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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Haley Stevens Speaks about Michigan Senate Race Outcome; Tennessee Holds Primaries after Redrawing Districts in May; U.S. Senate Panel Recommends Contempt of Congress Charges for Dr. Fauci; Trump Attempts to Skirt Supreme Court Decision with New Executive Orders on Birthright Citizenship; Taylor Farm Deflects Blame When Linked to Outbreaks; Citizens in Lebanon Try to Rebuild Lives Amidst Renewed Conflict. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired August 07, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ASHLEY ETIENNE, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR VICT PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Is being scapegoated. I think what they're really trying to do is really -- is to relitigate and really change the dominant narrative about the sort of most consequential, controversial things that have happened under Trump's watch and during his tenure. We saw that what -- happening with January 6th. We saw that with his -- with Trump's interference in the 2020 election. And now we're seeing it right now with -- with COVID.
[00:00:27]
But here's my point, is that this is an opportunity cost for the country. These are very serious times. The FBI right now is investigating whether or not Iran is -- is -- is initiating a cyberattack on seven states. This is what the Homeland Security Committee should be focused on, not on Fauci.
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Ashley, John, thank you both so much. And thank you for your question, Stacey.
And hey, thanks for watching. THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson is up next.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles. Coming up, THE STORY IS in Tennessee, where Democrat Justin Pearson just won his primary, and a Trump-backed Republican just lost.
THE STORY IS in Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed's primary win is rewriting the playbook, leaving Democratic Party leaders working to unify voters after a bruising, expensive primary.
His former primary opponent, Haley Stevens, is standing by to give us her first cable news interview since primary night, only here on THE STORY IS.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: On this election night in America, we've got the special look, the special music. Let's start with new numbers. Tennessee holding primary elections for the first time since redrawing
congressional maps. They were approved in May, just days after the Supreme Court weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minorities.
The new maps carved up a black-majority district centered on Memphis, the state's only Democratic seat, splitting it into three districts that favor the GOP.
In the newly-drawn 9th District, CNN projects that Justin Pearson will win the Democratic nomination and win it big, as you can see there. He will face Trump-backed Republican Brent Taylor in the general election.
Meantime, Tennessee appears to be poised to elect its first female governor. Republican Marsha Blackburn, senator from that state, winning the GOP nomination.
And Memphis city council member Jerry Green will be the Democratic gubernatorial nominee.
In the coming hours, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will headline a Democrats unity rally in Detroit, Michigan. Buttigieg is considering running for president in 2028. He lives in Michigan.
However, the event is meant to highlight the huge stakes in the November midterms and get Michigan Democrats on the same page.
The rally comes just days after the state's highly divisive Democratic Senate primary, perhaps the highest stakes, most closely watched primary of the entire year in the entire country.
Progressive former public health official Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeating moderate congressmember Haley Stevens by just about 12,000 votes.
That Senate seat is seen as crucial to Democrats' chances of retaking control of the chamber.
Joining us now live for the first cable news interview since primary night is Haley Stevens, with us from Huntington Woods, Michigan.
Congressmember, welcome to THE STORY IS.
REP. HALEY STEVENS (D-MI): Hey, thank you so much, Elex.
MICHAELSON: Talk to me about your conversation you had with Abdul El- Sayed. What did you both say to each other? And are there plans for the two of you to physically be campaigning together on a stage?
STEVENS: Well, look, let me say this. Abdul is going to beat Mike Rogers.
And he's got Gavin Newsom coming out to campaign. He's got Senator Elissa Slotkin. She's going to be right there with him, along with Jocelyn Benson, who is going to be our next governor. We've got an amazing group of Democrats here.
And it's just an exciting moment, right, that we are sleeves-rolled-up to make sure that Michigan is heard in the halls of power.
And I'll tell you, I was watching what you were showing with Tennessee and Justin Pearson. And I'm thinking about Donavan McKinney, who also just won a seat in Detroit. And these are all going to be majority makers in Michigan, across this country: black men who are going to go and cast their vote for Hakeem Jeffries --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: -- who is going to become our first black speaker of the House.
MICHAELSON: So, are you going to be with all of those Democrats on stage with El-Sayed this weekend? And talk to us about what you two have talked about amongst yourselves.
