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CNN Headlines: Barron Trump Targeted In Iranian Video, Secret Service "Is Aware" & Investigating; Fighters Make Progress Containing In Reno Area; Supreme Court Backs Trump's Order To Restrict Mail-In Ballots; Trump: "Far Worse" Tariffs If Canada Doesn't "Fall In Line". Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired August 25, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:27]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: The Secret Service says it's aware of a video aired by Iranian state media appearing to threaten President Trump's youngest son, Barron. What were learning this morning.
Plus --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we came through, it looked like a movie scene. Like you don't expect to see something like that in real life.
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SMITH: Progress being made in containing the Hawk Fire in Reno, but it still poses a major threat for people there. The latest developments this morning.
And --
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE We got areas here in Gary where seniors are stuck in their houses without any utilities.
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SMITH: Thousands of people in Gary, Indiana, are still without power. After nearly two weeks after that massive storm rolled through. The relief efforts being brought in to help those in need. We've got their stories.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Brad Smith. This is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad that you're with us this morning.
Let's get this started.
We begin with this developing story. New details about a video aired by Iranian state media appearing to threaten the youngest son of President Donald Trump. The Secret Service says it's aware of the video targeting Barron Trump's life. This isn't the first time the president and his family have been threatened following the assassination of Iran's former supreme leader.
But this appears to be the first time that Barron Trump has been singled out. The video, which first aired over the weekend, shows locations he has publicly known to spend time.
All right. Turning to the efforts in the wildfire burning in Reno, Nevada. Officials say that firefighters have made great progress containing the blaze. Fire officials say that the Hawk Fire is now 27 percent contained. Evacuation orders for thousands of people have also been downgraded.
The fire, which started Saturday, has scorched roughly 15,000 acres. Dozens of homes have been damaged or destroyed. The fire is to blame for seven injuries, including three first responders. And despite the progress, officials are warning that the fire still poses a major threat for residents.
Reid Binion has more.
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SHERIFF DARIN BALAAM, WASHOE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Stay informed. Watch outside and please be ready to go.
REID BINION, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even with some evacuation orders downgraded and firefighters making progress Monday, authorities in Nevada say the threat from the massive Hawk Fire is far from over. The blaze, which started Saturday, has torched tens of thousands of acres just northwest of Reno. It's also forced thousands of evacuations, a convention hall lined wall to wall with cots for displaced residents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just going to pray and ask God.
BINION (voice-over): The blaze threatening lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had four civilian injuries and three firefighter injuries.
BINION (voice-over): And destroying homes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Damage assessment teams made their way out into certain areas yesterday, 32-destroyed homes and six damaged homes.
BINION (voice-over): Officials expect those numbers to increase. Authorities say the fire was human caused.
BALAAM: We're looking for any evidence that we can find.
BINION (voice-over): But it's unclear if it was intentional or accidental.
BALAAM: We're asking our community for support. Did you see anybody out there? Did you see anybody around the fires that took off? Was it accidental? Was it intentional?
BINION (voice-over): On Monday, officials said firefighters made progress holding the blaze, still with dense grass and brush in the fires path. High winds and low humidity could worsen the situation in the coming days.
BALAAM: They need mother nature, hopefully to just remain calm for just a little bit.
BINION (voice-over): I'm Reid Binion, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Reid.
New this morning, firefighters are battling a fast-growing grass fire burning in rural areas in north Texas. Now the Ross Fire exploded from 25 acres yesterday afternoon to 25,000 acres as of this morning. The fire is 5 percent contained. Extreme heat, low humidity and gusty winds helped fuel the fires' rapid growth. No injuries have been reported.
All right. Let's turn now to the midterms. And a big victory for President Trump's efforts at restricting mail-in voting. The Supreme Court is packing and backing parts of an executive order that expands the role of the Department of Homeland Security and the Post Office when it comes to elections.
So, the order essentially injects new uncertainty about voting rules, with just weeks to go until the November 3rd midterms. But the court did not rule on whether the executive order is legal. Other lawsuits could keep it from going into effect by Election Day. And cases of mail in voting fraud are exceedingly rare.
It is election day in two key runoff races in the south. Republicans in South Carolina will decide between Senator Darline Graham and Congressman Ralph Norman. You'll recall that Graham replaced her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, who died in early July. The winner of this primary runoff will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November midterms.
And voters in suburban Atlanta will pick between two candidates to finish up the term of the late Congressman David Scott, including his daughter. In this special election, Marcye Scott and Everton Blair, both Democrats, will face off slicing into the Republicans razor thin majority on Capitol Hill. Neither candidate is running in November.
