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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson
Venezuelan Oil Deals Unlikely to Tame U.S. Gasoline Prices; Airlines Cutting Cheaper Flights Amid Rising Fuel Costs; Britain's King Charles Warns of Existential Dangers of A.I.; Trump Appears in More Dem Ads Than GOP Ads; Former 'American Idol' Contestant on Trial for Wife's Murder; Winemakers Face Uncertain Future Following Scorching Summer. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired September 18, 2026 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: That was excellent. But you didn't mention the Buffalo Bills somehow winning the opener at Highmark Stadium tonight. I appreciate that, for one.
[00:00:08]
Thanks so much, Harry.
And thank you all for watching tonight. THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson is next.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles. Coming up, THE STORY IS everything is expensive. New highs in the cost of gasoline, diesel. Now even your mortgage rate. And the repercussions of the war in Iran are now impacting low-cost flights.
THE STORY IS political advertising. While Trump is on the campaign trail for his party, GOP ads are not featuring him as often as expected. We'll discuss why with my panel.
And THE STORY IS home invasion or murder? Thirteen years ago, Caleb Flynn's wife encouraged his "American Idol" dream. Now, he's on trial for her killing.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: THE STORY IS rising economic and political costs for the Trump administration as the broadening conflict in the Middle East makes itself felt right here at home.
The pain is obvious at the pump, thanks to soaring fuel costs, but it's also having an impact on home buyers and other borrowers.
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 6.95 percent this week, according to Freddie Mac. Mortgage rates are at their highest level since President Trump began his second term.
This is the fourth straight week of climbing rates and the largest one-week mortgage rate jump in 16 months.
It comes just a day after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in a move to try to tame inflation.
The war in Iran is also affecting the price of gasoline. According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular is $4.43. Here in California, the average is just over $6 per gallon. And overall, a huge difference compared to one year ago, when the average price was $3.20.
Diesel prices are skyrocketing, too, hitting a new record high on Friday. AAA says an average gallon of diesel now cost drivers a whopping $6.39. Here in California, it's more than $8.30.
That is nearly double the cost of just one year ago.
Former Republican Congressmember Marjorie Taylor Greene is blaming all this on President Trump and his war with Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R), FORMER GEORGIA REPRESENTATIVE: This is ridiculous. Let me -- look, everything you buy -- your food, your supplies, all of your goods -- gets delivered by diesel.
The war in Iran has got to stop. This is Trump's fault. This should not be this high. It needs to end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: That sentiment is shared by many Americans as high fuel prices take a toll on consumers and businesses alike.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN TURNER, OWNER, TURNER FARMS: It used to cost $100 in diesel fuel, and now it costs $200 in diesel fuel. It hurts.
SHELLY KOCH, PRESIDENT, K.J. TRUCKING: The biggest hardship that we deal with is it hurts your cash flow, right? It takes cash out of your business kind of immediately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: And the repercussions from soaring fuel prices have been felt far beyond the U.S. Protests against high prices have erupted across almost every continent in recent days.
The latest factor that is driving up fuel prices is the intensifying conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.
The Houthis have rapidly seized ground in recent days along Yemen's coastline with the Red Sea. The Red Sea and the choke point, Bab Al- Mandeb Strait, are crucial for shipping from Asia through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea and Europe.
The Houthis' tightening grip over shipping the Red Sea has raised concerns that the escape route for the region's oil supplies are closing up, while Iran and the U.S. battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
That was the backup plan. Now the backup plan is out.
From -- the pipeline has been moving 4 million to 5 million barrels per day, amounting to 4 percent to 5 percent of global supply, sparing Saudi Arabia the brunt of the disruption that has crippled other Gulf oil and gas exporters.
But the White House has been saying that Venezuela is part of its Plan B for oil-related issues. Axios reports that President Trump plans to meet with Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly next week.
The president touted access to her country's oil at the recent Republican mid-term convention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're the biggest in the world. And that's without Venezuela, which we've just added to our little stockpile.
[00:05:07]
Took 25 minutes, and we took over the oil of Venezuela, 65 billion barrels of oil.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: But those billions of barrels will not bring U.S. gas prices down anytime soon. Kevin Liptak has more from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The administration continues to try and point to these deals that it say -- it says will dramatically ramp up supply of oil in the United States.
Now, it's going to take years for that to happen. The oil infrastructure in Venezuela has been neglected for a long time, and administration officials will acknowledge that, as well.
