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CNN Headlines: Tensions Grow Between Trump And GOP Senate Leader Ahead of Midterms; Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Notably Absent from Fancy Farm Picnic; Tens Of Thousands Flee Uncontained, Fast- Moving Spokane Area Fires. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired August 03, 2026 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:30:20]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
Families and neighbors picking up the pieces as three major fires in Spokane, Washington rage out of control leaving some with nothing left -- not even hope.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think I'm going to rebuild here because I don't ever want to have to relive a fire coming up this hill again. And I've been in Spokane my entire 64 years because my little brother died in an accident when he was six and that's why I stayed close to my family. I think it's time for me to leave Spokane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And you can just hear the pain and anguish in that man's voice.
Meteorologists hope that today's weather will give firefighters a boost, but they won't have long as conditions worsen again later into the week.
Statewide, an area more than half the size of Rhode Island already burned this year making it the worst fire season in decades.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has announced that he is formally rescinding President Trump's controversial anti-weaponization fund. Now this move -- it comes after Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis threatened to block his nomination to become the permanent attorney general. They had said that they wanted confirmation in writing that the $1.8 billion program would not be brought back. The Senate Judiciary committee is expected to meet tomorrow for a potential vote on Blanche's nomination.
And President Trump says that the U.S. and Iran will resume negotiations today after calling off a planned attack over the weekend, but he warns that the U.S. remains locked and loaded if diplomacy fails. Trump told reporters Sunday that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran all asked him to call of the strikes. Iran denies that claim.
And Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno says that his former son-in-law, Congressman Max Miller should not serve in Congress over abuse allegations. Now, Miller and the senator's daughter Emily Moreno have been in a highly contentious and public custody battle since their divorce. She claims that Miller abused her on more than one occasion and once held a gun to her head.
Senator Moreno says that his former son-in-law had admitted privately that he needs serious psychological help and is a danger to his granddaughter. Moreno's statement came shortly after the congressman appeared on a livestream in which he denied all of the allegations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MAX MILLER (R-OH): I have never abused our daughter. Before I go through the facts with you today understand one thing. Every one of these allegations traces back to a single source, my former wife. I just want to be clear no court, and no agency has ever substantiated any allegation of abuse against me.
I also want to address the allegations of domestic abuse. I categorically deny abusing my former wife. I'm not getting out of this race and I'm winning in November.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Responding to Miller's livestream, a spokesperson for Emily Moreno said that there is a "documented trove of evidence that Miller has history of violent and dangerous behavior and no amount of victim shaming will change that."
The Senate is rushing to get last-minute business done before it goes on its August recess in week, but President Trump has some other ideas. He wants his Save America Act passed before then.
And CNN's Manu Raju explains that has put him on a collision course with the Republican leader of the Senate.
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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Republican senators are growing anxious about the tension between President Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
There has been a gulf between the two men that has grown only wider over a wide range of issues ranging from Donald Trump's demand to blow up the Senate filibuster to pass his agenda along straight party lines. Thune simply does not want to go that route and says the votes aren't there to do that. Republicans say they'll need a filibuster someday when they're in the Senate minority.
And then Trump wants to pass other parts of the agenda that simply don't have the votes to be approved by the United States Senate, like the Save America Act. That's a voting restrictions bill that Trump has been demanding for months. Thune says the votes are not there. In fact, there have been votes in the Senate that demonstrate that the votes are not there, but Trump will not take no for an answer.
But there have been other issues as well. Trump deciding earlier this year to get behind John Cornyn's primary challenger in that all- important Texas Senate race who had pleaded with Trump for months to back Cornyn, concerned that in the event the person who won that race, Ken Paxton, who is now the nominee -- that he may lose that seat that could cost them the majority in November. Trump didn't listen.
[05:35:05]
And then there are other issues as well. Trump continuing to push his so-called anti-weaponization fund that Thune and other Republicans want him to pull the plug on because it's causing so many problems over getting other parts of Trump's agenda through.
And what's causing a lot of frustration is Trump's refusal to offer a vote of confidence for Thune himself. When he was asked about this at the White House last week --
REPORTER: Do you think Senate Majority Leader John Thune, after the comments you heard regarding Save America and some other stuff -- do you think he's still the man for the job?
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, we're going to find out and I'll let you know.