[00:05:07]
STEVENS: Well, OK, I'll get into the good stuff. So, I am not on the ticket. Right? And I'm just -- I'm happy to be on the team, you know?
So, today, you know, I was with Abdul at the unity breakfast. We had a decent conversation. We were -- everything that needed to be said in that primary was said, OK?
Let's just be crystal-clear. You know, we -- we know where we agree, you know, on most things: to beat Mike Rogers, to beat back corrupt MAGA.
You know, Donald Trump already telling his lies, already out there doing you know, baseless attacks.
And -- and look, I am a Zionist Democrat in Michigan, and I'm still very much in this party. I am joyfully in this party. I know where my values are. Abdul and I, you know, talked all about these matters.
And look, we need change. And I've been in Congress for eight years, trying to make change, have had some successes. And Abdul has been on the outside doing some great work, I think.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: I mean, you know, I he was health director. I mean, I -- I'm proud of that effort of standing up, you know, for science.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: Abdul and I both agree that RFK Jr. should go, and Mike Rogers would vote to confirm him.
MICHAELSON: But -- but in terms of what you just said about yourself as a Democratic Zionist, which means that you believe that Israel should exist. Abdul El-Sayed has joked that he would be the most dangerous candidate
for the U.S.-Israeli relationship. He has not said definitively that Israel should exist as a Jewish state.
What do you say to your supporters who say, I could never support El- Sayed, because I'm concerned about the future of the state of Israel?
STEVENS: Well, look, I think people are going to have to make, you know, a personal and private decision. You know, Michigan is a big state. New coalitions are -- are coming forward.
And I'm going to do my work as a Democratic leader, you know, now on the outside. I'll be retiring from the House at the end of the year. Eight years of awesome elected service on behalf of the state I love, alongside a whole host of incredible Democrats. We all love this country.
And the big difference between, you know, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party is that we -- we do have big tent. And -- and look, the beauty is, is we have elections. People participate in them. There was a, you know, tons of votes counted for Democrats on Tuesday.
I think you get a lot of pundits on this, CNN. I'm certainly not one of them.
But look, their deal is -- no, seriously. Their deal is -- is all this prognosticating. Votes were cast; votes were counted. American democracy is a beautiful thing, and it's certainly alive and well in Michigan. And it's also coming to you this November.
MICHAELSON: Well, let's -- let's ask you, you're not a pundit. You're a player in this. And you had the backing of the entire or much of the Democratic establishment. A lot of money was spent. You were really close. This election was really close.
Why do you think El-Sayed won? And why do you think you lost in the end?
STEVENS: Well, he got more votes. I mean, it's that simple.
I think we spend all this time on the soothsaying and the prognosticating. I'm serious. I mean, everyone says everything the entire election. I get it. That's the way it's supposed to go.
But -- but look, it's -- the beauty in America is that, when people vote, it's an incredible thing. I was -- I'm proud to have been a part of this process. I'm proud I put my hand up.
I think right now my candidacy, you know, it certainly meant something. It's over now.
MICHAELSON: Right.
STEVENS: And I'm just still a proud Democrat. My first job ever, you know, I had a college job knocking doors for the party, you know, in West Michigan where we have Hillary Scholten, by the way -- MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: -- a Democrat, an amazing Democrat holding down the fort in a real Republican area. So --
MICHAELSON: So, the bottom line from you, it sounds like, despite the disagreement over Israel, you think that there's enough other things that you agree on that you will be joining him. It's just unclear whether the two of you will physically be appearing together anytime soon. Haley --
STEVENS: I told everyone I'll do whatever they want. Abdul spent a ton of time with me, OK?
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: I mean, we were on every darn debate stage, podium, this, that, boom bop. I've got to go back to Congress next month.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: It's all good.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: You know, it's -- this is like -- look, the fight now is Abdul beating Rogers, because Rogers is a nightmare for the health care of the East Detroiters and the folks in Saginaw and Muskegon Heights.
[00:10:10]
You know, our -- our black community --
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: -- has been hurting with the voter suppression. The --
MICHAELSON: Yes, yes.
STEVENS: -- the canceling of their -- the equity and all that. This is just silly.