The president has said that perhaps they could use this oil to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That also would require some dramatic changes, since the oil that comes from Venezuela isn't the type that typically goes into the SPR.
But nonetheless, this is a huge priority for the president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Joining me live is Kenny Polcari, a partner and chief market strategist at SlateStone Wealth. Welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time.
KENNY POLCARI, PARTNER AND CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST, SLATESTONE WEALTH: Well, thank you for having me. It's a pleasure.
MICHAELSON: So, how does this end? I know you say it's pretty simple.
POLCARI: Listen, it's going to end when the crisis in the Middle East ends, because it's -- everything you talked about, and everyone's pointing it out. It's all dependent on what's happening to the price of energy, whether it's oil, whether it's diesel.
All that is -- is contributing exactly to what we see now with rising prices, rising energy prices, transportation prices. It filters right down everything.
So, once this ends, if it ends, is when we'll see kind of relief come to the inflation side, to energy prices, to gas prices, to diesel prices, and everything should come down.
But until we see that end -- and I don't see it at the moment. Right? What started out as a six-week conflict is now an eight-month conflict, an eight-month war with no real end in sight. And so, I don't see that it's going to end anytime soon.
MICHAELSON: Obviously, the U.S. has a hand in this ending, but Iran has a hand in it ending, as well. You say Iran is very well aware of the midterm calendar.
POLCARI: Sure. Because, look, it makes perfect sense, right? Iran understands what's happening in five weeks. They understand that Trump is really on the ballot. And if they continue to hold his feet to the fire, they don't come to the table, and they don't make a deal, then it's going to be more pressure on Americans.
And America -- what they're hoping is that the Americans essentially revolt, right? And they vote against Trump. They vote against the Republicans. And then there's, potentially, a sweep.
And look, we can already start to see it. You know, six weeks ago, it was understood that the Democrats would take the House and the Republicans would probably control the Senate.
As of today, the House is probably gone to the Democrats for sure. And the Senate is right -- it's right on the line. It could go either way.
And the longer this happens, the more oil goes up, if diesel goes up anymore, it's going to be more pressure. And Americans are going to get frustrated.
And I think what Iran is hoping is that they get frustrated enough that they create a change at the midterms that's going to really neutralize Donald Trump for the next two years.
MICHAELSON: And for people old enough to remember, it sort of is like 1979, 1980, when Ronald Reagan was running against Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter was the president. And they did not negotiate the hostages out to try to hurt Jimmy Carter, the incumbent president.
And then they released him the minute that Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as a big middle finger to Jimmy Carter in the process.
POLCARI: Right.
MICHAELSON: So -- so in terms of all the rest of us, because we can't control what's going on in the Middle East, but we've all got to deal with the effects of it.
So, what do you say to individuals who are struggling right now, or sort of trying to figure out what to do with their money?
POLCARI: Listen, individuals are going to -- I mean, if you're just talking about struggling and trying to get day to day, you're going to have to make choices. People are going to have to make choices on where they spend their money, how they spend their money.
Maybe they're going to cut back on certain things because you need to put gas in the car. You need to put oil in your -- in your -- in your home heating system. You know, winter's coming. So, you've got to heat your house.
You've got to have gas in your car to drive around: to do place -- go to places, go to work and all that stuff.
And so, people are going to have to start to make choices on how they spend their money or how they allocate their money, even more so than they even did maybe a month or two ago, thinking, well, this is going to be over. By the time, you know, the fall comes, this will be over.
Well, it's not over, and it doesn't look like it's going to be over anytime soon. So, they're going to have to really start to reallocate, you know, the family budget.
MICHAELSON: And that may be part of the reason that the Fed chair is -- is raising interest rates to try to cool this economy down.
But there's a lot of people that could -- could suffer in the meantime.
Kenny Polcari bringing the energy after midnight. Thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.
POLCARI: It's my pleasure. Any time.
[00:10:04]
MICHAELSON: Let's talk more about what's happening here. The high fuel prices are continuing to impact air travel, as well.
In response to rising costs, executives from United, American, and Southwest airlines told investors Wednesday that they expect to cut cheaper and less profitable flights in the final months of the year.
Joining us live to discuss that is Peter Greenberg. He is the travel editor at CBS News.
Peter, welcome back to the show. Why are -- why are the cheaper flights cut first?
