, are working to get a handle on a fast-moving wildfire this morning. More than 16,000 people have been forced out of their homes. The Norte fire broke out around noon yesterday. It has now burned 570 acres, zero percent contained.
Officials say six homes have been destroyed or damaged. Two firefighters suffered what officials are calling significant injuries. Evacuation orders and warnings are in place for several nearby communities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 1: It was really scary. I mean, you know, right there. And then it got so -- the smoke was so heavy. And, you know, I couldn't see. It did burn the trees in the backyard and also right here, the front.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 2: Are you guys going to stay here tonight or are you going to evacuate?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE 2: I think we're going to stay when -- keep an eye. It's just devastating to see our neighbors lose their homes. You know, it's so sad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[07:10:19]
BLACKWELL: This fire is one of several that have broken out across Southern California since Thursday. The Santa Ana winds are driving them. They're expected to stay strong today before they're going to ease later this weekend.
President Trump has removed Katie Zacharia as White House Press Secretary after just five days on the job. Zacharia had faced a barrage of questions about whether she was right for the position after that rocky first press briefing. There were also questions about her background, including whether she had passed the bar exam, despite the president referring to her as an attorney. Senior White House Correspondent Kristen Holmes has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Katie Zacharia, the press secretary, has been fired, that is, from sources familiar with the matter, just five days after actually starting this job. Now, we did catch up with President Trump to try and ask before we actually knew about the firing, what exactly was going on? Did she still have his confidence? This is that exchange.
TRUMP: I said, Katie, do you need this? I don't think you need this. And we're talking about doing something. We like Katie a lot. I think she's been really, really treated very unfairly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you saying you're talking about firing her or replacing her?
TRUMP: I'm talking about I want her to have a good life. I don't want to have a life like she's led in the last three days. She is being brutalized by the media.
HOLMES: Now, sources pointed to a number of various issues. It wasn't just the briefing which President Trump had seen, but was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt on. It was also a number of other issues, including various interviews with Fox News, in which it didn't seem as though she knew how to handle herself.
She -- he was talking to allies and advisers, and many of them believe that she was in over her head. And President Trump tended to agree. And you hear there -- I mean, in Trump world, it's very rare that someone gets fired and then has that kind of words coming from President Trump clearly trying to give her a soft landing, trying to transition her out.
Everyone I've spoken to at the White House, they had nice things to say as well, that she was a very nice person, but that she just wasn't ready for this job. It was interesting that President Trump ended up conceding this, given that he is the one who personally hired Zacharia after watching her on TV, growing somewhat enamored with her Fox News appearances. That's what sources have told us.
But yet he still was willing to cut ties or to let her loose after both the briefing and these various interviews, realizing that maybe she wasn't quite ready for prime time, as one source put it to CNN. So right now, President Trump has said that he is not in a rush to fill the role of press secretary. Zacharia is going to be transitioning out of that role.
He told me when we were on the lawn that there is a long list of people who want that job. Well, obviously, see who he comes up with next. Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Still ahead. Police are using tear gas on protesters in France as tens of thousands of people have flooded the streets to protest against bad schools and high prices. And as we head to break, here's a live look at the falls in Paterson, New Jersey. Good morning. We'll be back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:18:16]
BLACKWELL: Look at this. Police are deploying tear gas and charging into crowds of protesters in Paris. A small group of protesters there have aimed fireworks at the police. There are tens of thousands of people who are planning to protest around Paris. Around 100 people have already been detained.
CNN Senior International Correspondent Melissa Bell is there on the streets. Melissa, what are you seeing around you
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor, really heavy air that is heavy with tear gas. Because already there have been some scuffles here between protesters and police here at the Place de la Republique. This two marches that are set to set off from this Central Paris Square, really not due to start for another 45 minutes or so, but already the scenes have been pretty violent.
And again, the air is very thick with tear gas. And this is the case in Paris, but also in other parts of France. We've seen in Rennes and in Lyon this morning already, scuffles between protesters and police. What we expect today, Victor, is a massive turnout on the streets of France.