And so, I'm not -- and it's hurtful. It really is hurtful. So, I'm -- I'm out here; I'm fighting, you know, for humanity, for people. This beautiful state.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: And -- and -- and look, I'll just -- I'm a Dem, you know? I'll be around. I'm going to the convention stuff. I mean, we -- I think we've got one in August.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
STEVENS: I don't know if you're allowed to come, but you know, we'll be having a good process.
MICHAELSON: Well, I hope I can see you in person sometime soon. And clearly, you're entertaining on TV. So open invite to join us for analysis, as well.
Haley Stevens, thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate the conversation.
STEVENS: Hey, thank you.
MICHAELSON: Joining me now is our panel: Michael Trujillo, Democratic strategist and political consultant. And Will O'Neill is the chairperson of the Orange County Republican Party.
As a Democrat, what stood out from what you just heard from her and what you maybe didn't hear from her when it came to Israel or some other topics, as well?
MICHAEL TRUJILLO, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I consider myself a Haley Stevens Democrat. That was an awesome interview. I think I've known her --
MICHAELSON: You've known her for a long time.
TRUJILLO: I've known her for 18 years. I know she gets paid a nickel every time the word "awesome" is mentioned or said by her. It's been part of her vernacular for decades.
You heard a professional. You heard someone that went through a tough, tough primary and is doing what's necessary to consolidate the party, to bring all the Democrats in the fold, to make sure we hold onto that Senate seat in Michigan.
It's critical that we take back the U.S. Senate and stop Donald Trump's agenda right in its tracks. And Haley Stevens is on board. She's -- she's a blue as blue Democrat can get.
MICHAELSON: Clearly, though, there is a big disagreement will over the issue of Israel. And that has been the biggest disagreement throughout the entire campaign. AIPAC spending a lot of money for her.
And I just asked her, what would you say to your supporters who are frustrated on that? And she didn't really have a specific pitch to supporters on that particular issue.
WILL O'NEILL, CHAIRPERSON, ORANGE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY: Well, she's a pro. I mean, watching that interview, it's abundantly clear that Democrat voters in Michigan, I think, basically just made the mistake Republicans did back in 2010 when they started choosing candidates that were essentially unelectable.
You might remember in Delaware a candidate saying, I'm not a witch, and everyone just remembers that.
MICHAELSON: Yes.
O'NEILL: And she lost. They made --
MICHAELSON: Christine O'Donnell.
O'NEILL: They may have just made that same mistake. I mean, you look over in Maine. They replaced a guy with a Nazi tattoo with a guy who had kids with his second cousin.
And now here in Michigan, you see someone who's --
MICHAELSON: What about Ken Paxton?
O'NEILL: Who's clearly a pro --
MICHAELSON: Would it have been a better call for Republicans in Texas to pick John Cornyn over Ken Paxton?
O'NEILL: Oh, I think -- I think you've got a Talarico/Paxton. That's going to -- that's going to make CNN's ratings skyrocket.
But -- but in Michigan, when we're talking about choosing El-Sayed over her, it's wild to think that, you know, you now have in Michigan a Democrat candidate who wants to abolish private -- private medical insurance and, potentially, the state of Israel.
MICHAELSON: But you would have never voted for Haley Stevens, given the choice.
O'NEILL: Oh, I'd vote for Mike Rogers. I've met him. He's great.
MICHAELSON: That's the problem. So, you're not part of the Democratic primary. And clearly, a lot of people in the Democratic Party -- although she was very, very close in this race.
She mentioned the fact that Gavin Newsom is going out there. Pete Buttigieg is out there. There's a "New York Post" headline, typically subtle from "The New York Post." "Gavin Newsom jets out on schmoozy mission in Michigan after El-Sayed victory." Trust me, it was not only blurry.
Your thoughts on -- on sort of the 2028 players, when Michigan is going to be an early primary state already, within days, staking out their territory, standing next to Abdul El-Sayed.
TRUJILLO: Well, I think everyone is, you know, knows their place on the chessboard. And we're trying to consolidate the party as quickly as possible.
So, you know, former Secretary Pete Buttigieg going out there; gets a full, you know, compliment of cameras with our Senate candidate. Governor Newsom, going out the following day, gets a full complement of TV cameras and news cameras out there.