PETER GREENBERG, TRAVEL EDITOR, CBS NEWS: Very simple. They're not making any money. How about that for math?
The bottom line is this: there are no such thing as low-cost carriers anymore, because the only thing they could offer were low fares. They can't support the gas prices. That's what took care of Spirit. That was the catalytic reason why they failed.
And as a result, the airlines have to look at their yield. No. 1 is the yield. How much are they getting for every seat?
Even though some flights may be full that are being cut right now, the margins are not there because of the gas prices.
American Airlines has a gas bill that just went up $1 billion. They've got to cover that. Same thing with -- with United and Delta. That's the first thing.
The second thing is we're in the fourth quarter. That's traditionally a slow period of travel. And guess what? It's going to be a slow period of travel. They're looking at their forward-looking projections. They're not holding up because of the fact we've got the coming midterm elections. You've got the economy; you've got fuel prices. People tend to hold back. So, they're not necessarily booking that far ahead.
So, what are you seeing at the same time that they're going to cut back prices. You're seeing some airfare sales coming up. Why? Because of capacity.
You've got a situation where the average coach airfare next month will probably drop to about $226. To Europe, it'll drop down to $800, but that doesn't mean people are going to go.
So, the airlines are performing a scheduled triage here to try to loosen -- excuse me, lessen those losses at a -- at the very moment that other things are contributing to them, as well.
MICHAELSON: So, are you saying that prices are going to go down, then?
GREENBERG: They're going to go down in certain markets. We're actually seeing airfare sales coming up right now. Southwest Airlines offering up to 40 percent off for flights through the end of this year.
MICHAELSON: Wow.
GREENBERG: That should tell you everything you need to know.
What we're also seeing is the availability, for the first time in a long time, of frequent flier award tickets at redemption levels that may be lower. That tells you that demand is not keeping up with capacity at the same time that the fuel prices are going up.
It's a perfect storm that doesn't benefit the airlines.
MICHAELSON: So, essentially, that all this stuff is hurting the rest of the economy so much that people don't have the money to travel.
GREENBERG: It's happening at the same time that consumer credit card debt has never been higher, at an average rate of 25 percent interest. So, many people will buy their airline tickets on credit cards. They're holding back now. It's a perfect storm.
MICHAELSON: So, if you're thinking about booking travel, maybe thinking about holiday travel already, what's the best time to do that in terms of booking?
POLCARI: Well, if you take a look at the Google research, it'll tell you about 61 days out is when you're going to get the lowest fares.
So, right now we're almost at Thanksgiving. And if you look at the 61- day mark. And of course, we're looking also at Christmas.
But Thanksgiving is -- is the huge indicator. It's not Christmas. That's where you can see prices start to spike over a ten-day window.
But other than that ten-day window, you're going to see a buyer's market, for those people who can afford to travel, between now and the end of the year.
MICHAELSON: I'm surprised by a lot of what you said. When I heard all about the higher jet fuel prices, I figured that -- that we would have more expensive tickets.
But it's, I guess, good news if you have the money to be able to travel right now.
Peter Greenberg, thank you so much for always bringing us the best information. Go ahead.
GREENBERG: No, I was going to say it's counterintuitive, but that's what's happening because everything's affecting the price. Yes.
MICHAELSON: Interesting. That's why we go to you: the stuff we didn't know. Thank you so much.
Still ahead this hour, Israel's prime minister sends a message to voters ahead of next month's elections. He says their choices boil down to what you see on this traffic sign. We'll explain.
Plus, Pennsylvania's governor, Josh Shapiro, sounding the alarm over A.I. and accusing the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers of downplaying the risks to Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Speaker Mike Johnson and too many in Congress, well, they are content to do absolutely nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:19:07]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAPIRO: The federal government needs to work with leading researchers and experts, as we've done here in Pennsylvania. And with the American people, not against them, to develop strict guardrails on this technology, its development, and its deployment in the real world.
Look, I recognize that that is hard work, but we elect our leaders to take on the hardest problems, not to give up at the first sight of difficulty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, calling for tougher restrictions on artificial intelligence as President Trump downplays concerns raised by tech leaders.
Shapiro is pushing for greater transparency in A.I. development; independent oversight of frontier models; and a stronger focus on safety.
He's also calling for international cooperation and says that the president should raise A.I. concerns with Chinese leader Xi Jinping when they meet next week.
