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CNN Headlines: Evacuations Ordered In Florida As Hurricane Isaias Threatens Gulf Coast; Protests After ICE Agents Shoot NYC Man With Child In The Car; Heated Debates In Three States As Midterm Elections Draw Near. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired October 09, 2026 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:22]

BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Preparations are ramping up as the first hurricane of the Atlantic season barrels towards the U.S. Gulf Coast. We're tracking Isaias movements this morning.

Plus, protests erupting in New York City after a man was shot and wounded by ICE agents while in a car with a five-year-old. We've got the full story there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've seen all of the evidence in the Title IX file. There was no crime committed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: The attorney for one of the Cornell students accused in the alleged gang rape is speaking out. What he's saying about the evidence.

And after nearly a year at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its 5,000 sailors and marines are finally back home. The emotional reunions and the challenges ahead. But for now, welcome back.

We'll get to that story and much more. 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 the mass exodus from the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Isaias' path intensifies. You can see all the cars heading out from Perdido Key, Florida, where mandatory evacuations have been ordered.

Pensacola International Airport is scheduled to close its terminal to commercial operations this morning, and federal agencies are preparing to assist with response efforts. The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known in your neighborhood as FEMA, say they are closely monitoring the storm ahead of its expected landfall early Saturday morning. Local officials are warning residents to prepare while they still can. The Alabama-Georgia football game still on the schedule for Saturday,

but expected impacts from Isaias are causing major changes to tailgating and pregame events. ESPN's college gameday is moving its broadcast indoors. And President Trump is planning to attend the game. The mayor of Tuscaloosa says the city will be ready

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR WALT MADDOX, CITY OF TUSCALOOSA: So you will have, if the president comes, nearly 800 city employees who will be part of the overall game day experience of what's going to happen. For us, though, and this is where it becomes the balancing act, if -- if we have weather that impacts the city, we have to respond to that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Meteorologist Chris Warren joins us now.

And he just got a brand new update from the National Hurricane Center.

Chris, what is the latest?

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The 5:00 update showing that it is a one mile an hour away from being a category three hurricane. So, basically not much difference from the category two. It is now to the three that it is expected to become. And what the impacts are going to be in Tuscaloosa and the state surrounding landfall still remains to be seen. There's a lot of wildcards with this, but a well-defined eye now obvious right there. And it is heading in this direction, expecting hurricane conditions here.

Now, really get what you need to get done by noon today, from around noon today through Saturday. I think were going to be seeing the worst of this storm here. Hurricane Isaias be expected still this afternoon to become a category three. And when that happens, we're going to be seeing the winds and the rain and then the impacts continuing from Friday, 1:00 here to Saturday, 1:00 here. That's 24 hours of nasty weather. That takes us right up to Tuscaloosa and into Birmingham as well.

The wind threat, there are multiple threats, multiple states in here. The red could see up to 110 mile an hour winds. Even 57 mile an hour winds possible all the way up to Birmingham and then beyond. And then outside of this area here, we're going to have some pretty nasty weather.

But the initial push here with what is the life-threatening storm surge, the water coming in above normally dry ground will be overhead, and then the severe weather threat, the potential for tornadoes through the night tonight and during the day again tomorrow. You can see this storm with impacts again early afternoon. This is the evening landfall likely somewhere around sunset or so.

And then still by Saturday afternoon, Brad, this is a far reaching storm here. Georgia, South Carolina heavy rain storms, possibly tornadoes all the way up to the state of Tennessee will be impacted by this storm.

And then the heavy rain threat again -- Brad, we talk about the category, but remember category. We talk about one, two, three hurricanes, just wind some of the most deadly life threatening, impact threatening impacts is from the storm surge, and then the rain that can cause flooding.

SMITH: I think you kicked off with the key time indicator that people should be monitoring noon, get everything done by noon today.

Meteorologist Chris Warren, we're going to be checking back in with you later.

[05:05:02]

Thank you.

And you can keep it right here with CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, for continuing coverage as we track the storm.

And now would be a great time to download the CNN weather app so you can stay weather aware wherever you are. Just head CNN.com/CNNWeather.