The triple murder trial of Lindsey Graham -- excuse me, of Lindsay Clancy, the triple murder trial of Lindsay Clancy this morning winding down. Today marks a second day of rebuttal testimony from prosecution witnesses, with closing arguments expected later this week as well. Now, yesterday, the defense, they called for a mistrial, but the judge denied that request.
Tracking this all for us has been CNN's Jean Casarez. And she walks us through the latest in the case. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN REDDINGTON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Do you agree, sir, that a symptom of postpartum psychosis, in addition to the hearing of the voices, would be delusional beliefs and a distorted reality?
DR. AVRAM MACK, PSYCHIATRIST: I can't answer because I still don't know if you're referring to the phenomenon of psychosis. Or are you referring to some illness?
REDDINGTON: I'm referring to the illness that Lindsay Clancy was suffering, that's in her medical records, sir, that you tell this jury you read. Its all I'm asking.
MACK : Well, I didn't find any evidence of psychosis in her record.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That was psychiatrist, Dr. Avram Mack testified for the prosecution that Lindsay Clancy did have a major depressive episode, but she did not have bipolar two disorder or signs of psychosis. During a tense cross-examination, defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked Mack his definition of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
Mack had previously testified that Clancy could distinguish between right and wrong and control her behavior.
MACK: My opinion is that she retained the capacity that required for having criminal responsibility for these actions.
CASAREZ: Mack's testimony was a stark contrast to Dr. Phillip Resnick, forensic psychiatrist who testified on Friday for the defense.
Resnick was a key witness in the murder trials of Andrea Yates, the mother who drowned her five children in Texas in 2001. He said that Clancy was, quote, "frankly, psychotic" on the day of the killings, and that a voice was commanding her to engage in the killings.
DR. PHILLIP RESNICK, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: She had what is known as a delusion of influence that is, not only did she hear a command, but she felt that her body was taken over by an external force where she was in a dream state and did not have control of her own body. It was almost like she was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings.
CASAREZ: Clancy's defense is arguing that the mother of three was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder, and she should not be held criminally responsible for the killings of her children.
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SMITH: All right. Thank you, Jean.
President Trump is escalating his trade war with Canada, promising more economic pain. He's warning that if Canadian leaders do not, in his words, fall in line, then the consequences would be far worse. Canada says it will match the Trump tariffs dollar for dollar. But Prime Minister Mark Carney says that his country will return to talks if the Trump administration has, quote, "the right attitude". He blames the collapsed negotiations on last minute and unfair trade demands from the U.S., like dropping legally mandated English and French labels required on U.S. products.
President Trump, meanwhile, sharpened his rhetoric in a Truth Social post, saying Canada is, quote, "among the worst nations in the world to deal with," and that "the U.S. doesn't need Canada. But they need us".
Ahead in our next half hour, we'll take a closer look at how this escalating trade war will impact your wallet.
We've got lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Parts of Indiana are still without power this morning, after a powerful storm ripped through the area nearly two weeks ago. The latest on a situation that has angered many residents of the state.
An up in smoke as piles of tires go up in flames, sending a blanket of smoke into the air that could be seen for miles. Details on the fire later on in the hour.
And remember this couple arrested for scaling the empire state building?
[05:10:00]
Well, details on all the charges that they are now facing. That's coming your way.
Stay with us. You're watching CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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SMITH: Today marks two weeks since a historic storm struck parts of Indiana, and thousands of people are still in the dark. Storms beginning August 11th knocked out power to nearly 375,000 customers, according to the local utility. By Monday afternoon, the number of customers without power had fallen to 9,300. More than 6,000 customers in Gary, Indiana, were still without electricity, according to the mayor.
[05:15:02]
The utility company expects power to be fully restored today.
For more, we have CNN's Sherrell Hubbard reporting.
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SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tuesday will mark two full weeks of being in the dark for some folks in northwest Indiana, and residents say the situation for some is dire.
One of them is 70-year-old Willette Wright. WILLETTE WRIGHT, GARY, INDIANA RESIDENT: Some people are now 13 days.
We got areas here in Gary where our seniors are stuck in their houses without any utilities. Our seniors are begging for help.
HUBBARD (voice-over): Others say the blackout is especially challenging for vulnerable populations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got three kids, no family support, no friends support.
HUBBARD (voice-over): Community groups are standing in the gap, providing temporary relief while crews work to get power back on. Monday, social media influencer and food blogger Keith Lee hosted a relief event.