[00:20:09]
Britain's King Charles is also weighing in on artificial intelligence, hosting an A.I. summit in Scotland. He invited tech leaders and experts to discuss the potential risks that A.I. poses to humanity.
CNN's Anna Stewart is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this summit was probably planned a long time ago, but the timing couldn't have been better, as the world debates the risks A.I. could pose to humans.
The king hosted the event at Dumfries House in Scotland and brought together A.I. leaders including Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia; Demis Hassabis, the founder and chair of Google DeepMind; as well as A.I. advisors from around the world and even representation from China, according to Buckingham Palace. Opening the event, the king highlighted the very urgent need for the discussion.
KING CHARLES, UNITED KINGDOM: Those who have created these technologies are now increasingly warning that A.I. risks developing darker capacities, perhaps even to take life.
And in this regard, if I may say so, there seems urgency in adequately considering the existential dangers of such technologies falling into the wrong hands and being used in potentially catastrophic ways surely, then we need sufficient means of control before it is all too late. STEWART: The king didn't enter a debate or share any opinions on how
A.I.. should be regulated. Maintaining the usual distance that monarchs keep from politics, but at the same time using royal star power to shine a light on an issue clearly deemed important.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Thank you.
Los Angeles authorities have identified the third victim of Tuesday's crash of a KNBC News helicopter.
Twenty-nine-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, seen here on the right was a pedestrian in the parking lot where the chopper went down. The pilot and reporter were also killed in that crash.
Friends and family gathered Thursday evening to remember the victims of both the helicopter crash and the bus crash the news crew had been covering.
Mourners held a candlelight vigil at a church in the Chatsworth neighborhood, where the crash happened. The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, paid tribute to the victims as well as journalists and first responders who rushed to that scene.
A U.S. military f-16 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise in Michigan. Officials say the pilot ejected before the plane hit the ground and then burst into flames. You can see them there.
No other injuries have been reported. State police ordered evacuations within a one-mile radius due to a hazardous chemical spill related to the crash.
It's not clear what caused the jet to actually go down.
Still ahead this hour, we'll talk about what's happening in terms of President Trump and why so many ads are not mentioning him, even though he says to his voters, Pretend I'm on the ballot.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:28:04]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Which way are we going? It is either right or left. Do you want left? Do you want right?
Do you want a Palestinian state? Do you want a Jewish state? Do you want a judicial dictatorship? Do you want a true democracy? Do you want to surrender?
I know what you want. You want to fight! (END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELSON: Mr. Benjamin -- that, of course, is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, using a traffic sign to send a message to voters.
He spoke at an event in Tel Aviv on Thursday that celebrated the Jewish holidays. The "T" junction sign was meant to tell supporters that they are choosing which direction the country will take.
Israel is holding parliamentary elections in late October. The Reuters news agency says polls suggest his Likud Party could lose a third of its parliamentary seats. But they show no clear leader with a path to victory at this point.
Remember, it's a parliamentary system, so a lot of it is about putting coalitions together, not a straight-up president like what we would have in the United States.
Speaking of the United States, midterm elections are just over six weeks away, and voters are seeing a blitz of campaign messaging from Republicans and from Democrats.
But you might be surprised to learn that President Trump appears in more Democratic ads than Republican ones.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny has our look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump is eager to be at the center of the midterm election fight.
TRUMP: So, I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot. I'm on the ballot.
ZELENY (voice-over): Yet, one place he's not: at the center of Republican campaign ads.
A new CNN analysis shows that Trump is a bit player, often seldom mentioned at all, in a deluge of GOP ads in some of the biggest races in the country.
[00:30:03]
While the president asked Republicans to vow their loyalty to him --
TRUMP: Please raise your right hand. I pledge --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I pledge --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I pledge --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I pledge --
TRUMP: -- to the greatest president in the history of the United States. ZELENY (voice-over): -- our analysis shows that Democrats are far more
likely to invoke Trump's name in attack ads like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mike Rogers. All in on the war, all in on Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Susan Collins does what's best for Trump.
ZELENY (voice-over): So far this month, Republicans have aired just 12 ads that mention Trump, a CNN analysis of ad impact data found, to the tune of about $1 million.
But that's only a fraction of more than 500 GOP ads produced during that period, spending that adds up to more than $160 million. That means Republicans and their allies are devoting less than 1 percent of their ad budgets on Trump's specific TV spots.