This has become about much more than student grievances. This is about the cost of living. And you may notice around me some of those high visibility yellow vests that you'll recognize from the protests of a few years ago against Emmanuel Macron in his first term. Those are the people that are out on the street again this Saturday and to protest once again about the cost of living and against government policy.
This is a time when grievances from students, public health -- public sector health workers have been accumulating at the very time, Victor, that the government is trying to push through a budget for 2027 to bring some more measure of austerity to France's books and budget management. But what the protesters here are asking for are urgent reforms, and mainly in line with the yellow vest demands help with what they say is an exorbitant cost of living. Victor. [07:20:05]
BLACKWELL: Melissa Bell there on the streets of Paris. We've seen some of the video of the deployment of the gas there, or at least smoke canister that have been deployed. And as you say, still a few minutes out from the start of the protest. But that's just on paper because we're seeing the protests in earnest already. We'll check back with you throughout the day there.
New this morning. Pope Leo will be discharged from the hospital after lung cancer surgery. CNN's Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb is outside the hospital in Rome. Good to hear that the pope will be discharged. What do you know?
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, it is good news for Pope Leo. He is going to be discharged from the hospital this afternoon. We're expecting him to be driven from the hospital back to the Vatican, where he's going to resume his duties.
He's also due to make his first public appearance since his hospitalization, where he had surgery for lung cancer. And of course, that diagnosis really came as a huge shock for people inside the Vatican. There's still a lot of uncertainty about the future.
One Vatican official has said that, you know, perhaps they were taking the pope's health for granted because he was relatively young and seen as sporty and in good condition. There is hope in the short term that he can recover, but it's not clear what's going to happen with his trip to Latin America that is due to take place in early November. But for today, the good news is that Pope Leo is leaving the hospital. Victor.
BLACKWELL: Christopher Lamb with the good news there. We'll of course watch. We're expecting him to deliver the Angelus prayer tomorrow. Christopher, thanks.
Still ahead. Suspicious substances mailed to dozens of elections and congressional offices across the country. How a Texas election official is training workers for potential emergencies. And a Georgia theme park is back open after a man fell from a roller coaster to his death. But a cause for the ride's malfunction -- that's still under investigation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:26:32]
BLACKWELL: In just a few hours, President Trump will hold a midterm rally in the Northern Kentucky district, represented by his longtime nemesis, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie. Now, the event is in support of the man who actually defeated Massie in the primary. The president is trying to get him across the finish line to keep the seat red.
But they may not have the sway he once enjoyed. A new AP poll shows that 80 percent of Americans want complete upheaval or substantial change when it comes to how the country is being run. Bill Barrow joins us now. He is the national political reporter for the Associated Press. Good to have you in studio.
So the president was about 90 miles from here yesterday in Dalton, Georgia. Georgia is not Alabama, right? So he went there, and -- where he's had a lot of support. The candidates are probably doing really well. Democrat Jon Ossoff won on the same ballot the president lost in 2020. Is the pitch any different when it comes to a state that's a swing state?
BILL BARROW, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, ASSOCIATED PRESS: Well, the president's pitch is not different. The president yesterday did what he's been doing in all -- in his travels, which have very interestingly, been concentrated in heavily Republican areas.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
BARROW: He tells people the economy is great. Things are going great. He acknowledged again yesterday gas prices are a little high, but they'll drop with Iran.
When you look at the way Senator Ossoff has been going at this, he's been extremely aggressive. It's very different from, say, how Senator Warnock in Georgia ran in 2022, where he went after these moderate voters in the middle. Jon Ossoff has been very, very aggressive, sort of setting the curve on how to go after President Trump and sort of putting him in this defensive position where we see a sitting Republican president having to go to these Republican heavy areas this close to an election.
BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the Republican nominees here in Georgia, because you had Mike Collins, who's the nominee for Senate. He came on stage, he spoke for a couple of minutes, and thanked the president for his backbone and praised the SAVE America Act and said he'd have the president's back.
