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CNN Headlines: In Key U.S. Senate Race, Michigan Democrats Pick Abdul El-Sayed; Senate Panel To Vote On Whether To Hold Fauci In Contempt Of Congress; Murkowski, Cassidy Won't Say How They'll Vote On Blanche A.G. Nomination; Iran: U.S. Claim That Negotiations With Tehran Are Underway Is "False". Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired August 06, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:28]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: A victory for Abdul El-Sayed as he clinches the Michigan Democratic Senate primary. How President Trump is now responding.
And --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My daughter was sitting on the porch out there. And she says there's a fire. So I ran out and looked and saw a column of smoke rising exactly where that individual was standing.
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SMITH: The man charged with arson and one of the fires devastating Spokane, is due in court today. The latest weather conditions as well. That might make things worse.
Plus --
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel more comfortable taking from a local farmer than from supermarket.
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SMITH: More people concerned about their health as the lettuce-linked cyclosporiasis outbreak grows. What we're learning this morning.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Brad Smith. This is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad that you're with us today.
Let's get this started.
We start with the impending midterms, now less than three months away in the balance of power on Capitol Hill is at stake.
And with that in mind, Michiganders, those in the Wolverine State, they went to the polls for Tuesday's primaries. And that's where progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed stunned the Democratic establishment. He beat his more moderate opponents, Congresswoman Haley Stevens.
Now, despite the close race, El-Sayed quickly pivoted to the general election, comparing himself to his opponent in November and the Republican Party in general. Now here he is last night on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: They want America to be small. I believe that America is big. It's open-minded. It's big- hearted. It can include any of us, regardless of how we pray, regardless of where our families come from, regardless of who we love, or how we identify. That's the America we're building. And I think America, in Michigan in particular, has an opportunity to remind us just how big we are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Now, here's the man that El-Sayed is hoping to replace, retiring Democrat Gary Peters.
On Capitol Hill Wednesday, Peters gave his take on Michigan Democrats' primary pick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. GARY PETERS (D-MI): We have to come together and understand that whatever differences existed between Haley Stevens and Abdul, those are very small compared to the difference between Abdul and Mike Rogers. And were going to make sure that our Democratic Party comes together in Michigan and reach out to independent voters to win the race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And meanwhile, at a speech in Las Vegas, President Trump weighed in. He said El-Sayed was full of it, using an expletive. This is what else he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Abdul El-Sayed, a lovely gentleman. He's a man of hate. And now he's going around saying, no, I love everybody, I love.
He doesn't love everybody. Put him in office. You're going to find out what he loves.
He doesn't love Israel. He doesn't love Jewish people. He hates them. He hates them with a passion that burns in his heart. And there's not a freaking thing he can do about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Okay, Abdul El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman in November's Senate race.
On X, he called El-Sayed a, quote, extremist, adding that his Democratic opponent will make Michigan less safe and affordable.
Happening today, a Republican-led Senate subcommittee has obtained a copy of Dr. Anthony Fauci's cell phone ahead of a key vote on whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.
"The Wall Street Journal" first reported the panel accessing Fauci's phone. Senator Rand Paul is leading the committee considering the resolution. It would hold the retired scientist and doctor in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions during a subpoena, during a hearing last week.
Now, that is when Fauci, who led the U.S. through the COVID-19 pandemic, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights more than 100 times. Senator Paul has led the long running investigation of Dr. Fauci, over what the 85-year-old said about the origins of the virus, and that led former President Biden to give Fauci a preemptive pardon.
Fauci also received a presidential commendation from President Trump in 2021, but some Republicans have accused Fauci of illegal conduct. That is something that he's repeatedly denied. CNN has reached out to Fauci for comment.
Well, this morning, two Republican senators are refusing to say how they'll vote on the upcoming nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general. Trump's former personal lawyer met with holdouts Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski yesterday, but they're staying mostly tight lipped about the closed-door meeting.
[05:05:01]
Blanche is currently serving as acting attorney general and can't afford to lose another Republican vote, as all Senate Democrats are expected to oppose his nomination.
Here's what Cassidy said about his upcoming decision.
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SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): I've got to be convinced that he is an attorney general who just happens to have once been President Trump's personal attorney, as opposed to personal -- as opposed to President Trump's personal attorney, who is now the attorney general.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
SMITH: Senator Susan Collins has already said that she'll vote no. No final vote has been scheduled, but it's expected to be held before senators leave town for August recess.
