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What We Know with Max Foster

Trump: I'll Get Starshield For Ukraine "Straightened Out"; Melania Trump Says She Secured Localized Ceasefire In Russian-Occupied City Of Oleshky In Southern Ukraine; Moscow's Largest Airport Evacuated After Drone Threat; Deadly Shootings In West Bank And Jordan; 11 Days To Go: 20+ Million Americans Have Already Voted. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired October 23, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:20]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: New interventions on Ukraine from both Donald and Melania Trump.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

Beginning with those developments in Russia's war with Ukraine. And the U.S. president, Donald Trump, told reporters today he'll get Ukraine's

access to Starshield straightened out. Starshield is the satellite internet system that has become Ukraine's lifeline on the battlefield. Its speed has

been slowed down though in recent days, making Ukraine more vulnerable to attacks, but it remains unclear who ordered the slowdown.

On Thursday, President Trump said Elon Musk had fully restored access to Starshield, but Mr. Zelenskyy refuted that claim.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: And the speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there. And the speed has not been restored. And

sequence and the delivery of interceptors to protect us against Russian ballistic missiles is still delayed. We are waiting for interceptors that

we are already agreed on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Today, Mr. Trump defended Musk in light of the claims the billionaire restricted Ukraine's Starshield access, telling reporters he's

a very good person. He said he'd talk to Musk and get the issue taken care of.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, if there is a problem, I'll get it straight. I've heard it was fixed, but if it's not, I'll speak

to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Meanwhile, U.S. First Lady Melania Trump says she has helped secure a localized ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. It's aimed

at evacuating elderly residents and is set to begin on Thursday.

Kristin Holmes is live in Washington.

I mean, it shouldn't be so hard to know if someone cut access to Starshield, but no one's taking responsibility.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Trump, first of all, he said he didn't know, but even if he did, he

wouldn't tell reporters who it was. I will note that I asked him earlier this week if he was doing an investigation to find out who ordered the

slowdown or the restriction of Starshield, Starlink.

And he said that he didn't know who did it, but that he wanted to find out and that he was going to find out. Obviously, today, he sounded a little

bit different when asked the same question. If he knew who it was saying even if I did, I wouldn't tell you.

Now he did seem to believe that it had been fully restored when he was told it had not been restored and that Ukrainian officials had said it was not

restored, he said that he would talk to Elon Musk if he had to. He hadn't spoken to him after Ukraine had made those claims, and then again doubling

down on this idea that he would get it straightened out if it wasn't fully restored.

FOSTER: And Melania Trump, we don't often hear from our office and get press releases, do we? But this was an interesting one.

HOLMES: It was and I think you know this is like money things that she does. They kind of come out of left field and they're unexpected. But

Russia and Ukraine have confirmed this limited ceasefire around this city.

They say, or she said in a statement from her office that she served as the exclusive intermediary between Russia and Ukrainian leadership. And they

said that this was for the facilities there to help the humane evacuation of elderly residents.

So, I do want to read you part of the statement that came out, says, Oleshky is a frontline war city on the brink of disaster. Oleshky's

remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food and clean water. This is

all from the statement she put out.

The people of Oleshky have limited electricity live amid mind live -- excuse me, amid mind roads and endure regular military attacks. It was

abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into this city and to evacuate the elderly would be

impossible.

So, clearly, taking full responsibility there. I will say that they confirmed Russia and Ukraine did confirm the limited ceasefire and they

said they thanked Melania Trump for her, quote/unquote, "significant contribution". So, clearly, not crediting her fully for that, but she is

certainly saying that she was the lone exclusive intermediary that got this done.

FOSTER: Yeah, really interesting. Thank you so much for that.

Now, meanwhile, Moscow's largest airport recovering from a drone threat. Restrictions have now been lifted at Sheremetyevo International Airport,

which had to be evacuated earlier. The airport is warning passengers to expect delays. Two other airports in the Russian capital also facing

restrictions. Moscow's mayor said three drones heading towards the city was taken down and that emergency workers are at the crash site there.

[15:05:05]

We're following two major developing stories in the Middle East tonight as well. Deadly attacks on Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank and

Christian worshippers of a church in Jordan. Israel saying it's imposed a full siege on Hebron after Palestinian government opened fire. on a

military checkpoint, killing two Israeli soldiers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to destroy the area as troops search for anyone connected

to the attack.