RAJU: What do you say to the president who is not giving you a vote of confidence? What do you say to the president? What do you say to the president?
REPORTER: When is the last time you talked to the president?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let him through. He doesn't -- he doesn't -- he doesn't vote in our election.
RAJU: Now the tension could hit a boiling point this week when the Senate is scheduled to go on a recess by the end of the week. But Trump has been demanding to blow that up and wants Thune to scrap the August recess and pass what's known as the budget resolution. That would pave the way for tens of billions of dollars for the Iran war and for new voting restrictions across the country.
But Republican senators tell me they are divided over this prospect.
Would it be a mistake to not move the budget resolution before the August recess
SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-MN): Yes.
RAJU: -- for John Thune?
JOHNSON: Yeah, it would be. No -- that would be an enormous mistake. RAJU: Why? Well, and what would -- how would voters -- what would
voters think about you guys if you didn't do that?
JOHNSON: Well, they -- you know, our supporters wouldn't take kindly to it.
RAJU: Is it realistic to do a budget resolution before an August recess?
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): I don't believe so. I don't believe that it is realistically possible to do it. I question the political wisdom as well.
RAJU: All this putting pressure on Thune about how to proceed in a difficult election environment.
Manu Raju, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Manu.
Well, today, Kentucky's governor faces what would be a deadline to fill Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat. Now if it were actually empty it would be a deadline. Governor Andy Beshear has been calling on the 84- year-old Republican to disclose more about his health since his absence from the Senate more than 40 days ago.
The senator was notably absent from the Fancy Farm picnic over the weekend. This is a 150-year-old tradition in the state and an event that he usually attends.
CNN's Audrey Ash reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TERRY THOMPSON, PADUCAH, KY RESIDENT: Where is he?
AUDREY ASH, CNN PRODUCER, INVESTIGATIONS: Yeah, is that your question for him?
THOMPSON: Yeah.
ASH: I am here at the world's largest picnic. It's a 150-year-old Kentucky tradition complete with 20,000 pounds of barbecue, 15,000 people, and usually one Mitch McConnell. Senator McConnell has been a regular at Fancy Farm for years and he rarely misses the picnic. Both times that he recently missed he sent a prerecorded message for the crowd.
JACKSON ANDREWS, LOUISVILLE, KY RESIDENT: The last time I spoke at this Fancy Farm, Mitch was here.
ASH: Really?
ANDREWS: Yeah, in 1986. I think he should be more forthcoming. I don't think there's any question that he should give an interview to the press. Why is he hiding from the press? We, as a state and as a nation, don't need that kind of doubt about one of our senior leaders in the U.S. Senate.
ASH: The senator was hospitalized in June, and he hasn't been to Capitol Hill since. He released a statement saying that his doctor hadn't released him for work and he also hadn't given the go-ahead to come to the farm.
ASH (voiceover): A new photo and statement said, "There's no place I'd rather be on the first Saturday of August than with the good people of western Kentucky, feasting on porch and mutton."
ASH: But the Kentucky voters that I've spoken to today -- they want an update on his health. They don't necessarily think he needs to step down but they do want to know exactly what's going on with him.
NANCY SPRING-EPLEY: Yeah, I've been feeling his absence since June 14 when he went into the hospital.
ASH: Do you think he should step down?
ANDREWS: No, I do not. That's his prerogative. It's his decision.
ASH (voiceover): Both Democratic Senate nominee Charles Booker and Republican nominee Andy Barr gave speeches in the McConnell's absence as they campaigned for his open seat.
But things can get really rowdy here at Fancy Farm. People that are running for office only get a certain amount of time to speak and they get cut off by bluegrass music if they go over. And the crowd here will definitely let you know what they think.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to see one more thing --
ASH: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- on my back.
ASH: Oh, look. See your back?
TEXT ON BACK OF T-SHIRT: "You like communism vote commucrat. You like freedom vote Republican."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But no, this is a fun time. Come out. Good barbecue and a lot of hot air, most of it from the stage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Audrey.
Well, thousands are fleeing three major wildfires near Spokane this morning. At least 700 homes destroyed as CNN recently learned.
CNN's Julia Vargas Jones -- Julia Vargas Jones is surveying the damage left behind and she spotted one homeowner's creative attempt to protect their home from the flames, a sprinkler on the roof spraying water over the home.
