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Judge: Comey Indictment May Be "Tainted" By Missteps; Inside The U.S.-Led Coordination Center For Gaza; Museum Unveils 2026 Met Gala Theme: "Costume Art." Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired November 18, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is taking aim at one of the men with ties to Epstein. She says Harvard University should sever ties with Professor Larry Summers. Recently released emails show years of correspondence between Summers and Epstein, including Summers making sexist comments.

Summers says he plans to step back from public appearances but continue teaching at Harvard. He goes on to say, "I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein."

There are serious questions about whether the Justice Department's indictment of former FBI director James Comey is viable. A federal magistrate judge has suggested in a ruling that the indictment may have been tainted by what he calls a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, which he says may rise to the level of government misconduct.

The judge also called out Lindsey Halligan, the prosecutor who presented the case to the grand jury. He says Halligan may have potentially undermined the integrity of the proceeding.

The judge also ordered that Comey's defense team should have access to grand jury records but that's been put on hold to give prosecutors an opportunity to challenge that order.

Still ahead on EARLY START, President Trump claims grocery prices are lower right now than during President Biden's time in office, but that's not exactly true. We'll break down the numbers after the break.

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[05:31:00]

ABEL: Welcome back to EARLY START. This is your business breakout.

U.S. financial markets are looking to rebound from another day of losses on Monday. Investors are on edge, once again, over concerns about tech companies' expensive valuations and major spending plans. Chipmaker NVIDIA reports its quarterly earnings on Wednesday.

Here are the futures as they stand right now. The Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq all starting the day in the red.

Checking some of today's business headlines now.

A Federal Reserve official is backing a third consecutive interest rate cut in December. Fed governor Chris Waller says a quarter-point cut in December would provide insurance against a fast, weakening jobs market. Waller is seen as a potential successor to Fed chair Jerome Powell when his term ends in May of next year.

Bitcoin is back in the red and analysts warn more volatility may be ahead. Just weeks after hitting a record high the cryptocurrency plummeted 28 percent, dipping below $90,000 for the first time in seven months. The drop wiped out more than $600 billion in market value.

Two of America's most embattled retail chains are teaming up this holiday season in a bid to tempt cautious customers back into stores. Beginning Monday a frozen peppermint hot chocolate drink will be available exclusively at Starbucks cafes inside Target stores. Members of Target's paid loyalty program can buy it Monday before it's available to everybody else on Tuesday.

As President Trump took questions in the Oval Office Monday you couldn't help but notice his raspy voice. He blamed it on yelling during trade talks when a reporter asked if he was feeling OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I feel great. I was shouting at people because they were stupid about something having to do with trade in a country, and I straightened it out. But I blew my stack at these people.

REPORTER: Well, it sounds like there's a follow-up there, but can I ask you about Venezuela? You suggested that --

TRUMP: It sounds what?

REPORTER: It sounds like there's a follow-up there, but can I ask you about Venezuela?

TRUMP: I thought you said there was a polyp.

(Laughter)

I don't want to hear that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: At a public event on Monday the president also claimed the U.S. is in the midst of a golden age. He said the economy is doing better than it ever has despite millions of Americans facing rising prices on everyday goods.

CNN's Daniel Dale is fact-checking some of the president's recent statements on affordability. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIEL DALE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: President Trump keeps saying that grocery prices and overall prices have gone down during his presidency. Listen to what he told reporters on Sunday.

TRUMP: From an economic standpoint our prices are coming down very substantially on groceries and things. They're already at a much lower level than they were with the last administration.

DALE: None of that is true.

Let's start with grocery prices. They've gone up during this administration. As of September they were 1.4 percent higher than they were in January, the month President Trump returned to the White House. They were 2.7 percent higher than they were the previous September.

Now, President Trump has repeatedly claimed that beef is the only grocery product whose prices increased this term. Not even close to true. Dozens of grocery products -- notably including coffee and bananas, and far more than that -- have gone up this year. Those vastly outnumber the number of grocery products food prices have gone down.

Now what about overall prices? Have they declined? Absolutely not. As of September they were 1.7 percent higher than they were in January. They were three percent higher than they were the previous September. Now that three precent is the exact same year-over-year inflation rate that President Trump inherited in January from President Biden.

Now, President Trump also keeps trying to justify these claims by talking about Walmart's Thanksgiving prices. Listen to what he said on Monday.