A man arrested outside Trump's national golf club in southern California did not appear before a judge as planned yesterday, as the U.S. attorney's office told CNN, it's unclear when he will make his first appearance in federal court. Federal agents say 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele was taking photos
and videos appearing to monitor their security plans. Now, at the time of the arrest, police say that he had a magazine in his pocket as well as a gun and fake badge in his car. The secret service is still investigating whether he posed a threat to the president.
A search of his home found several weapons, saying the FBI and multiple notebooks containing concerning statements. The suspect pleaded not guilty to weapons charges on Tuesday.
Iran is pushing back on Trump's claim that negotiations are underway. A senior Iranian official says that there are no current talks between the two nations on the Strait of Hormuz, insisting what the president said is false.
However, Iran is talking with Oman and the ongoing negotiations have led to progress over the critical waterway. Iran says the two countries are close to finalizing a proposed framework for a safe shipping route for commercial vessels, for those vessels, and according to senior Gulf official, there is a 5050 chance that a deal will be reached by tomorrow.
Now still, Vice President J.D. Vance said the negotiations will, quote, "take some time".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If they want to make me own the effort to try to bring this war to a successful conclusion, I'm happy to let them make me on it. I am absolutely trying to do that. But to your point, that sometimes requires one step forward, two steps back.
We're kind of in the middle of the game, and I think people are trying to, to prejudge exactly how this is going to go. I can tell you with confidence it's going to go in a place that is good for the United States of America.
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SMITH: These ongoing talks between Iran and Oman are crucial. It could lead to the full reopening of one of the most important shipping channels for the global energy supply.
Well, around Spokane this morning in Washington, fire crews battling the devastating wildfires. And they're hoping to gain the upper hand before high winds and intense heat fuel renewed danger, officials report steady progress containing the three fires, the major ones the Autumn Lane, the Old Trails Fire. Those are both 13 percent contained, while the Fairview Fire, that's five percent contained. The entire neighborhoods already burned to the ground and fires still raging.
CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar explains what victims and firefighters will face in the hours and days to come.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Temperatures have already started to increase thanks to this dome of high pressure over much of the Western U.S. So, a lot of these areas nearby, the fires are looking at temperatures above average. The average specifically for Spokane, 87 degrees.
But, the next few days, those high temperatures will be into the 90s. You have very dry conditions. You also have those elevated temperatures. The one big concern, though, is we're going to start to see those wind speeds begin to increase as we head into Friday and specifically into Saturday.
Notice relatively light winds now. And that's been fantastic news for a lot of the fire crews. But once we get to Saturday, we do start to see those tick back up around the 20 to 25 mile per hour range, maybe as much as 30 miles per hour.
Still not nearly the speeds that we had last weekend. However, we are going to see them start to tick back up. Another concern likely going to be the smoke as it begins to change direction, likely impacting some of the surrounding towns.
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SMITH: Thank you, Allison.
Also happening today, the man charged with first degree arson in the Old Trails Fire is due in court for arraignment. Law enforcement say that a witness placed 37-year-old Aaron Farinacci at the location that the fire is believed to have started. We've got lots more coming on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
The illness linked to tainted lettuce has now spread to 15 states. The latest on the outbreak that has sickened thousands and claimed the lives of two people.
Plus, hundreds of thousands of student loan borrowers will have their debt erased. Why? They won't have to pay it back, later on in the hour.
And from the White House to other major D.C. landmarks, construction is everywhere.
[05:10:00]
The nation's capital is getting a makeover of sorts. A closer look straight ahead.
Keep it here. You're watching CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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SMITH: Three people have been charged with threatening a judge, a witness, and local officials tied to the Nolan Wells investigation. Wells was the 18-year-old found dead after a July 4th boat trip with friends to an island off Mississippi's Gulf Coast. The threats came amid rampant speculation and scrutiny of the investigation deepened, in part by uncertainty surrounding Wells's final hours.
Distrust of law enforcement and the state's long history of racist violence.
[05:15:03]
None of the three have been charged in connection with Wells's case and the Black teen's cause of death remains undetermined, according to officials.
Well, the Senate has officially confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as the new head of the CDC, its first permanent director in a year. Schwartz was the deputy surgeon general during President Trump's first term. Now she's different from his previous nominees for the role, as she has a lengthy history of leading vaccination programs and guiding government crisis responses. Schwartz vowed that all CDC guidance would be evidence based during her confirmation hearing.
It's not an easy road ahead, though. She inherits the highest measles case count in the U.S. in decades, growing vaccine hesitancy and the current cyclospora outbreak.