So, it's just constantly finding a reason to be at the top of the news for our candidate in Michigan.
MICHAELSON: And interesting that Haley Stevens said she's not going to be out there for this unity message, but she was out there today.
Let's talk about Tennessee. Interesting results just coming in tonight. We saw Justin Pearson winning.
Somebody who did not win is Andy Ogles. We have results from that primary. This was a truck [SIC] -- Trump-backed candidate in the House Republican primary losing to Charlie Hatcher. This is after the redistricting of Tennessee to try to make that state entirely red.
How do you read that as a professional on this?
O'NEILL: Oh, probably three different ways. The first one is this is why local politics matters still. I mean, you can be running in D.C. and be back, and a lot of people might know you.
[00:15:08]
But back home, if you're not there, and people don't know you, you're going to get beat.
And Hatcher in that race had a lot more local support. And in fact, if I -- if I'm reading the early results right, it looks like Andy Ogles lost his own county, where he was mayor recently.
MICHAELSON: Wow.
O'NEILL: So, if -- if Andy Ogles -- well, let me put it this way.
Andy Ogles had both the benefit and the detriment of having a redistricting process. Because when he had the benefit of pulling out from parts of Nashville, what also happened was he got a lot of new voters who didn't know who he was.
And a lot more people clearly knew his opponent, and his opponent won because he ran a better grassroots campaign.
MICHAELSON: Yes, that's part of the thing. And we see these districts not only here in California, Tennessee, all over the country that are being redistricted.
That means that the incumbents are not necessarily incumbents for big parts of the district that they're now running. And that's going to be an interesting thing to look for in November, as well.
You're both sticking around for our next hour; lot to get into. We'll also talk about Fauci and immigration and other things in our next hour.
Michael Trujillo, Will O'Neill, thanks for being with us.
We also want to get to this. Economists are expecting low hire, low fire to remain the theme on the job market ahead of a new jobs report coming out in just a few hours.
They expect to see about 97,000 new jobs in July, which is an increase from the month before. The unemployment rate is predicted to remain steady at 4.2 percent.
But the bulk of the job gains likely came from only one sector: healthcare and social assistance.
Meanwhile, mortgage rates continue to tick up, reaching an average of 6.69 percent for a 30-year fixed mortgage. That's a new high for the year.
Meta is vowing to appeal a ruling in which it was ordered to pay $567 million into a fund to remedy its role in the youth mental health crisis.
The New Mexico judge also ordered the social media giant to tighten its controls on children's accounts.
This is the second time that Meta has been hit with a hefty penalty. In March, it was ordered to pay $375 million in damages after being found guilty of engaging in unfair and deceptive trade practices.
Meta issued a statement saying that it works hard to keep people safe on its platforms, and that it will defend itself against what it calls claims that misrepresent the facts.
Dr. Anthony Fauci became a U.S. household name during the pandemic and was even honored by President Trump. But some Republicans are now demanding he face criminal charges. We have details on that.
Plus, the Trump administration is coming after birthright citizenship again in a different way, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that rejected a previous attempt. We get legal analysis next about what this means for you.
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MICHAELSON: President Trump is taking another swing at the 14th Amendment, unveiling a pair of executive orders on Thursday targeting birthright citizenship.
Those orders tighten laws that are already in place and narrow recognized exceptions. They appear to be more limited compared to a similar order the president signed last year. The Supreme Court struck that down less than six weeks ago.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller described the administration's goals this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF: The president is using his authority as commander in chief to sign, first, an executive order using the new ruling the Supreme Court issued to expand the definitions of people who are ineligible for birthright citizenship.
That includes, for example, alien enemies of the United States, members of foreign terrorist organizations, and large categories of people who lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments.
And so, we're taking this action. It ensures that large numbers of people who wrongly would be getting birthright citizenship will no longer be eligible for those benefits.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Now, the 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution back in 1868. It guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.
A Republican-led Senate committee has officially recommended that Dr. Anthony Fauci be charged with contempt of Congress. During a fiery hearing last week, he infuriated Republican lawmakers by refusing to answer their questions about the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times.