[05:40:00]

TRUMP: I want to thank Walmart because they came up with a fantastic study. It was the cost of Thanksgiving coming up and the cost of Thanksgiving from a year ago under sleepy Joe Biden. And we're 25 percent lower this year than we were a year ago. And it's a very inclusive report.

DALE: So here's the thing. Walmart did announce that its promotional Thanksgiving meal basket is 25 percent cheaper this year than it was in 2024.

But here's what the president isn't mentioning. This is not the same meal basket. This year's version includes 15 items compared to 21 items last year. And this year's basket includes a far greater percentage of Walmart's store brand items -- so-called Great Value items -- than last year's, which included a greater percentage of more expensive name-brand items.

So you can't measure inflation based on any one store's promotional basket, but you certainly can do so when it's not the same basket. Daniel Dale, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: The cost to rebuild Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge has more than doubled with estimates now as high as $5.2 billion. The overpass that collapsed in 2024 after a cargo ship hit one of its pillars killing six construction workers and crippling the city's ports. The bridge is now set to reopen in late 2030, two years later than those initial estimates. Still ahead, CNN gets a first look inside the coordination center where U.S. forces are monitoring the Gaza ceasefire.

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[05:45:50]

ABEL: Welcome back. I'm Brian Abel. Here are some stories we are watching today.

The House of Representatives will vote today on a bill compelling the Justice Department to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. The measure is expected to pass with broad Republican support. And President Trump says he will sign it if the Senate also approves.

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia will be visiting the White House in the coming hours. He is set to discuss the Gulf country's military cooperation with the U.S., including the sale of U.S. F-35 fighter jets. Middle Eastern powers, like Israel, worry this growing alliance could disrupt the military balance in the region.

The United Nations passed a U.S.-backed resolution that aims to implement a more sustainable peace in Gaza. The resolution approved elements of President Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan, including the establishment of the Board of Peace, a transitional authority, and creation of a temporary international stabilization force in Gaza.

The United States has already set up a presence in Israel to monitor the ceasefire agreement. CNN's Oren Liebermann has this report on the facility.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, We got our first chance to take you inside the U.S.- led coordination center for Gaza here in Kiryat Gat, and the first thing that strikes you is the size of the facility -- what's called the CMCC, the Civil Military Coordination Center.

There's a floor for the Israelis, a floor for the Americans, and what we were able to see, which is a joint floor where there's a multinational force that's monitoring what's happening on the ground in Gaza and planning the key next steps of the U.S.-brokered 20-point ceasefire plan.

We saw troops from Germany, Spain, Singapore, and a number of other countries. The joint floor is dominated by a map of Gaza showing the so-called yellow line. One side is Israeli-occupied territory. On the other is Hamas-controlled territory. Teams inside are monitoring what's happening in real time.

As for planning for what's next, there are teams working on the intended reconstruction effort focused on debris removal right now. There's also a large group that works on humanitarian issues -- the aid going in, logistics, and more.

One of the crucial teams here also works on security -- not only planning for the intended disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza but also managing the training of the Palestinian police force for Gaza.

One key step here is the international security force for Gaza. A number of countries have signaled they're willing to contribute troops but not until there's a clear, well-defined, international mandate to make that happen. And this whole effort is still waiting on that mandate.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Kiryat Gat.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: In the occupied West Bank Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian vehicles and homes on Monday. Surveillance footage obtained by CNN captured some of the violence. You see it here. There were no reported injuries.

In a rare move the Israeli prime minister condemned the violence and the Israel Defense Forces says it is trying to locate those involved.

The attack is the latest in a surge of brazen settler violence in the West Bank.

We will be right back.

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[05:53:23]

ABEL: The Rev. Jesse Jackson remains in the hospital but is now stable and being moved out of the ICU. The 84-year-old civil rights leader will remain under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy. PSP is a rare neurological disorder that affects body movements, walking, and balance. The disease typically begins in a person's 60s and has some symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease.

Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year roads and airports are expected to be busier than ever. AAA predicts nearly 82 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home. That's 1.6 million more travelers compared to last Thanksgiving and a new record. At least 73 million will travel by car, with about six million expected to take domestic flights over the holiday period.

Well, Southern California had a weekend of record-breaking rainfall as storms swept across the state. Dramatic video -- you see it here -- showing the moment a man trapped by floodwaters is rescued by first responders. Luckily, someone nearby heard his cries for help and firefighters were able to pull him to safety.

CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has more on the storms.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: This is what happens when you set daily rainfall records across Southern California. This is coming out of Naples near Long Beach. People were kayaking through their neighborhoods.

