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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

House Of Representatives Prepares To Vote On Funding Bill; U.K. Suspends Some Intel Sharing With U.S. Over Boat Strikes; Up To 10 Percent Of Flights To Be Cut By Friday Per FAA Order; Record-Breaking Cold Snap Hits Eastern U.S.; At Least 12 Killed In Islamabad Suicide Attack. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired November 12, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:24]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Brian Abel. Thank you so much for being with us. It's Wednesday, November 12th, 5:00 a.m. here in Washington, D.C.

And straight ahead on EARLY START.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tension is building in the House ahead of the critical vote to end the government shutdown.

REP. JIM MCGOVERN (D-MA): Republicans quiet quit their jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're walking away empty handed.

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The U.K. is no longer sharing intelligence with the U.S. about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's chilling to me to see those scenes.

SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We're going to start taking down from six, maybe go to four, two and get back to normal air travel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

ABEL: The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing to take up a bill today that could end the country's longest government shutdown. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the Senate approved funding bill as soon as Wednesday afternoon. In the past few hours, and after a tense meeting, the House Rules Committee advanced the measure. They rejected all amendments, including a Democratic proposal to extend enhanced health care subsidies for three years. Democrats denounced the funding package as partisan, saying it doesn't

address the soaring costs of health care. They also blasted their Republican colleagues for leaving Washington during the shutdown, while Republicans celebrate Democrats not meeting their goals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCGOVERN: Long time no see. I hardly recognize you guys. Where the hell have you been? Republicans quiet quit their jobs. They disappeared, and they can argue all they want, that the House did its job, and that's why they went home. It's just B.S. The House didn't do its job.

If Republicans had done their job, we wouldn't be here right now voting on a different bill than the one that they passed. But instead of working with us on trying to end the shutdown, they all just left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: CNN's Manu Raju has the latest from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tension is building in the House ahead of the critical vote on Wednesday to end the longest government shutdown in United States history. Not just tension between Republicans and Democrats, but also Democrats versus Democrats over this bill that would extend government funding for most federal agencies until January 30th. Other federal agencies would be funded through September 30th.

But what it does not have is what's causing most angst within the Democratic ranks. It does not include an extension of expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. People use those subsidies to pay for their health care insurance. And Democrats have made this a central fight. Something that led to the government shutdown to begin with. They said that any bill to fund the federal government must include this extension of subsidies, warning that people would see their premiums increase dramatically if this is not dealt with, as millions of people are now experiencing during the open enrollment process.

But a deal was cut in the United States Senate with eight Senate Democrats and Republicans to fund the federal government. That did not include that provision. Instead, they agreed to a separate vote on health care that must occur by the second week of December, according to the Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who made that public commitment.

However, there is no guarantee that that will pass the Senate. No commitment by the speaker of the House to put any similar bill on the floor of the house, which is why there is a big push among Democrats to try to kill this bill in the United States House.

Now, this is also causing a lot of anger directed towards the Democratic leader in the United States Senate, Chuck Schumer. Schumer opposed this bill over the same issue because it did not extend health care subsidies. However, he is facing pressure from House Democrats who are criticizing him for not doing more to prevent his own caucus from supporting this bill. And denying those defectors from giving this bill critical votes in the United States Senate.

I asked the leader of the House Democrats, Hakeem Jeffries, if he agrees with those calls from within his own ranks that Schumer should be replaced as Democratic leader.

Are you okay with those calls coming from within your own caucus?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: As I've indicated, were focused right now on pressing the case and addressing the Republican health care crisis will be before the Rules Committee. In moments, we'll have a family conversation as House Democrats, were strongly opposed as House Democrats to this reckless Republican effort to continue to raise the high cost of living on everyday Americans, which is exactly what they're doing by failing to extend the Affordable Care Act.

[05:05:11]

RAJU: Did you tell him not to vote?