The nominee for governor, Rick Jackson, was on stage. And I watched it for fewer than 30 seconds, thanked him for his support for foster kids, which is great.
BARROW: Yes.
BLACKWELL: But he did mention the economy or the war or AI or data centers or any of the top ten issues people say are most important. What do we know about the distance these two candidates want or don't want from the president?
BARROW: Well, it's just -- it's sort of a tale of two different races, as you saw. And Mr. Jackson is in a -- in a tight race with Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor. And earlier in the campaign, he compared himself to Trump, a billionaire businessman getting into politics later in life.
BLACKWELL: In the primary.
BARROW: In the primaries. BLACKWELL: Yes.
BARROW: And then he had a rally earlier in the general election where he was on stage and said, I'm going to be this man's favorite governor. But then you saw yesterday that clear distance. He couldn't not go.
That would have been a story that a campaign doesn't want. But he went and very carefully navigated the president, because Mayor Bottoms has really been hitting him on his allegiance to Trump. And it's just very striking to see that we have a Republican here in Georgia now running sort of the GOP version of what we saw Senator Warnock doing --
BLACKWELL: Yes, in 2022.
BARROW: -- in 2022.
BLACKWELL: Yes. And it's interesting because the president, we know, will be coming back to Georgia in Macon in just a few days.
BARROW: Yes.
[07:30:00]
BLACKWELL: So, they will all have another shot at it. Let me ask you about something we talked about in the geopolitical conversation earlier, and that's the president's pause on the sanctions against Russia that he just signed into law last month, named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the late senator.
And in that South Carolina race where the president will be going this week, Darline Graham, the appointed senator, who is on the ballot, has really championed these as something that she's gotten across the finish line.
She said of her brother after the Senate passed it, he "believed this was the most consequential piece of legislation he had ever led, and I am proud to have carried the torch to the finish line."
How important do you think this pause might be in her race, considering that she is putting that front and center as an accomplishment, as she wants to keep that seat?
BARROW: It's difficult to gage exactly what that will mean. Typically, voters are not as concerned about foreign policy, unless and until it affects their economic situation at home, which the war in Iran has.
However, I do think this will give an -- another opening, I think, to Annie Andrews, the Democrat in South Carolina, to sort of go after one of Senator Graham's -- Darline Graham's signature issues that she championed, and she's already struggled in that debate to talk about foreign policy.
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: Yes, national security, as she said. BARROW: You know, she -- and national security issues.
BLACKWELL: Not her thing. Yes.
BARROW: Saying it's not her thing. I mean, she is -- she is -- she is not her brother, this is her first rodeo, as they say.
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: And (INAUDIBLE).
BARROW: And so, this, I think, does given -- you know, the one real accomplishment and issue that she could talk about with authority, the president just undercut her.
BLACKWELL: Yes, one more here for you. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez transferred a million dollars from her war chest to support Abdul El Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan.
More than the money, and in 2-1/2 weeks that helps. What's the import, the significance of that transfer of that support?
BARROW: What we see there is Representative Ocasio-Cortez, making clear that she and other leaders of the progressive movement see that race as perhaps the signature race, the signature measure of where the movement, where the left flank of American politics and of the Democratic Party will stand, coming out of these midterm elections and going into the 2028 presidential cycle.
No, we don't know whether she will run for president. She is considering running for Senate, possibly against Chuck Schumer or maybe Senator Schumer retires.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
BARROW: But she has emerged as one of the younger generational heirs to Senator Sanders, and this is a move that kind of makes her mark in that race to say this -- I'm planting a flag here because this is how the movement is going to be measured this November.
BLACKWELL: And certainly, if you are running for president, that's an important state to make some friends.
BARROW: Absolutely.
BLACKWELL: Bill Barrow of the A.P. Thanks so much for coming in.
BARROW: Thank you for having me.
BLACKWELL: All right. Still ahead: It's finally, finally feeling like fall across areas that had near record warmth this week. We are tracking a major cooldown and storms.