Some breaking news as tensions flare in New York City after a man was shot and wounded during an ICE operation. This was the scene outside the Bronx hospital where he was taken for treatment. The Department of Homeland Security says agents encountered the 28-year-old man Thursday and shot into his car, wounding him. He's been identified as Oscar Belgal and from the Dominican Republic, a five-year-old child in the back seat was not hurt.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says his requests to have him released were denied

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY: For the past two hours, I have been on the phone with President Trump and Secretary Mullin negotiating the release of the man ICE agents shot. Those negotiations were unsuccessful. Just moments ago, ICE put the man in an unmarked vehicle and whisked him away

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: New York Governor Kathy Hochul says she also spoke with President Trump, asking him to stop the ICE operations. The NYPD says Belgal has a criminal record, but it's still not clear what led to the shooting. It comes as CNN reports, ICE agents have been told to sharply increase their weekly arrests.

Now to the midterms, and this triple header of Senate debates, three showdowns, three states Georgia, Maine. And first up here, Michigan. In the top left corner of your screen there, and now, full screen.

Republican Mike Rogers versus Democrat Abdul El-Sayed duking it out for an open seat meeting on the debate stage for the very first time. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE ROGERS (R), MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: You're going to find out that this guy is not what he says he is. He is actually selling the best con I think I've ever seen.

ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: It's about whether or not you trust your next U.S. senator to stand up to Trump and Trumpism. But you're running because Donald Trump called you and asked you to run. You can tell he's not going to stand up to anybody

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Equally fierce rhetoric.

In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff battling for reelection against his Republican challenger, Congressman Mike Collins, Ossoff opened the debate with this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JON OSSOFF (D-GA): If John Lewis were marching today from Selma to Montgomery, Mike Collins would be grabbing a billy club. His office has been in cahoots with some of the most notorious white supremacists on the country. He himself has amplified neo-Nazi propaganda.

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SMITH: And Collins did not respond to that attack. Instead, he turned his focus to election security, and they also hit on health care, data centers, immigration and the economy

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE COLLINS (R-GA): It should the America first. We have bowed down to the rest of this world and took it from companies or countries charging us tariffs over and over again. My opponent's a trust fund kid who's never had a job in his life. He doesn't understand that.

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SMITH: And in Maine, Senator Susan Collins defended her integrity against barbs from her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TROY JACKSON (D), MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE: She could use her leverage to stop this war, but instead theyre making money. I mean, Senator Collins and her husband making money more off of this war.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): That is absolutely outrageous. And you owe me an apology.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: All three seats are critical to Senate control, even as the battleground map expands, putting states Trump won easily two years ago into play for Democrats.

We've got lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. An attorney for one of the Cornell students accused in the alleged gang rape of Jane Doe is speaking out. What he says he believes happened the night of the incident.

And why attorneys for accused shooter Luigi Mangione want state charges dropped in his case. We've got the latest coming up.

Stay with us. You're watching CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.

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[05:13:48]

SMITH: This morning, new developments in the Cornell sexual assault investigation as an attorney for one of the accused students is speaking to CNN. Andrew Miltenberg, an attorney for one of the seven men, tells CNN he doesn't believe a crime was committed in the night. His client and six other Chi Phi fraternity members allegedly sexually assaulted a former student at a house party in 2024.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW MILTENBERG, ATTORNEY FOR ACCUSED CORNELL STUDENT: I've seen all of the evidence in the Title IX file. There was no crime committed that I'm aware of.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So you don't believe a crime was committed at all, not just with your clients' involvement, but with everyone

MILTENBERG: Correct. And I certainly don't think a crime was committed by Giglio (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Students and faculty at Columbia University rallied in New York Thursday to support the alleged victim. Demonstrators say the school needs to do more to handle sexual violence cases. They're also calling on Columbia to cut ties with any faculty or administrators linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

The Justice Department has documented Epstein's connections to the university. Columbia says its continually improving its systems to better support survivors. Happening today, the Manhattan D.A.'s office is set to file a motion responding to Luigi Mangione's legal teams claim that his prosecution in state court would violate his protection against double jeopardy.