Senator Rand Paul then held a committee vote on contempt charges, which was not brought before the full Senate. It passed 8-7 along party lines. Had the full Senate had their say, the effort to punish Dr. Fauci, who many health -- public health and -- workers and Americans hold in high esteem, would likely be dead in the water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): This is outside of the ordinary bill-making process, so it doesn't have to go to the House, doesn't have to be signed by the president, and really doesn't have to go before the Senate.
There is some precedent for doing it that way, and it still may be done that way. But for now, we will hand carry this over to the attorney general. We will hand carry this to the district court here in Columbia. And we will -- as a committee, we have voted, the majority, to refer this. So, that will be accomplished today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Republicans have long accused Dr. Fauci of lying and misrepresenting data during the pandemic, though they have not provided clear evidence of a cover-up.
Former President Joe Biden gave him a preemptive pardon, while Donald Trump awarded him a special commendation before leaving office.
[00:25:00]
President Trump is not revealing whether his administration will support charges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, you know, they prosecuted Peter Navarro, and they prosecuted Steve Bannon, two very decent people, over something that essentially was never prosecuted before. And there are sort of telltale signs of similarity.
So, when you see that happen, you sort of say, maybe he should. What he did is far more serious than a lot of crimes, frankly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Joining me live now, Jessica Levinson, professor of law at Loyola Law School. She's with us from Ojai, California. Jessica, is there any actual legal danger for Dr. Fauci?
JESSICA LEVINSON, PROFESSOR OF LAW, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL: In invoking his Fifth Amendment privilege and now being referred by the Senate committee to the Department of Justice, is there any legal danger?
I mean, of course, there's the potential that an attorney general says, we want to take this case to a grand jury. And there is the potential that a grand jury says -- and we don't know for sure, of course -- but the grand jury says, let's indict.
Now, I think for a lot of reasons, this is a very weak case against Dr. Fauci. If you think about why he's being referred for this contempt charge, it's because he was invoking a Constitutional right, his right against self-incrimination.
Now, the counter to that is, well, he got a broad pardon. So, why is he able to invoke that right?
As you know, Elex, because the pardon doesn't include everything. It doesn't include things from the date after the pardon -- January 19th, 2025 and forward. And it doesn't include any potential state crimes either.
MICHAELSON: Right. So, if he would have said something new during that hearing, the pardon does not include that. So, if you just read the same piece of paper over and over and over again, you don't say anything new. And it's boring if you're watching it, but it potentially maybe protects you legally. We'll find out.
So, that's one headline. Another big headline we just talked about was about birthright citizenship, new executive orders. What's different about these executive orders compared to the other orders that the Supreme Court just ruled on six weeks ago?
LEVINSON: So, I think exactly as you said, these are narrower. They cover fewer people.
So, before, I think, in the executive order that President Trump signed the first day of his second term, that was really a broad redefinition of what birthright citizenship is.
But when it comes to these new executive orders, what the president is really trying to do is look at existing exceptions to birthright citizenship. Think about the children of foreign diplomats. They enjoy diplomatic
immunity, so they're not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. As you know, that's a key term when it comes to the 14th Amendment.
Also, think about enemy combatants and their children. Same thing: where we think they're not necessarily subject to the jurisdiction thereof.
But what the Trump administration is trying to do is enlarge those buckets and say it's not just enemy combatants. It's also people who are affiliated with domestic and foreign terrorist organizations. It's also people who are subject to the Alien Enemies Act.
When it comes to foreign diplomats, they're saying it's not just foreign diplomats. It's other people who work for foreign governments.
I think that this in -- these executive orders will run into the same problem as the first one. But we do see President Trump doing, frankly, what he did with the travel ban, where he is -- He starts big, and then it narrows and narrows.
MICHAELSON: Does the Supreme Court look well upon something like this, which looks like sort of a do some interpret this as a run around of what they just said? Or do they say, OK, you're listening to us. You're making this better. I mean, how do the justices think about something like this?
LEVINSON: So, we know that it was a 6-to-3 decision, where a majority of the court found that President Trump didn't have the power by executive order to change the definition of birthright citizenship. it was actually 5-to-4 and 6-to-3, where Justice Kavanaugh said, I think the executive order is improper under a statute. And he didn't move on to the Constitutional question.