KEITH LEE, FOOD BLOGGER: If you want some food or you need some food, come get some.
HUBBARD (voice-over): Officials at Northern Indiana Public Service Company, or NIPSCO have said they hope to have power restored for all of northwest Indiana by Tuesday. Some people say their expectations are low.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've gotten these different time timelines of when we're going to get power, and we've been told something, and then that passes and it doesn't happen. I don't have faith that it's going to be Tuesday.
HUBBARD (voice-over): The mayor of Gary, Indiana, a majority black city with one of the longest projected power restoration timelines, says his city wasn't prioritized by the power company.
MAYOR EDDIE D. MELTON, GARY, INDIANA: Gary was omitted in that time frame of restoration, which caused the community to be frustrated and upset.
HUBBARD (voice-over): He's calling on NIPSCO to put more boots on the ground there.
WRIGHT: So long to live like this. All your resources gone.
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SMITH: The daredevil couple who scaled the Empire State building for a viral proposal, they were back in court yesterday. The duo faced charges including reckless endangerment, burglary and criminal mischief. You can see them leaving court here after a passionate embrace. Prosecutors say the social media influencers entered the building the night before the Empire State Building, that is. They also say that the access restricted areas and climbed to the landmarks spire in July. We saw that take place. The defense has argued that the case is overcharged. Monday's court hearing was only a few minutes, and a grand jury has not yet acted on the pair's case. So, their next court hearing was scheduled for September 29th.
A New York City nonprofit is suing Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city in an effort to stop plans to open five government-owned grocery stores. The group represents small business owners, and it's alleging that Mamdani's plan violates the civil rights of smaller, minority owned grocery stores, which can't afford to match discounts offered by city-run stores.
Mamdani says he's confident in the legality of his plan.
Well, still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, Dr. Oz weighs in on recent comments about the MMR vaccine being lethal. What he had to say coming up.
And dog food is -- this one specifically, this one is being recalled because certain batches could contain metal. Details on that later in the hour.
Stay with us.
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SMITH: Dr. Oz is pushing back on President Trump's claim that the MMR vaccine could be quite lethal. The Medicare and Medicaid chief says that the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is not a lethal vaccine. Trump has signed an order promoting separate shots, despite no evidence the combined vaccine is lethal.
CNN's Meg Tirrell reports with more.
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DR. MEHMET OZ, ADMINISTRATOR FOR CMS: The MMR vaccine is not a lethal vaccine, and it is offered in other countries.
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Mehmet Oz is splitting from President Donald Trump on the safety of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. The administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services contradicted Trump's claims that the vaccine could be, quote, "quite lethal" during an interview Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation".
OZ: We want patients to get the treatments that their doctors are recommending to them, but we also want parents to have the autonomy to decide what their kids receive.
TIRRELL (voice-over): Trump signed an executive order in August that aimed to pave the way for doctors to give the MMR vaccine in three separate doses.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Together, there could be a possibility theyre quite lethal and separately, it looks like they are not at all lethal, but just very effective.
TIRRELL (voice-over): Immunologists and vaccine experts say there's no data to back that claim, and doing so could complicate the childhood vaccine process for families. Additionally, the vaccine is only available in the U.S. as a combination. Manufacturers have stopped making the individual shots. The CDC's website also states, quote, "no published scientific evidence shows any benefit in separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual shots". Oz told CBS's Margaret Brennan, the administration would pay for the extra doses, emphasizing that parents should be able to choose what vaccines their child gets.
OZ: The request of the president is to make sure that states offer parents either eligibility because of religious beliefs or other reasons why they may not want to have their kids take all the vaccines in order.
TIRRELL (voice-over): The combination MMR vaccine has been used in the U.S. for more than 50 years, and studies show combination vaccines increase vaccination coverage and vaccine confidence, in part by reducing the total number of shots and doctor visits
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SMITH: Thank you, Meg.
The Trump administration is trying a new approach to raise the application fee for H-1B visas. So previously the fee was roughly $3,000. But the newly proposed price tag sits at just over $103,000. The program offers foreign specialists with college degrees, a renewable three-year residency in the U.S.
[05:25:04]
But the Trump administration argues the program is overused and prevents companies from hiring Americans.
Earlier this year, a federal judge voided President Trump's executive order seeking to impose a similar $100,000 fee.
Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, how the trade war between the U.S. and Canada will make some everyday items that you use even more expensive.
And the Supreme Court hands the president a win in his ongoing effort to curb mail in voting. How it could affect the upcoming midterm elections.
Stay with us. You're watching CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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