And staying on that topic, a large cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce has now expanded to 15 states, and two people have died.
CNN's Reid Binion has more of the details for us.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stay away from the, you know, any kind of vegetables that, you know, restaurants and stuff like that.
REID BINION, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Consumers expressing concerns about where they get their fresh produce amid a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis tied to lettuce.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just try to watch what we're eating. Make sure we're washing everything.
BINION (voice-over): Health officials have linked the outbreak of the intestinal illness to lettuce sold at restaurants such as Taco Bell and some grocery stores, according to federal health officials. The outbreak now accounts for cases across 15 states. This after six states were added to the list after lab testing showed illnesses there were likely caused by the same strain of the tiny cyclospora parasite.
The parasite burrows into the lining of the small intestine. It can cause weeks of severe, debilitating gastrointestinal symptoms if left untreated. Some consumers are opting for alternatives when it comes to where they get fresh produce.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would feel more comfortable taking from a local farmer than from a supermarket.
BINION (voice-over): Local farmers tend to agree. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Growing local, local and having it directly fresh
out of the ground here. We don't -- we're not shipping it, so it has no contamination.
BINION (voice-over): The CDC has tallied more than 6,000 cases in the outbreak. Nearly 300 of those cases resulted in hospitalization. Two people have died.
I'm Reid Binion reporting.
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SMITH: All right. Thank you, Reid.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first mRNA-based flu vaccine for adults 50 and older. Now, the shot is produced by Moderna, requires less time between the selection of the flu strain used and the public release of the vaccination. Moderna says that it expects to have the vaccine available this fall.
Well, still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, how did a passenger plane get so close to a military helicopter carrying the president? Details on the investigation underway.
And protests take over city streets in Madison, Wisconsin, with several people arrested in the wake of a recent police involved fatal shooting of a 38-year-old man. The latest when CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS returns.
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[05:22:38]
SMITH: President Trump is reshaping Washington one construction zone at a time, barricades, detours, changing the city's landscape.
And CNN's Tom Foreman laces up for a jogging tour through the capital's biggest projects.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, you say you want to bring the family to Washington for one last vacation before summer ends? Well, you better remember that in D.C. right now, the C stands for construction.
Let's take a little tour of the obstacle course. One of the first things you're going to see is this. These are grandstands being built for an IndyCar race that has streets being repaved, barricades put up. They're even supposed to be some overhead walkways. Might be a lot of fun. But right now, for commuters and tourists alike, it's mainly a headache.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's blocked our view of the Capitol building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've even already enjoyed how open it was. And so having it blocked has been like, well, what is that?
FOREMAN: You can still visit the museums of the Smithsonian, but so many of them like air and space right here. Getting to it is like running a mini maze. What do you think about all this construction here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is from the executive office? If it is, waste of money.
FOREMAN: Over at the White House, this fence is surrounding pretty much the entire complex. You can't see the demolished east wing or the ballroom in progress, where signs of the proposed helipad or the changes to the Rose Garden. None of it.
And after you do that whole big loop, you wind up here at this park where people used to get a much, much closer look at the White House, but not anymore, because it too is under construction.
But no worries. I'm going to go right now to one of the most iconic photo spots in all of D.C. for tourists right here in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
Oh, no. But look at this. After two renovations in just the past couple of months, the reflecting pool is still basically empty, and it is still fenced off. So, photo op lost there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't take a whole lot of pictures, a whole lot of pretty pictures. That's all I got to complain about, really. That's all I got to say.
FOREMAN: What do you think of all the construction?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's great.
FOREMAN: You like it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, I love it.
FOREMAN: Yeah?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah. I love to see the capital being rejuvenated, built up.
FOREMAN: Sure. Plenty of things are open, beautiful to see. And some people really like the improvements, but the construction is a lot to work around if you are a tourist trying to take in the sights.
[05:25:04]
So, if you're coming to D.C. for a vacation, make sure you bring a hard hat.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Tom. Well, the numbers are in and the UFC's White House fight, it came with
a hefty price tag. Parent company TKO says it lost about $30 million staging the Freedom 250 event, costs it says were never -- well, they were expected but the spectacle is still delivered, drawing 17 million viewers and boosting the UFC's value for its new seven year, $1.1 billion a year streaming deal with Paramount+.
Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, is the head of FIFA staying or going? The drama playing out globally for the world's most popular sport.
Plus, box office blockbuster. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" breaking movie release records and bringing in some big bucks. We'll break it all down, straight ahead.
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