Across the street, Jones said another home was left scorched by flames.
Here is what else she saw.
[05:40:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am outside what used to be a single-family home. We were standing out here and an older gentleman came out to speak to our crew. He said this was his grandson's house where he lived with his pregnant wife and their three children. This is their truck still parked right outside covered in this pink gooey stuff that's fire-retardant. Clearly, not enough to keep their home from going up in flames.
Authorities are saying that this could be one of the worst damaging fires in Washington history if that number is confirmed. As of now, 250,000 acres have already been burned in the state of Washington alone. That's because there's 15 different fires that are burning here.
And you can see the trail of destruction that this fire has left. It actually jumped over a river and up a ridge to get where we are in this residential neighborhood over here. It had to be so difficult to imagine for those who are watching from this side, but those massively strong winds brought it over and ended up scorching everything that was in its way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: All right. Thank you, Julia.
We are learning more about a deadly mass shooting at an In-N-Out burger in Twin Falls, Idaho. It took place on Saturday afternoon. Police say that three people were killed and seven others were wounded.
Listen to the chaos as the shooting was happening.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is happening?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's happening?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are running from In-N-Out. Call the police? What's happening? What's happening?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's happening?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shoot, shoot, shoot. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shoot? Oh, just go -- go, go, go. Somebody got shot. There's a shooter at In-N-Out. Oh my gosh. What is happening? Oh my gosh. Everybody's running. What the hell? OK, just keep an eye over here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my gosh, everybody is crying. What is happening?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Your heart just drops as you see people in panic as this was all playing out. You saw employees in their signature red aprons running as shots rang out.
According to the police chief, an off-duty state trooper and a civilian engaged the suspect by firing their guns. That was also caught on camera.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Unidentified male aiming gun at a car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: That video from a passing car shows a person who law enforcement says is not the suspect shooting outside the In-N-Out restaurant. Now police have not said whether this was the off-duty trooper or the civilian.
Next on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, Spider-Man takes over the box office to the tune of nearly a billion dollars worldwide. We've got the details there.
And a truck swallowed by a huge sinkhole in Texas. How the driver managed to get himself out. That's coming your way on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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[05:47:40]
SMITH: Let's go around the globe to see what else is making headlines today.
A disturbing video shows the moment that two firefighting helicopters collided midair in Greece. We going to freeze it -- this video -- when it happens. One of them falls to the ground. And the country's fire service reports that two crew members from one chopper died in the accident. Now here is the aftermath of that crash.
Greece is one of the latest countries to experience summer fires due to record-breaking heat waves. Police have been going door-to-door to get people away from the path of the fires.
In Russia, Moscow's mayor is calling a bombing at a restaurant a terrorist attack. Authorities say that a woman with a handmade bomb tried to enter a private event over the weekend, but the device exploded before she could get inside. A security guard who stopped her, and a customer were killed along with the woman carrying the device. Preliminary reports suggest that she may not have known what was inside the package that she was carrying.
It's time for Buzz Express, the stories that have people talking.
And first up, Ariana Grande says she will soon step back from the spotlight. Here's more on her story.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Popstar and actor Ariana Grande says she will withdraw from the spotlight at the end of her Eternal Sunshine tour next month.
In a statement to People magazine, a representative said, "She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthfully and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.
As part of the announcement, she's pulled out of an upcoming West End musical production which she was set to co-star in with fellow "Wicked" actor Jonathan Bailey.
Grande's physical appearance and health have been a topic of speculation in recent years. The speculation has increased since the release of her latest album "petal" and her appearance in promotional material for it.
Her statement to People stressed Grande's Eternal Sunshine tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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Clip from Sony Pictures "Spider-Man: Brand New Day."
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[05:50:00]
SMITH: "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" made $927 million worldwide in its opening weekend. It has the second-highest debut ever in North America behind "Avengers: End Game." No spoilers here but fans -- they seemed to like it, calling it emotional and possibly the best one yet.
Well, still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, millions of kids headed back to school this morning. We'll take a look at how much those supplies are costing you this year.
And how about some adorable surfing dogs to get your morning started off right. We've got the highlights from this weekend's world championships.