And if you are heading out, remember you can stream our show from anywhere in the U.S. right from the CNN app. You can also go to cnn.com/watch. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:37:53]
BLACKWELL: This morning, officials are investigating after lawmakers and law enforcement officials say suspicious substances were mailed to dozens of elections and congressional offices across the country this week.
Election offices in at least 10 states have received letters containing a white powdery substance. On Friday, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz said his Houston office received a suspicious letter.
With me now is Mike Morlan. He is the deputy chief for Bexar County's official -- Office of Emergency Management in San Antonio, Texas.
Michael, good morning to you. We booked you on this training for poll workers, but first, let me start here. Do you know of any deliveries of envelopes with this white powdery substance in Bexar County?
MICHAEL MORLAN, DEPUTY CHIEF, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, BEXAR COUNTY: No, we have not received any suspicious packages.
BLACKWELL: OK. No suspicious packages there in Bexar County. That's good news, and really, it is atypical for us to invite an emergency management department official to talk about elections. I mean, of course, you have a role every cycle, but you are now offering training for poll workers. Why?
MORLAN: Yes, you know, our role with Emergency Management is to communicate, coordinate, and collaborate. And so, you know, really, we treat special event elections just like we treat special events. And you know, with any mass gathering, there's obviously a risk of you know potential violence, and people try to take advantage of the situation.
And we want to make sure that the election workers have the tools necessary to, you know, respond to any type of emergency, not necessarily just, you know, violence, but also, you know medical emergencies. And who they are supposed to call, and basically, make sure that, you know, those that are wanting to vote are kept safe.
BLACKWELL: And so, the breadth of what you are training for, I read a headline that said physical cybersecurity. Talk to us more about what you are preparing these poll workers to face potentially.
MORLAN: Yes. Well, you know, we have full-time election workers, but also the poll workers, and so, we try to -- though the poll workers are not necessarily as in depth with the cybersecurity side of things, but we want to make sure that they are, you know, they have gotten the tools necessary to be better prepared.
[07:40:15]
And so, we talk about you know de-escalation of cybersecurity as well as, you know, physical security issues. And really, honestly, it's not about, you know, trying to get them to get more involved in that process. It's just -- it's trying to get them to recognize the situation and know who to call.
You know, we are we are very proactive here in Bexar County as relates to this. We have done it for many years now. And we have started these elections training this year, and hopefully, you know, those election workers feel a little bit safer this year.
BLACKWELL: Yes. I know that after the 2020 election and all that happened on January 6th, and the lies about the theft of the election, some counties had difficulty getting poll workers to come in and volunteer.
When you start talking about training for physical threats or training for other threats, do you see reluctance? Do some people kind of pull back and reconsider wanting to work the polls on election day?
MORLAN: No. Honestly, I think that, you know, we still have a very large group of people who you know want to do their civic duty and participate as a poll worker. I think honestly, it's they have -- they have been wanting some of these tools in order to be better prepared for these types of situations, and have that training so that they can make sure that, you know, they are better prepared.
And I think that they have been -- they have been wanting this for some time now.
BLACKWELL: All right, Michael Morlan, thank you so much for being with me.
MORLAN: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: Tonight, an all-new episode of "THE DETOUR WITH DAVID CHANG". Chef Chang hits the road with actor and comedian Eric Andre to showcase Florida's best eats from Miami, Key West.
And Sara Sidner sat down with David to eat some wonderful food and discuss his family, his career, and his best bites.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What are we eating here?
DAVID CHANG, CHEF AND HOST, "THE DETOUR WITH DAVID CHANG": Well, this is a mini bosom (PH). It's a slow-cooked pork butt. We have some bread, some (INAUDIBLE). You just make a little hand roll.
SIDNER: You like a hand roll. I like to eat it separately.
CHANG: That too.
SIDNER: Maybe I'm a weirdo.
You talk about being a product of tiger parenting. Can you give me some sense of what was imparted by your family as far as cooking? CHANG: What's funny, it's like so many parents that come to this country do it to actually have a life that is very different from the country they are coming from. My dad worked his entire life really to make sure that his kids would never work in a restaurant. Yet, I still did it.