Still, the president wants to make the midterm elections all about him.
TRUMP: When I'm in the ticket, Republicans always do very well.
ZELENY (voice-over): But given his historically low approval ratings, Democrats do, too.
So far in September, Democratic candidates and groups have spent nearly $23 million on 95 TV spots that mention the president, making up about one-fifth of their ad budget.
Fallout from the Iran War is a theme Democrats have seized on, like in this ad attacking Republican Mike Rogers in his Michigan Senate race with Abdul El-Sayed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The endless war in Iran is costing us all. Billions for bombs. Brutal at our gas pumps and Mike Rogers, a cheerleader for Donald Trump's war.
[00:31:00]
ZELENY (voice-over): As some Republicans thread a delicate needle by showing their support and independence with Trump.
SEN. ROGER MARSHALL (R-KS): This is not the first time I've disagreed with President Trump, and it probably won't be the last.
ZELENY (voice-over): Outside GOP groups are firing back hard, erasing a Democratic spending advantage in nearly every top Senate race.
Republican advisors say the party's best hopes of holding the Senate majority is not by touting Trump's agenda in TV ads, but by tearing into their Democratic rivals.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's something not right about Abdul El-Sayed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sherrod Brown: bailouts for big banks, higher taxes for you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Roy Cooper. His record is worse than you remember.
ZELENY (voice-over): Trump repeatedly talks about the fate of all presidents and their parties in midterm elections.
TRUMP: Even if he's really a good president or a great president. There aren't too many of them. They don't win the midterms, and nobody quite knows why.
ZELENY (voice-over): A lesson he well remembers from 2018, when Republicans lost control of the House during his first term.
You know what happens if you don't vote? You go to Hell. You know that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY (voice-over): Joining me now is Michael Trujillo, Democratic strategist and political consultant. Also with us is Jon Fleischman, California political strategist, former executive director of the states Republican party. Gentlemen, welcome back to THE STORY IS.
Jon, as the Republican here has anybody told President Trump to stop talking about President Trump? It seems like you've got very different messages there.
JON FLEISCHMAN, CALIFORNIA POLITICAL STRATEGIST: It's almost like a rhetorical question. Elex, he likes to talk about himself. He will always talk about himself.
But as was pointed out by the great coverage before we started this panel, the president's got historically low approval numbers, especially with the swing voters that are necessary to win an election.
So, the answer was really in the news story itself. Republicans aren't putting Donald Trump on the air, because you don't put an unpopular president on the air.
And once again, the story was also correct, which is you want to highlight the fact that the Democrat Party has gone hard, crazy, Democrat socialist left. And it is not presenting itself as an opportunity to have an alternative.
It's like you either have Donald Trump and his eccentricities, or you've got a Democratic party that doesn't even believe in American institutions anymore.
ZELENY (voice-over): Well, what about running on the Republican platform or the Republican achievements for the last two years?
FLEISCHMAN: Of course you would do that, right, as well. But welcome to the politics of the new era.
I was just talking about this in the green room with -- with Michael, that sometimes you win a race not because you're the best candidate; you're the least worst candidate. That just happens in politics. ZELENY (voice-over): Who we hate more. Is that -- is that our new
political reality?
MICHAEL TRUJILLO, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I hope not. Look, Donald Trump's two favorite words are "Donald" and "Trump. And I don't think that's ever going to leave him. That was the way he was before he got elected president.
You know, I think the -- his issue is really going to be what it's -- what it is like to not be the center of attention. What is it to not be called to do these rallies?
He's raised a lot of money. And so, I suspect his ads will probably highlight some of the things that he wants to talk about. But we'll just see what those ads look like once they start playing.
MICHAELSON: Yes. I mean, because his super PAC, John, has hundreds of millions of dollars he could potentially spend.
FLEISCHMAN: Right. Right. Well, and I think if you're -- if you're on the president's political team, and you're walking into his office saying, here's our spending plan, and you haven't figured out how to make him the center part of the plan, the fear would be he'd be like, well, I don't want to spend.
[00:35:03]
MICHAELSON: Right.
FLEISCHMAN: And so, you get what you get. And so, we'll see --
MICHAELSON: It looked like that midterm convention, which was all about him. And we didn't hear very much about the candidates who were actually on the ballot.
Now, one ad that you know his team does not like is this ad from a Republican Congressmember in Florida, Maria Elvira Salazar, talking about immigration. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR (R-FL): Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far.