I think that's important, because if you look at what the Supreme Court might think, well, again, I think the travel ban is probably a good example, where the first iterations of the travel ban were --- were struck down.
The Trump administration then went narrower. They covered fewer countries and not just Muslim-majority countries, and that ultimately was upheld in the Hawaii versus Trump case.
I think what the justices, if and when this comes to them, what the justices will do is look at this, frankly, as if it comes to them anew. And they will say, are these executive orders proper under the Constitution and current statutory law?
[00:30:07]
MICHAELSON: Yes, almost like Brett Kavanaugh was giving them a signal with that; potentially not voting entirely with the group.
Jessica Levinson, thank you so much for breaking it down. You're the best. Appreciate it. We want to go to some breaking news just in to CNN.
We have reports that say at least one teacher was killed and four others were injured in a school shooting in Thailand. This is a live picture right now from Thailand, where it's just after 11:30 in the morning.
You can see flashing lights are there. You see authorities are there as part of this investigation.
They say that a student opened fire at a school. This is North of Bangkok. That student then later killed himself.
This is just coming in. We're just arriving on the scene. We're going to have new updates on that throughout the next hour and a half here on THE STORY IS.
But again, a school shooting in Thailand.
When we return, a CNN investigation into the company that the FDA links to the outbreak that's causing explosive diarrhea. Turns out this is not the first time they've been tied to other outbreaks. Their response is always the same.
Kyung Lah digs into it next.
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[00:36:07]
MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell back at home, recovering after he was released from a rehab center. The 84-year-old Republican went to the hospital on June 14th with what he later revealed was a fall.
He said he did not suffer broken bones, a concussion or a heart attack, but disclosed that he was briefly unconscious after that fall and developed mild pneumonia.
He says he's working at his job while taking physical therapy.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is ordering inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets for possible cracks. The FAA warns that undetected damage could reduce the planes structural integrity.
That order comes after cracks were discovered around the forward service doors of some aircraft.
More than a million tickets were sold for Wednesday's Powerball lottery, but no one won the grand prize. So now, the jackpot soars to an estimated $856 million for next drawing on Saturday. That would make it the eighth largest grand prize in the U.S. game's history.
Powerball says one lucky person in Ohio won a subsidiary prize of $1 million in Wednesday's draw. We'd all take that, right?
Now to the latest on the spreading cyclospora outbreak. At least 15 states and more than 6000 cases have been linked by federal health officials to lettuce sold by Taylor Farms.
It's at least the fifth time that the company has been directly tied to outbreaks. But as CNN senior investigative correspondent Kyung Lah finds, Taylor Farms has a long pattern of deflecting blame.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: This is the headquarters for Taylor Farms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is private property.
LAH: OK.
LAH (voice-over): Taylor Farms won't talk to us on camera today. We'd already asked for an interview and had not heard back.
This is the company the FDA linked to the historic cyclospora outbreak: 6,000 sick, hundreds hospitalized, and two dead. Here's what we want to ask the company.
The government traced at least five different outbreaks directly to Taylor Farms in the past 13 years. And a CNN review finds time after time, the company turned to a similar playbook, deflecting blame.
How? By relying on negative test results to imply that Taylor Farms products are not responsible, even though investigators mainly find the source of outbreaks by figuring out what and where people who got sick ate.
BILL MARLER, FOOD SAFETY ATTORNEY: It's deja vu all over again. I sort of feel like we're on a repeat record.
LAH (voice-over): This month, Taylor Farms said, "According to the FDA, there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for cyclospora as of August 5th, 2026. We are confident in our food and food safety systems."
Let's rewind through the known outbreaks linked to Taylor Farms. 2013. Eerily similar cyclospora cases connected to Taylor Farms salad.
Ceo Bruce Taylor said at the time, "All our tests have been negative, and we have no evidence of cyclospora in our product."
2015, a multi-state E. coli outbreak. Taylor's public response: "The tests were preliminary findings, and it looks like a false alarm." The FDA later said a product with Taylor Farms produce was the likely source.
2024, another E. coli outbreak traced to onions distributed by Taylor Farms. The company said it found "no traces of the bacteria. All Taylor Farms products in the market today are safe to consume." MARLER: I think they have played a little bit fast and loose with the
facts.