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[05:55:00]
SMITH: In today's Money Express, the mad dash for school supplies is on and spending is ticking up as kids start returning to the classroom.
Maribel Aber joins us from the Nasdaq MarketSite with that and the rest of your Money Express headlines. Maribel, how much is back-to- school costing this year?
MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: OK, Brad. Families with K-12 students are expected to spend a record $43 billion on back- to-school shopping this year. The National Retail Federation's latest survey puts the average at just over $863 per family. That's up slightly from last year. More than half of those surveyed say the took advantage of sales like Amazon Prime days and Walmart deals.
Now for college students, spending is also expected to hit a record, topping $103 billion with families averaging $1,438 each.
The full report can be found at nrf.com.
American Airlines has changed its rules on refunds for bookings canceled within 24 hours of purchase. Travelers now have to book at least seven days before departure to qualify for the 24-hour refund window compared to the previous two-day requirement. The carrier says the new policy took effect July 29 and applies to all tickets regardless of class. The change brings American in line with other carriers, including JetBlue, Southwest and United with similar restrictions.
The Powerball jackpot still hasn't found a winner. No tickets matched in Saturday's drawing, putting an estimated $748 million jackpot on the line tonight. Now there were several who matched five winners though. One ticket in Virginia won $2 million on a powerplay while five others won $1 million in California, Maryland and Texas. Powerball numbers drop at 10:59 p.m. Eastern.
Brad, luck by a lady tonight.
SMITH: Yes. I mean, I've been waiting for my shot here for quite some time, Maribel. We were talking in the commercial break about the threshold that would make you want to continue to just go out and play and play over and over. Have to be winnings or not. You just have to take a shot at some point. I don't know what that threshold is for you.
ABER: Oh. Well, you know what, Brad, or you could do -- imagine all the times that you were putting those dollars into Powerball and could have been putting it in a mutual find. Just saying.
SMITH: Oh. You know what? Smart money advice always.
Maribel Aber, thank you so much.
Well, let's get a check in some of the other news stories making headlines across the country.
We start in Massachusetts. That's where a store in Nantucket has caused the internet to go crazy after the owner put up a "no influencers" sign. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This sign has the internet divided.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's time we talk about the infamous "no influencers" sign at the store in Nantucket.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It hangs in Four Winds Craft Guild, which is a long established shop specializing in antique and traditionally handcrafted baskets. It's in Nantucket, which is a popular summer vacation island 30 miles south of Cape Cod.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened to humor? Like, it's just like a little bit like oh, a little bit local, like humor. Like, it's just funny.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: John Sylvia's family owns the store, and he told CNN that it was just a lighthearted way to set boundaries -- nothing more.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What actually is an influencer in 2026? This sign isn't describing a behavior; it's labeling a group of people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It all started when influencer Paige Paul called the store out on Instagram, and some of the discourse that's followed has called the sign anti-successful women. Others have pointed out that the sign is basically a modern version of a "no photos" or "no filming" sign.
Legally, private businesses can generally refuse service to some customers but can't discriminate based on factors such as race, religion, sex or national origin.
The owners said the sign wasn't directed at any group of individual -- certainly not women.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: And in Iowa, two downtown buildings that have faced growing structural concerns collapsed over the weekend. Both have been vacant for months and were already in the process of being demolished. No injuries were reported. The cause of the collapse is under investigation though.
And take a look at this. In Texas, a man was driving when a giant sinkhole just opened up -- nothing to really tell you that you need to start living your life a little different perhaps than this -- swallowing up his truck and plunging him into what quickly became a small pond. A broken water main was to blame. But he was able to crawl out. He's doing OK. I would be evaluating some decisions.
And check this out. All right. In California, more than a dozen dogs -- they rode the waves for the annual World Dog Surfing Championships -- I didn't know I needed to be there over the weekend -- including Iza Frenchie, who you see here. She won -- or he, for the medium-sized pups. The event raises money for rescue dogs, surfing and environmental issues. The thousands of spectators could even meet adoptable dogs and possible future surfers at the competition.
[06:00:05]
I mean, just and absolutely incredible feat and balance by these dogs. I know I can't do that. So it's all the more incredible that they can. Oh, take a look at this pup coming down. Oh my goodness, just the joy on his face there -- incredible.
That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