Jeffries did not answer that question directly, but he made very clear that they are lobbying hard to try to defeat this bill in the United States House. At the moment, there is confidence, though, among Republican leaders, that this will pass, but probably by the narrowest of margins. This is one of the narrowest majorities in decades in the United States House, getting narrower on Wednesday, as Speaker Mike Johnson plans to swear in Adelita Grijalva to her seat that she won in the Arizona special election more than a month ago, he had refused to do so during the government shutdown standoff, prompting furious pushback among Democrats.

Now, she will be sworn in on Wednesday afternoon, meaning Johnson can only afford to lose two Republican votes on a straight party line vote. We expect at least one Republican to vote against this plan on Wednesday afternoon, but there could be some Democrats who will vote for this bill to reopen the government. So that's why Republicans are confident that ultimately, they will get the votes. But it could be a squeaker. It could potentially begin in the afternoon, go late into the evening as Republicans try to lock down the votes, pass this bill, reopen the government, send it to President Trump's desk so he can sign this into law, and only kicking the can down the road for another huge fight early next year.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: And as Manu mentioned, after much delay in protest, Arizona's Adelita Grijalva will finally be sworn into Congress. Grijalva says she plans on confronting House Speaker Mike Johnson after waiting nearly 50 days to be seated as a member of Congress. Once sworn in, Grijalva is expected to be the final signature needed to force a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein case files. She told CNN that releasing the files is a top priority.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP.-ELECT ADELITA GRIJALVA (D-AZ): I feel like at this point we're done sort of tap dancing around what the implications of those files really mean and anyone who is implicated needs to deal with the legal consequences for breaking the law and committing horrific crimes against children and women. I think we need to be prepared to call out any obstruction in releasing the files.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Meanwhile, 42 million Americans will have to wait even longer for federal nutrition assistance. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court extended the short term order allowing the Trump administration to avoid paying November SNAP benefits in full. Since the shutdown began, administration officials have fought against making the payments. Groups challenging the White House in courts say millions of Americans, including children, are going hungry after ten days without critical help to afford food.

Sources are telling CNN the United Kingdom is suspending some of its intelligence sharing with the U.S. over the Trump administrations deadly strikes against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean.

CNN's Natasha Bertrand has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The U.K. is no longer sharing intelligence with the U.S. about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in the U.S. military strikes and believes fundamentally that these attacks are illegal and appear to violate international law.

Now, the U.K.'s decision obviously marks a very significant break from the U.S., which is its closest ally and its closest intelligence sharing partner. And it really underscores the growing skepticism over the legality of the U.S. military's campaign around Latin America. Now, this is significant as well, because the U.K., prior to breaking off its intelligence sharing with the U.S. on this issue, it had been a willing and able partner in the Caribbean when it came to locating and tracking suspected drug trafficking boats in the area, so that the U.S. Coast Guard could then go and interdict these vessels and arrest everyone on board and seize the drugs.

The U.K. was very happy to do that, according to our sources. But when the U.S. military switched to starting to blow up these boats and kill everyone on board instead of simply arresting them and attempting to prosecute them, that was when the U.K. decided to pull back, because they do not believe that it is legal to simply extrajudicially kill civilians.

Now, the U.S. has a fundamental disagreement with the U.K. on that, because the U.S. has argued repeatedly that these individuals that they are killing are enemy combatants, that the U.S. is in an armed conflict with. And the Trump administration has repeatedly argued that these individuals pose an imminent threat to the United States and therefore, President Trump has the authority to defend the national interest and national security.

But legal experts, both internationally as well as domestically, including inside the Pentagon itself, are raising questions about that more and more.

[05:10:05]

The idea being that these are individuals who should be treated as criminals rather than enemy combatants, because the Trump administration, they argue, has not put forward sufficient evidence that these individuals pose a direct and imminent threat to the United States.

Now, this has become an issue more and more internally in the Pentagon. Just last month, we reported that the U.S. Southern Command commander, who is in charge of the entire operation around Latin America, offered to resign because he was raising questions about the legality of the U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and increasingly in the Eastern Pacific as well. Military lawyers have also been raising questions about this.