LAH (voice-over): Food safety attorney Bill Marler has sued Taylor Farms a dozen times in multiple outbreaks, representing more than 100 clients.
He says the company implies its food may not be to blame by telling the public their testing found no trace of the microbes. But Marler says that doesn't prove anything.
[00:40:04]
MARLER: Taylor Farms is using those negative results to muddy the water.
The scientists at Taylor Farms know better: that the products that get tested are not the products that people consumed. And I always say this, and it sounds like I'm making a joke, but people eat the evidence.
LAH: About half of America's domestic lettuce is grown here in the Salinas Valley in central California. It's also where Taylor Farms is headquartered.
But the focus of this cyclospora outbreak is in central Mexico at the Taylor Farms facility there, the same plant linked to another cyclospora outbreak in 2013.
MARLER: It's the same facility. They're drawing iceberg lettuce in from the same area and expecting a different result.
LAH (voice-over): Taylor Farms tells CNN it invests more than 200 million a year in food safety. The problem is that nothing can kill cyclospora on fresh vegetables without cooking.
LAH: In the middle of this enormous outbreak, some of the nation's top food safety experts are gathering in this one conference in New Orleans. So, we've come here to talk to a consultant who has worked with Taylor Farms.
TREVOR SUSLOW, PROFESSOR, EXTENSION EMERITUS AT UC DAVIS: It absolutely feels like deja vu for all of us, for everybody.
LAH (voice-over): Food safety expert Trevor Suslow says he's one of the scientists hired by Taylor Farms on this outbreak, part of the rapid response team to find what could have gone wrong at the facility in Mexico.
LAH: Is there a working theory right now?
SUSLOW: Right now, it's very difficult to come up with a working theory. If they're missing something, they want to know. And then they put in programs in place to correct that. And they've really built a strong program, you know, really progressively since 2013.
LAH: Would you open up a bag of Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce and -- and eat it today?
SUSLOW: Yes, I would. If one assumes that that was the source, there's nothing been shipped for, you know, since mid-July. You know, it's either consumed already or it's -- it's gone.
LAH: Do you eat bagged salad?
MARLER: No.
LAH: Ever.
MARLER: No. No. Ever. No.
When you've been with families who've lost family members to a bag of romaine lettuce, you do change your eating habits.
LAH: Taylor Farms did email us a statement saying the company goes above and beyond industry guidance or requirements for testing.
It added, "We have cooperated fully with regulators in any instance where food safety concerns were raised, taking corrective action where warranted. For this recall, we have acted voluntarily, moved more broadly than required, and will continue to be transparent as more information becomes available."
Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Kyung, thank you.
Still ahead, President Trump sending some mixed messages about U.S. weapon stockpiles. That story, plus the latest from the Middle East next.
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[00:47:46]
MICHAELSON: Saudi Arabia is bracing for attacks by Iraqi militias and Iran-backed Houthis as the war between the U.S. and Iran threatens to widen in that region.
A Saudi official says that multiple intelligence reports from the kingdom, the U.S., and other countries in the region indicate some Iraqi militias are planning to attack ports and airports in the very near future, under the guidance of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
That warning comes after Saudi Arabia has come under missile attacks from Houthis and drone attacks from Iran-backed militias in Iraq in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, President Trump has privately complained in recent days about reports on the dwindling stockpiles of U.S. weapon musician [SIC] -- munitions after months of war with Iran. Senior U.S. officials say that the president is frustrated, as he
believes that the reports make the U.S. look weak at a critical juncture in the conflict when he wants to project strength.
He has repeatedly threatened additional military action to try to motivate Iran to agree to a long-term peace deal.
CNN reported this week that the military has burned through nearly 4/5 of its THAAD missile inventory compared to pre-war numbers, and roughly half of its Patriot interceptors since the start of the war.
President Trump posting Thursday morning, quote, "The U.S. has massive amounts of 'munitions,' especially of certain types. Additionally, large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed."
By the afternoon, the president acknowledged that certain types of munitions are in what he calls tighter supply.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We have certain types of munitions that are very powerful, that we have unlimited, virtually unlimited supply. We have others where it's a little bit tighter, and we're getting them in on a daily basis.