In July, 50 percent of the 50,000 people that were detained had no criminal record.
Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policies. The same Hispanics who help you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today. You can be for immigration, what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism.
I'm not talking about giving them amnesty. I'm talking about giving them a dignified life in this promised land.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MICHAELSON: You've been thinking about Latino political issues your
entire career. What do you make of that ad and its historical significance?
TRUJILLO: I think it's amazing. She taped it right in front of the White House. I hope that, you know, that ad is apparently going viral.
But it's also true. You know, today we had two polls in Texas. One poll had Latinos supporting Paxton at 39 percent. The second poll had it at 31 with Latinos.
The difference was the 31 percent was talking to Spanish language voters in the Rio Grande.
And so, when you do a poll where Spanish is actually encompassed within the Latino community, you're seeing Trump's numbers and the Republican brand go down. And you're seeing that result with this congresswoman with her ad today.
MICHAELSON: And that -- that area of the Rio Grande in Texas, John, is part of the reason that Republicans control the House right now is one of those areas that had been Democratic flipped Republican for Trump in 2024.
There was this narrative of the Republican sort of having this resounding success with Latinos. What do you make of that ad?
FLEISCHMAN: Well, I -- you know, the, the -- the 27th District of Florida, you know, it's a competitive seat. We won it. We, the Republicans, won it by ten points last go around.
But, you know, Trump's had a lot of challenges. And of course, the opponent here is -- what, Elliott Rodriguez.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Who's a former NBC television host and is very popular. And so, I think she's doing what she needs to do, which she's identified -- this is a district where 74 percent of the vote is Latino or Cuban. And so, she's doing what she needs to do to win her seat.
And it's kind of -- goes back to the previous story we just talked about, which is you're going to focus local on your reelection, because as the president actually said, I don't understand why presidents aren't popular in the midterms, but they are. And he is.
MICHAELSON: Yes. Yes. Well, and I think he was a CBS local anchor there. She was a Spanish language anchor in the market.
FLEISCHMAN: Oh, right. Right, right. You got that right.
MICHAELSON: Apparently, there's a market for local news anchors.
TRUJILLO: So, when are you running?
FLEISCHMANN: Is this your moment? Is this your moment? MICHAELSON: It's not my moment, but the issue right now is, is the
economy. Right? And we talked about the top of the show. I mean the gas prices are just going even higher than they were before.
Now we've got the Houthis getting involved and driving up everybody's prices, driving up airline prices. I mean, is there any other issue? I mean, how do you get around that issue?
TRUJILLO: It's gasoline. It's A.I. It's everything that Donald Trump's putting his hands on is sort of falling apart.
The war in Iran that was supposed to be for two weeks is now in month ten. And so, he doesn't have a real story to tell. He doesn't =- he's not able to go from page one to page ten to tell the American people where we're going, where we're going to be tomorrow, and hopefully where we'll be on election day.
He's just sort of doggy paddling, trying to, you know, grab at anything he can for that day.
What if you were a strategist, John, advising Republican candidates, and I know you talked to Republican candidates and strategists all the time, including here in this state. What is the message on the economy?
FLEISCHMAN: The message on the economy is we may be in difficult times, but the medicine that is being sold by the Democratic socialists of America is even worse, right?
That you're going to see bigger government, more taxes, more fees, more regulations, and that they are not the answer to the problem. And you know --
MICHAELSON: What if you're not running against Democratic socialists?
FLEISCHMAN: Well, my job as a conservative is to remind you that they're all Democratic socialists.
MICHAELSON: At least that's honest. And what is the -- the affirmative Democratic message on how to actually lower our costs?
TRUJILLO: Well, I think it's about, you know, being transparent with what's going on, what's happening in Iran, talking about the bases that have been bombed or not bombed.
The American people are being kept in the dark. We don't know what's actually happening in that strait. We don't know how many bombs have been, you know, hitting our U.S. bases. We don't know what's going on with our military men and women. Donald Trump and the White House have been hiding that. Pete Hegseth has been pushing that aside.
And what we need is a transparent plan that tells the American people where were going, and they'll accept it. But we've just got to know what the hell is going on.
MICHAELSON: I mean, Pete Hegseth has put out a lot of videos of things being bombed and other things, and there has been information that's come out.
[00:40:02]
TRUJILLO: Well, I mean, it's -- I don't think it's enough, and it's definitely not breaking through.