So, this is all coming to a head with the U.K., sending a message to the U.S. that is, while largely symbolic because the U.K. provides intelligence to the U.S. that can be helpful. But the U.S. fundamentally has so many intelligence assets that it can draw upon in the Caribbean to use for its own targeting purposes.

But it is a fundamental signal here that dissent around the world, including from some of the U.S.'s closest allies, is growing with regards to the legality of these U.S. military strikes and questions about whether the Trump administration can legally move forward with what many people believe to be extrajudicial killings.

Natasha Bertrand, CNN in Brussels.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: And this break between allies comes as the U.S. Navy's most advanced carrier strike group arrives in the waters near Latin America. The USS Gerald Ford is America's largest warship, and it relocated from Europe amid tensions with Venezuela. Experts estimate there are now roughly 15,000 U.S. personnel in the region.

In response to the U.S. military buildup, Venezuela says it's launching what it calls a massive mobilization of military personnel, weapons and equipment.

On Tuesday, President Nicolas Maduro delivered this defiant message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If we as a republic, as a people must go to armed struggle to defend this sacred heritage of the liberators, we must be ready to win, to triumph through the path of patriotism and courage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Canada for a meeting of G7 foreign ministers. The conference comes amid tense relations between the U.S. and Canada over President Trump's tariffs. Rubio reportedly plans to discuss the president's efforts to bring peace to Ukraine and Gaza, along with global supply chain issues, with his G7 counterparts.

Still to come, if you plan to fly in the U.S. soon, make sure you have those phone alerts on because airlines are expected to reduce flights even more in the coming days.

Plus, a sudden cold snap stuns some iguanas in Florida and surprises people all across the eastern U.S. We'll explain in just a moment.

And one of the most consequential climate summits is underway. Ahead, why the U.S. has not sent any high level delegations this time around.

COMMERCIAL BREAK)(

[05:17:41]

ABEL: U.S. airlines cut their flights by six percent on Tuesday in compliance with an FAA order due to staffing shortages. By Thursday, eight percent of flights will be cut and that number goes up to 10 on Friday unless a shutdown deal is signed.

CNN's Pete Muntean has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says that air traffic controllers are feeling a bit more hopeful now, with light at the end of the tunnel for this government shutdown. One of the reasons why, he says, there have been comparatively few incidents of air traffic control, staffing shortages at facilities nationwide on Tuesday. Compare that to about 40 facilities with short staffing on Monday. Also, one of the reasons why flight cancellations are now on a downward trend. We saw about 2,900 nationwide on Sunday, the worst since the start of the shutdown. About 2,500 on Monday, due in part to weather in the Midwest and on the east coast. And those air traffic control, staffing shortages, less than half that on Tuesday.

But some of those cancellations were the preemptive cancellations that airlines made to comply with this Trump administration mandate to cancel flights, all in the name of safety, to reduce stress on air traffic controllers who continue to go unpaid during the shutdown. That mandate jumped to six percent of flight cuts on Tuesday. It goes up to eight percent on Thursday, 10 percent on Friday.

And what's interesting here is that Duffy said he will be the one to decide to do away with those preemptive cancellations that Trump administration mandate, instead of the end of the government shutdown. And he's defending that decision. Listen.

DUFFY: Some have asked, when are you going to start rolling those back? The answer to that is this has all been data-based. When that data changes, we're going to start taking down from six. Maybe we'll go to four, two, and get back to normal air travel.

MUNTEAN: Air traffic controllers were naturally riled by that post by President Trump on truth social, which said that air traffic controllers are patriots and they should show up to work. And he said that they should get a $10,000 bonus if they showed up every day. They were scheduled to work during this government shutdown. But he also said they should up and quit if they were not showing up.

Duffy says he's still analyzing how to give that bonus to air traffic controllers. He does say that they will get 70 percent of back pay within 48 hours of the official end of this government shutdown, and be made whole within a week of the end of the shutdown.

[05:20:03]

Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: In Florida, a record-breaking arctic blast has iguanas falling from trees. They are not dead. Just briefly paralyzed. Meantime, wind whipped snow is piling up in the eastern Great Lakes.