SIDNER: Give me also an idea of what you're trying to tell people with the food that you make now, because you are not just someone who is like, yes, I was -- I worked in kitchens. You freaking have restaurants all over the country.
CHANG: Yes, I think it's a misnomer. I'm not in the kitchens anymore. And that is because of the teams that we have, and that's the next generation that are taking a lot of the DNA that we created in 2004. The same ideas about the flavors, about what American food could be.
I never once said our food was Asian. I always said it was American.
SIDNER: I did read some of your book. You talked about sort of having these feelings of not being good enough. Do you still feel that way? Because you are kind of top dogging it.
CHANG: I always feel that way. That it's never enough. This is such a hard business, which is why, you know, I feel so lucky that a lot of things that I never thought would happen, like me sitting here having a show on CNN, talking to you. This is -- this is crazy.
SIDNER: Is this the American Dream?
CHANG: You know what? I probably will always be a curmudgeon and somebody that thinks that everything will be taken away. What I'm trying to do more of is to be grateful for things that everybody has, and I need to appreciate it more myself.
SIDNER: It's beautiful that you said that because I have these feelings as well. Growing up about money, and so, I think that touches a lot of people. But also, where you went in this series was not the $200 plates. Right? You went to a lot of places like truck stops and hardware stores.
And in Miami, you ate outside of a laundry mat. Every time was it a hit?
CHANG: No. And that's why I'm like, when you think about your best food memories, I'm not thinking about a specific dish from a specific place. Right? I'm thinking about moments in time. Who I was with, what I was feeling. You can't find something that you are going to really love without some bad meals.
But when you do find something you love, you are really going to love it. Right? You put in the work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: A new episode of "THE DETOUR WITH DAVID CHANG" airs tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and streams tomorrow on the CNN app.
[07:45:06]
Still ahead, the WNBA Finals start today is. Is Angel Reese on the verge of winning the Atlanta Dream a title?
And as we head to break, good morning to Covington, Kentucky. Looking across the Ohio River at Cincinnati. We will be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: A major cooldown this morning. Temperatures dropped by about 20 degrees in just 24 hours, in a lot of places that saw record heat this week.
[07:50:01]
Melissa Nord is with me now. I hope it stays here for a while.
MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I know you got to change the wardrobe from summer back into fall.
And you know what? Look at this. This blue blob on the map, that is where we have seen the temperatures: 10, 20, even in some places, 25 degrees cooler than 24 hours ago. Currently, right now, some of those biggest changes: Buffalo, 32 degrees colder; Pittsburgh, 29 degrees cooler. Had to turn on the heaters this morning.
And it's also going to mean a big change for afternoon high temperatures. For example, New York City 72 on Friday. Today, 53 degrees for that high temperature.
We have still got some rain that's falling across the East Coast as well. That's thanks to this incoming cold front. But the low with that front is going to meander around and be with us throughout the week.
In fact, this is going to be a developing coastal storm that strengthens off the coast, battering the coastline with days upon days of strong gusty winds. Most of the rain stays offshore, but it's going to take a beating and will cause some tidal flooding as we head through the next several days. So, we are watching this coastal storm. If the track of that shifts a little further west, that would mean some of the rain comes onshore. Already, though, state of emergency issued in Hatteras Island in North Carolina. They have issued mandatory evacuation warnings for visitors on the island that might be vacationing there.
Multi-day storm, also a lot of large waves. Some of those wave heights could be up to 10 feet in some places. So, a lot of winds to come there. Meanwhile, folks are enjoying that cool down to come behind the rain. Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right. Melissa, thanks so much.
The WNBA finals are set to tip off this afternoon between the Valkyries and the Dream. CNN's Andy Scholes is here with more. ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, Victor. You know the saying: Defense wins championships.
BLACKWELL: Oh, is that the saying?
SCHOLES: That is the saying.
BLACKWELL: Oh, that's the saying.