You know, I don't -- I don't envy the president's team this cycle. But they do have a majority in the House. They do have a majority in the Senate. They have the White House. They have the Supreme Court.
So, this November is going to be a real referendum on their ideas and where they're taking the country.
MICHAELSON: All right. You guys are going to be back with us in our next hour, including -- you mentioned this a little bit -- A.I., which continues to be a bigger and bigger issue.
There could be some major news coming out of California on that front tomorrow. We'll preview that with you guys in our next hour.
But still ahead this hour, a former "American Idol" contestant and music pastor says his wife was killed in a home invasion, but now he's on trial for her murder. Details when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:45:31]
MICHAELSON: Welcome back. Let's take a look at today's top stories.
A scary baseball moment as New York Mets first baseman Jared Young was knocked out during his team's 3-0 loss to the Phillies.
Young was banged on the head by the knee of Mets pitcher Nolan McLean while fielding a routine grounder and had to be carted off the field.
The Mets manager said Young had concussion symptoms, but a CT scan was negative. And he has use of his arms and his legs.
New York City officials are preparing major security plans for world leaders ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting next week.
The security operations will involve thousands of officers, rolling street closures, and scores of specialized units. New York City police commissioner says there are no known or credible threats, but even so, federal agencies will assist with security.
Officials are also expecting protests around the city as the U.N. Assembly gets underway.
Around half the children in the U.S. may have their access to this season's COVID-19 vaccines delayed. U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the updated vaccines three weeks ago, but the CDC has not yet made them available through a key federal program called Vaccines for Children, which help those who are uninsured or cannot afford the vaccines.
Now this story. A former "American Idol" contestant who credited his wife with encouraging him to audition for the reality show, is now on trial for her murder.
Jury selection began Thursday in Caleb Flynn's trial. Authorities say Flynn, who is a former pastor, staged the crime scene in his house in Ohio to look like a home invasion.
CNN's Jean Casarez picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALEB FLYNN, ON TRIAL FOR WIFE'S MURDER (via phone): Somebody broke into my home and shot my wife. My wife is -- she's got two shots to her head. There's blood everywhere. Oh, my God, oh, my God.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Caleb Flynn pleading to 911 dispatch at 2:31 in the morning for police to get to his home immediately, describing to them what he said had just happened.
FLYNN: The door to the garage was wide open. Please hurry.
CASAREZ (voice-over): Police units arrive minutes later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Check the bathroom.
CASAREZ (voice-over): Going room to room, they find no intruder. Officers ask Flynn if there are any firearms in the house.
FLYNN: A shotgun and a .22 and a pellet gun. And I have -- I have a handgun in my truck.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
FLYNN: In the glove box.
CASAREZ (voice-over): Officers find the garage door open and also the center console of the truck.
A short time later, Ashley's mother arrives to the couple's home, greeted by Flynn, at this point, seemingly hysterical,
Caleb and Ashley Flynn had been married for almost 16 years with two young daughters. Flynn told police he was sleeping that night on the couch because of a bad cough when he thought he heard something. He then went into his daughter's room.
FLYNN: I laid down with them for I don't even know how long.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
FLYNN: That's what I heard it. When I finally got up, the door to the garage was open, but I didn't see anybody.
FLYNN: My name is Caleb Flynn. CASAREZ (voice-over): Flynn gained notoriety as a contestant on
"American Idol" back in 2013, and made it to the Hollywood round. In one interview, he credits his wife, in part, for his success.
FLYNN: The thing that makes me unique, you know, I absolutely love the Lord. I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty. Just I love her.
CASAREZ (voice-over): The Flynns were a big part of their Tipp City community in Ohio. Ashley, a substitute teacher and middle school volleyball coach. Caleb Flynn was a former music pastor.
Three days after Ashley Flynn's killing on February 19th, with police and prosecutors questioning Flynn's intruder theory, authorities arrested and charged him with the murder of his wife, Ashley.
FLYNN: I just want to take care of my daughters. I'm not a risk.
CASAREZ (voice-over): A month later, this former pastor was indicted for the murder of his wife, as well as felonious assault, tampering with evidence, and intimidation of a victim or witness in a criminal case.
Flynn's bond was ultimately set at $3.5 million. Prosecutors have not yet offered a motive for the killing.