[05:15:11]

That follows his guilty plea in federal court this summer. The state is expected to argue that the federal stalking charge is addressing a different harm, so it wouldn't amount to double jeopardy.

The Trump administration just made it harder for big tech to hire foreign workers, and that's because the government has suspended those companies from sponsoring green cards. The administration says Microsoft and other companies are using the process to replace American workers with lower paid foreign labor.

Vice President J.D. Vance said no company has abused the system more than Microsoft.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused this system more than Microsoft. The fraud is that theyre making representations when applying for this program that are fundamentally illegitimate, and therefore ultimately illegal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Microsoft did not respond to CNN's request for comment. The announcement came the same day that President Trump was set to award Microsoft's CEO with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

A judge is expected to issue a ruling on the White House media ban case by Tuesday, or perhaps sooner. That word, coming from the media lawyer representing CNN, MS NOW, and "Politico".

Now, reporters from those outlets were banned by the Trump administration last month. A judge extended a temporary order that requires the Trump administration to grant those reporters access, while he considers a longer term ruling. He also appeared skeptical of the administration's arguments for allowing the ban in the first place.

Lawyers for the news organization say that the White House has offered no evidence to support its repeated claims that their reporting has endangered national security.

A U.S. army report on last years deadly midair collision between a Blackhawk helicopter and an American airlines regional jet is now public. And we want to warn you that the following video shows the graphic moment the collision occurred.

The release comes after months of pressure from the families of the victims. The 50-page document details a series of systemic failures on the night of the crash, which killed all 67 people on board the two aircraft. The report does not assign individual responsibility or detail any disciplinary actions. We'll see what further comes from that report.

Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. a live streamed execution? The secretary of defense says the firing squad execution of the man convicted in the mass shooting on a Texas army base will be streamed for millions to watch. And questions swirl over Trump's SpaceX stock picks made just days before a major policy shift. That, and more straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.

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[05:22:29]

SMITH: A new congressional report details some of the damage and costs for U.S. military equipment during the war with Iran. Research shows more than 81 aircraft have been damaged or destroyed, costing up to $3.3 billion. That is nearly double the number of reported in May.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy tells CNN he tried to visit several American military sites in the Mideast, but was turned away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): The reason was made up. The reason was that it wasn't safe to bring me on to a base. But that's just not true. The fact of the matter is, I've been in the Iraq war during the height of the surge. I was brought to forward operating bases in Afghanistan when the Taliban was actively targeting our troops. This was not a question of safety. This is a question of cover up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen are warning Saudi Arabia to prepare for a long conflict ahead. The group is expanding and intensifying its attacks, targeting airports and military facilities across the kingdom.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the public will be able to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan. Hasan is the Army psychiatrist who shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood back in 2009. Dozens of others were wounded.

Hegseth spoke to Fox News about his decision to livestream.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: He's going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be, and we'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public because people need to understand that this is a serious consequence for these types of things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Hegseth says that the execution will take place on December 3rd, one week after Thanksgiving. The last time the U.S. Army executed someone by firing squad was during World War Two.

To Tennessee now, where attorneys for Christa Pike say she was able to walk with assistance after being treated for a failed execution last week. Pike was sentenced to death in the brutal murder of a classmate back in 1995. According to her attorneys, Pike is dealing with the psychological trauma of a failed execution. In addition to significant physical injuries. Her lawyers have asked the governor to commute her sentence.

There are some major questions over a series of stock and bond purchases made by President Trump last month. According to ethics filings, two days before a signing of a memo to cut red tape for space transportation, the president bought up to $5 million worth of space bonds.

[05:25:01]

He also purchased more than $30 million in shares of Microsoft and Meta weeks before downplaying calls for more regulation of artificial intelligence. The president, vice president and members of Congress are not subject to conflict of interest laws. But a former White House ethics lawyer says the stock buys give the appearance of corruption. The White House says Trump's investments are made by independent portfolio managers.

Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, Hurricane Isaias inching closer to the gulf coast states. The very latest on evacuations and storm preparations coming up.

And breaking overnight, protesters take to the streets in New York after another ice involved shooting that happened Thursday. Details for you next.

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