SCHOLES: And that's definitely going to be the case in this WNBA Finals. So, the Valkyries and Dream, they have the best two defenses so far in these playoffs, and they are now going to fight for the chance for the WNBA title.
This is definitely a surprise finals matchup. Golden State, the fastest expansion team ever to make it to the finals, getting there in just their second season. The Dream, meanwhile, they are on an incredible run as well. They won all five of their playoff games, making quick work of the Mystics and Liberty. They are led by Angel Reese, who was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year in her first season in Atlanta.
And Reese says the Dreams defense will be the key to victory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGEL REESE, FORWARD, ATLANTA DREAM: I think everybody on the team continues to just throw out defensively and release offense. It's so funny that what six of the 10 were our team and the other teams. So, it just shows the best two teams defensively are in the championship because defense wins games in championships. So, I'm looking forward to playing it.
VERONICA BURTON, GUARD, GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES: As every game, honestly, right now feels like a grinded-out type of game. That's the playoffs. So, I feel like it all feels like that. But for sure, you know they are not just going to roll over. And same with us, I think both teams know that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: All right, Game One tips off at 3:30 Eastern this afternoon in San Francisco. The ALCS, meanwhile, was postponed last night in Cleveland due to heavy rain. So, now, the Guardians, they are going to host the Rays for Game Four tonight at 8:00 Eastern.
Tomorrow was supposed to be a travel day, but now instead will be Game Five at 5:00 Eastern. You can watch all of the ALCS on TBS.
All right, we got a huge day of college football on tap. Fifth-ranked Indiana is hosting fourth-ranked Ohio State. The defending champion Hoosiers, they have won 22 games in a row. So, will that streak finally come to an end today?
We got a big-time SEC matchup in this afternoon as well. A couple of them: 14th-ranked Tennessee hosting sixth-ranked Alabama, 13th-ranked Missouri. They are going to go to ninth-ranked Ole Miss, and a big game tonight in Provo. Eighth-ranked BYU hosting second-ranked Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish, they got just two tough games on their schedule all season long, and this is one of them. It should be a good matchup.
All right, in the NBA, meanwhile, LeBron James making his Philly debut as he suited up for the Sixers for the first time at home. A sellout crowd was on hand for this preseason game against the Celtics and LeBron putting on a show there in the first quarter. The alley-oop from Tyrese Maxey.
Look at the 41-year-old still going up there and getting that. LeBron finished 8.8, rebounds in 25 minutes in the loss.
Victor, the NBA season tips off on Tuesday, and LeBron and his Sixers they will be at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks, as they drop their banner and you know and get the rings and whatnot.
It's going to take me a minute to get used to LeBron in that Philly jersey. Right?
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: In the 76 -- yes, yes, yes.
I also have to be reminded; he is 41 years old.
SCHOLES: 41. Still flies there like that. It's incredible.
BLACKWELL: Still getting up there.
All right. Andy, thanks.
"FIRST OF ALL," is coming up at the top of the hour.
Listen, we are bombarded by political ads right now. Most of them you likely ignore at this point, but imagine if one of those ads highlights the tragic death of your child was running, almost on a loop.
Well, a mother in Georgia is living that right now. She has asked the campaign to stop, but those ads are still on T.V. She is joining me to talk about what that's been like for her.
History could be made in Florida with two black candidates. One running for governor, one running for Senate. And those closely watched races are sparking an interesting conversation about black representation. They are facing two very different challenges. We are going to get into that.
[07:55:02]
And a member of the -- or one black Alabama inmate, I should say, is fighting for a new trial. His name is Rocky Myers. And he recently discovered his attorney once defended the KKK. The attorney says his previous work had no bearing on the case. Well, you will hear directly from Myers.
Those stories and conversations you won't see anywhere else are coming up after a short break on "FIRST OF ALL".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:00:00]
BLACKWELL: "FIRST OF ALL", what should be off limits in politics? We are 2-1/2 weeks from the midterms. President Trump is on a blitz through deep red areas to limit some of his party's loses in November.
END