His defense attorney, Patrick Mulligan, released a statement after his arrest, saying Flynn was "disappointed and concerned about the short timeline and seeming rush to judgment."
[00:50:11]
Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- your attorney in the case --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Just ahead, the Canadian prime minister is speaking out about a European Union proposal to deepen their ties.
Plus, will Europe's record heat change the way that we drink wine? Our Melissa Bell spoke to winemakers in France about what the future has in store for all of us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNO BORIE, OWNER, CHATEAU DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU: People are drinking certainly less. They are more concerned, but they want to drink better all the time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:55:26] MICHAELSON: Well, welcome back. We're -- It's not CNN NEWSROOM and -- but that's OK. We're going to keep moving.
And let's talk about what's happening in France. They're watching. Here we go.
See, this is now becoming a story about A.I. and sometimes what happens when you try to use it.
Wine production in France is facing an uncertain future after the country's brutally hot summer. CNN's Melissa Bell spoke to winemakers, and we're ready for a drink already here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Never had the harvest started this early in Saint-Julien in the Medoc region. As elsewhere, France's hottest summer on record is changing wine and producing smaller, thicker-skinned grapes.
DAMIEN BARTON, CHATEAU LEOVILLE BARTON: Because there's so little juice. Of course, the effort we put in the vineyard is divided by the volume we get out of it.
So, the cost of production for a single bottle of wine will be through the roof.
For the consumer side, it's wonderful. For the producer side, it's going to cost us a lot of money to produce a single bottle.
BELL (voice-over): And times have been tough for producers of Bordeaux wines for a while, partly because the world is drinking much less of it than it did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the 1980s, there were 20,000 individual Bordeaux estates. Today, there are around 5,000, although it's probably 4,900 and whatever, and we're losing them probably at the rate of one a day. They're either uprooting their vines or being swallowed by the next- door vineyard.
BELL (voice-over): Fewer drinkers of Bordeaux wines means that only those properties at the very top end can continue to thrive, and amongst them, at the celebration of last year's Bordeaux in the spring, the word was already of a small but excellent 2025 vintage and a very tight market.
BORIE: People are drinking, certainly, less. They are more concerned, but they want to drink better all the time. So, we are probably in the -- on the right, on the right side of the -- of the consumption.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- be here.
BELL: At the top end, global warming has been driving change for some time here at Chateau Sheeran. The oldest bottles are more than 100 years old. Now, the wines can be drunk sooner. BORIE: The fruitiness of the berries is so lively and the vinification
process has improved so much that the Bordeaux wines, where in the past, they were a bit hard, a bit difficult, and needed --
BELL: They needed time.
BORIE: Time. Now you can open a bottle of wine in the -- I always say in the five years following the bottling.
BELL (voice-over): So good news for those who can continue to adapt to a more challenging market and more challenging weather.
PHILIPPINE DE ROTHSCHILD, WINEMAKER: We see a trend that goes towards more heat and a little bit less water in the spring and in the summer, which means we're harvesting almost ten days earlier than we were 20 years ago.
BELL: Wow.
DE ROTHSCHILD: So, it's really moving the needle.
BELL (voice-over): That needle moved further still this summer with 53 days of heat wave conditions, making the 2026 harvest even smaller than the last.
BARTON: This cost of production will start to hit even the -- the higher wines because -- because the cost of production is so high.
So, this -- this global warming will impact everyone. We're not just a consumer -- consumers problem about volume of wine drunk per year. We've seen trends about wine regions. It's really -- it's global warming, literally.
BELL (voice-over): Which likely means more challenging times ahead, even for those chateaus still able to carry the cost of making great wines despite the heat.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Saint-Julien.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Thanks to Melissa Bell and credit to her photographer for some beautiful shots there.
Thanks for watching the first hour of THE STORY IS. The next hour starts right now.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles, THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.
MICHAELSON: I'm Elex Michaelson, live in Los Angeles.
THE STORY IS artificial intelligence and fears that A.I. could eventually improve itself faster than humans can keep up. Ahead, we've got new evidence it's already happening.
THE STORY IS Russia's war in Ukraine. As concerns grow that the war is moving closer to Poland, a key NATO ally, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor, standing by live to talk with us.
And THE STORY IS Mark Carney, Canada's prime minister, makes the case for a stronger partnership with Europe as the Trump trade war grinds on. We'll take you to the Canadian border to get reaction from there.
But we begin with the topic of artificial intelligence.