We have certain types of munitions which are very -- they may not be as accurate. They may not be -- you know, they're not as elite. We have elite, too, but we're -- we're watching that very closely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are reacting to the reports of depleted munitions stockpiles. Here's Senate Majority Leader Republican John Thune.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): The reports are concerning. And obviously, that's why we need to do more to make sure that our military has the funding it needs.
[00:50:05]
It's a -- it's always a dangerous situation when we've got these debates about military funding get politicized. Unfortunately, that's what's happened this year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: The U.S. State Department says a third round of peace talks between Israel and Lebanon was, quote, "productive."
The U.S. says the two sides are a lot closer on next steps to expand the so-called pilot zone process, which calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from Southern Lebanon and then cede control of the area to Lebanon's military. Those talks comes as the Israeli military has ramped up strikes on
Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon over the past few days, including new airstrikes on Thursday.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating a tenuous ceasefire deal.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's prime minister also held parallel talks with the British government on efforts to stop the fighting in the region.
CNN's Nada Bashir reports now on how the renewed hostilities are affecting civilians as they try to rebuild their lives amid that ongoing conflict.
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NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Clearing the debris of a home now turned to rubble, the result of a months-long Israeli military assault on Southern Lebanon.
"When the shelling started, my family fled," Abu Ali (ph) says. "And when I returned, everything was destroyed."
His family fled the village of Zolta, which overlooks the Litani River, in February and have only now been able to return, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Inside what remains of their home, the remnants of this war lay scattered. "Israeli bullets," he tells us.
Walls completely blown out, bullet holes above where his grandchildren once slept.
"We want calm. We want security. We want a state," he says. "We want to be protected by the military. We don't want to fight. But if Israel attacks us, we will attack them."
Abu Ali (ph) is far from alone. Among the more than a million people displaced from their homes by the war in Lebanon. Issam Hashem (ph) says he and his family of four returned to their village as soon as the military gave them the all clear, after months spent sheltering in a school in Beirut.
"Take a look at this scene. The destruction. The Israelis were sleeping here in this room," Issam (ph) says. "They even left behind their food and water."
Through shattered glass and concrete, Issam (ph) takes us to what was his children's bedroom. Out in the distance, he says, Israeli tanks are still positioned. "You can see them right in front of us. Just a few hundred meters away," he says.
Across the scars of this deadly conflict remain homes left crumbling, neighborhoods deserted. This monastery, now bullet-ridden and desecrated.
The scale of the destruction here is reflected across Southern Lebanon, and the recovery process could take years.
While members of this community work to rebuild homes and restore critical infrastructure, some wounds are more difficult to heal. Many have lost their livelihoods.
"Most of the residents here depend on agriculture. There was a harvest season right before the war started. People fled and left it behind," Abed Azzeddine (ph), the mayor of West Zolta (Ph), says. "I believe there is a big percentage of farms that are not fit for farming anymore due to shelling and airstrikes."
For many, this is not the first time they've been forced to flee their homes, nor the first time they have returned to find utter destruction. Locals here know just how fragile a ceasefire can be, and how quickly everything can change.
And while some say they are putting their trust in the Lebanese army to protect them, others say they remain faithful in their support for another military force: Hezbollah.
The Iran-backed political and military group has long dominated in the South.
"I'm proud that my husband, a fighter who defended his land, was martyred in his village," Israa Shul (ph), a mother and now widow, tells us. She and her children fled the border village of Tayr Harfa (ph) in October 2023.
Their community coming under intense Israeli bombardment after Hezbollah launched a series of attacks on Israel in solidarity with the people of Gaza.
War with Israel, she says, has impacted generations of her family. No stranger to Israeli occupations of the past. "They killed my grandfather. My father was a prisoner of war," she says. "All my uncles were tortured. My entire village suffered."
[00:55:04]
Now, Israa (ph) says she is determined to carry on the struggle. "Eventually, we will return to our village, and if we don't, then our children will return. And if they don't, our grandchildren will."
Nada Bashir, CNN, in London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: You are looking right now at live pictures out of Thailand, where authorities say a student opened fire at a school North of Bangkok, killing a teacher, injuring students. The shooter then reportedly took his own life.
We will go live to the region at the top of the hour.
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