But as CNN's Derek Van Dam reports, a temperature turnaround is coming.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The same arctic blast responsible for this falling iguanas out of the trees in Florida. And some of our first snowflakes across many states over the eastern U.S. is drawing to a close. That's the good news.

But of course, we had to contend with this over the past few days. Lake effect snow bands setting up, dropping several inches of snow. And we're talking about near century old records that have toppled because of this arctic blast.

Look at Tampa. We dropped to 39 Tuesday morning, and the previous record was 40 set back in 1892. That just gives you some idea, some context of just how historic this really was and has been.

But I always like to end on a good note, because things are going to change and change for the better, in my opinion at least. That cold arctic air, all the blue that we had on the map over the past couple of days is going to retreat off the East Coast and be replaced with a much milder, more normal air mass that will settle in across the eastern two thirds of the country, basically east of the Rockies.

Looks like temperatures will be above average as we end off the work week and head into the early parts of the weekend. So, here's a few prime examples. We're talking about. Dallas will actually reach 83 by Friday, so we're talking near record territory for some of these locations. Normal high about 68. Atlanta will be above normal.

So will other places, too. So, St. Louis to Chicago starting to see the mercury in the thermometer climb up. So, the nation's capital above average, as we head out into the weekend. A little bit of a cool snap as we go forward into early parts of next week, but nothing significant like we just experienced and daytime highs in Atlanta will run 10 to 15 degrees above average for this time of year, especially into the weekend.

More of the same for Chicago before cooling off once again for the early parts of next week, so enjoy the milder air, especially after what we've just endured.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Derek Van Dam, thank you.

Still ahead on early start, the deadliest suicide attack in Islamabad in nearly 20 years. We'll take you to Pakistan for the latest on the violence.

Plus, part of a newly constructed bridge has suddenly collapsed in China. What authorities say caused this dramatic scene, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:27:07]

ABEL: A faction of the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed at least 12 people on Tuesday. Pakistan's interior minister says a man tried to enter a courthouse in Islamabad, but when he failed to do so, he detonated an explosive on the street in front of it.

CNN's Sophia Saifi has more from Islamabad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: I'm just a couple of hundred feet away from where the suicide attack took place on Tuesday afternoon. It's the car park of a busy judicial complex. We're being told by police officials here on the ground that part of that judicial complex has already been sectioned off because, for various reasons, an investigation is still underway. The identity of the suicide bomber has not been confirmed. There's still body parts of victims as well as of the bomber that's being found in different parts of the parking lot, as well as off the complex itself.

We've been told that there is a high security situation in the capital. It's very rare that attacks take place in Islamabad at all. The last major attack happened in 2008, close to two decades ago. The Pakistani defense minister has come out and said that the country is in a state of war. He blamed Afghanistan, Pakistan's prime minister has also blamed Afghanistan for harboring the Pakistani Taliban, providing them safe havens. And he's also saying that its been backed by India.

India has, of course, vociferously denied this allegation. There was also another attack on a cadet college where 500 students had to be evacuated, also in the northwest of the country. So, the country itself, Pakistan, is on edge at the moment.

There are talks with the with the Afghan Taliban that have failed between Pakistan and Afghanistan. There's an unsteady calm on the northwestern border. There are concerns that Pakistan is going to carry out strikes in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban have not addressed any of the statements by the Pakistani prime minister or the defense minister, but we're just going to have to wait and see what next steps are taken by the leaders of this country and how that's going to affect regional stability.

Sophia Saifi, CNN, Islamabad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Look at this dramatic video from southwestern China that shows the collapse of part of a newly constructed bridge. The Hongqi Bridge had opened just months ago in Sichuan province along a national highway, linking the country's heartland with Tibet. But on Tuesday, a landslide wiped out one end of the 760 meter, or 2,500-foot long bridge, turning it to what you see here, dust and debris.

Local authorities had closed the bridge on Monday after they spotted cracks on nearby roads and slopes. No deaths or injuries have been reported.

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