There may be some smiles on the young people's faces as they get to do something they've never experienced perhaps before, but you better believe that the parents and the homeowners of this particular location may be thinking something completely different. And that is, of course, water entering homes and businesses. And all I see there is dollar bill signs, right? That cost money to clean up.

[05:55:10]

So we have this rainfall total that, by the way, has set the November wettest rainfall total for Santa Barbara. We saw daily rainfall records in places like Long Beach, as well as UCLA. Some of the heaviest of rain across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

But it's really that Transverse Mountain range there that's helping wring out all the moisture from these atmospheric rivers that continue to pound the state of California. This one's a little bit of a different setup -- kind of a low that's traversing the coastal areas -- but it's going to bring more rain into Southern California through the overnight period and could time with the evening rush hour commute as well. So we want to take that into consideration.

Widespread one to locally three inches of rainfall, and that puts some of the heaviest rainfall in these hard-hit areas from the weekend. So look out for the potential of landslides and mudslides because we still have our burn scars throughout this area from earlier this year. And if you put water on top of that, of course, gravity always tends to win in these situations and that can cause serious concerns in terms of landslides.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Derek Van Dam, thank you.

The Dallas Cowboys are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive as week 11 of the NFL season has come to an end. The Cowboys on the road in Vegas. They scored three touchdowns in the second quarter. Dak Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, and George Pickens to put the game out of reach for the Raiders.

Dallas improves to 4-5-1 on the season with their sights set on a wildcard spot in the NFC. The Raiders fall to 2-8. One of the NFL's biggest stars will have to sit out his team's next game for spitting on another player. We're talking about Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. He's been suspended for one game without pay after a video showed he spat on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey on Sunday. Ramsey then grabbed Chase by the face mask and punched him, which led to Ramsey getting ejected.

Chase initially denied spitting until the video came out. He is expected to be docked nearly $450,000 from the suspension.

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will fight former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua next month in Miami. The eight-round professional heavyweight bout will be streamed live on Netflix on December 19. Joshua may be the toughest opponent Paul has faced in his career. He's a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two-time unified world champion with a 28-4 record that includes 25 knockouts.

Last year, Paul beat then-58-year-old Mike Tyson nearly two decades after his official retirement.

Well, the theme for the 2026 Met Gala will be costume art. The world's biggest stars and designers are now tasked with joining the dots between fashion and art on a dazzling red carpet.

CNN's Rachel Tashjian has more on fashion's biggest night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL TASHJIAN, CNN SENIOR STYLE REPORTER: The next Met Gala will focus on the one thing that almost every work of art in the Met museum has in common, clothes. 'Costume Art' will pair works of art from all around the museum's collections with pieces by designers past and present that show how the common thread throughout the museum's collections is clothing.

Another important element of this exhibition is the way in which it plans to push against the idea of an idealized body. The idea of the body in lots of different forms will be celebrated in the show, whether it's the pregnant body, the nude body, or even anatomy itself.

Now, of course, the big question is what does this mean for the Met Gala? I would expect to see a lot of dresses and outfits that reference art history. A lot of pieces that reference anatomy and that perhaps even emphasize the body or make it look more grotesque in a compelling or chic way. I would also predict that a number of stars will gravitate towards dresses that recall the "Gilded Age" that have bustles and corseted waists -- things that manipulate or emphasize various parts of the body.

Now some might say that the theme seems a little bit nerdy, a little bit sleepy, perhaps even boring, but I will say that history has shown us that a sleepy Met Gala exhibition makes for a fantastic red carpet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Tom Cruise there celebrating his honorary Oscar win on Sunday. The actor was one of four honorees, including his dance partner Debbie Allen, picked by the Academy's Board of Governors to receive awards. It's actually the first Oscar for Cruise who has been nominated four times in his career.

Well, Cher is ready to turn back time. She's returning to the "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" stage as a musical guest for the first time in nearly four decades. The Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy winner will perform on the December 20 episode. Cher has made cameo appearances on the NBC sketch show over the years but hasn't appeared as a musical guest since 1987.

[06:00:00]

Cambridge Dictionary has unveiled its 2025 word of the year, "parasocial." It was actually coined back in 1956 by a sociologist, but the once academic term has not become a little bit more mainstream. It refers to a connection people feel with someone they don't or even with something like artificial intelligence. Cambridge cited the example of Taylor Swift who announced her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce and received an outpouring of feelings from fans -- parasocial.

Thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Brian Abel in Washington. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.