And in Jordan, an unprecedented mass shooting at a church in the southern province of Karak has left the nation stunned. Authorities say at least

seven people were killed. The gunmen haven't been identified or captured. A manhunt is underway after gunmen opened fire during a funeral service

attended by Christians.

You're looking at security camera footage showing gunmen near the church. Jordan's king caused the attack a terrorist act and says those responsible

will be dealt with harshly. It happened, as I say, in Karak, south of the capital Amman.

And Karak is a sizable Christian community. Sectarian violence, very rare in Jordan, as Jomana has been reporting. And a warning, some of the

pictures in this report are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): CCTV video of an attack like no other in Jordan's history. Gunmen opening fire at a church in the

South of the country just as mourners gathered for a funeral at the Greek Orthodox Church in this predominantly Christian town.

Dozens were injured or killed in what authorities are describing as an unprecedented terrorist attack on the country's Christian minority. This

cell phone video captures the horror and chaos inside the church, where the dead and injured lay in pools of blood. Security forces launched a major

operation pursuing the assailants who fled the scene after what witnesses said was several minutes of continuous gunfire. The Jordanian monarch King

Abdullah II vowing, quote, "the harshest retaliation" to this rare terrorist attack that sent shockwaves across a country known for its

stability in a turbulent region, where its small Christian population has long felt protected and immune to the sort of jihadi attacks that have

targeted Christians in neighboring countries.

The king, dressed in his military fatigues, visited the injured in hospital on Friday night, this survivor telling him, "After God, you are our

protector. This is our country, and we will never, ever leave it."

For many Jordanians, Friday's attack on the church, they say, was an attack on the entire nation.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: More now on the deadly attack in the West Bank, which happened just four days before the Israeli election. Israeli troops are going house to

house in Hebron as Prime Minister Netanyahu vows to destroy the area and remove what he calls terrorist infrastructure.

CNN's Oren Liebermann has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Israel is moving very fast here, and a harsh response here to a shooting attack that killed two

Israeli soldiers early Friday morning, and that seems to be the point here. Four days before Israel elections, it appears as if Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu and his hardline right-wing government are trying to move fast and trying to have a harsh, large-scale response.

Early Friday morning, two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on an Israeli military checkpoint, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding three

others. What's shocking about the attack is long it lasted. We have seen attacks and incidents in the West Bank that last a very short period of

time, a moment or a couple of minutes. This, according to first responders and the security forces that came to the scene, lasted upwards of 20

minutes in repeated exchanges of gunfire between the gunmen and Israeli security forces.

The two gunmen were killed by security forces that responded to the scene. That was on Friday morning. And within just a matter of hours here,

Netanyahu, as well as the far right finance minister, vowed a harsh response. They said they would shut down the city of Hebron. That's a major

Palestinian city with Israeli settlements in the heart of it, and that they would consider doing that for more cities.

Initially, Netanyahu had said he would shut down the entire West Bank, but it seems that he backed off that plan and kept it more localized, but still

to a major city. They then said they would evacuate the neighborhood from which the gunmen came and search it house-by-house looking for anything

that they deemed to be terrorist infrastructure, and then they would carry out demolitions. We are already seeing that take place.

In the past, we've seen Israel respond to an attack by destroying an attacker's home and searching the family's home. This -- the scale of the

response, the speed, and how big it is and how quickly it is, that's what's worth noting here. And it certainly seems related to the election that's in

just a matter of days here.

Netanyahu has for years styled himself as Israel's Mr. Security.

[15:10:01]

He's refused to take any responsibility for the myriad failures that led up to October 7th three years ago, and this appears to be him trying to

reinstate himself as Mr. Security by carrying out a harsh, wide-scale response to a shooting attack in the West Bank this morning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Oren in Jerusalem there.

Terror today in the Paris suburbs where a man driving a car began shooting people from his vehicle. At least one person dead, four others wounded in

what authorities say may be an Islamophobic terrorist attack. President Emmanuel Macron says victims were targeted because of their religion and

the color of their skin.

Melissa Bell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An anti- terror investigation has been opened here in France after a man went on the rampage in his car with an automatic weapon in a couple of small commuter

towns to the southwest of Paris. The man was driving the car himself, we understand, was using a military-grade weapon or certainly an automatic

weapon when he opened fire, targeting several random strangers at several stops that he made with his car along the way.

One man has died, several other people are wounded, a few of them critically, including one 12-year-old girl who was shot no fewer than eight

times. That anti-terror investigation has now been opened with suspicions that this may have been a racially motivated attack. We know very little

more about the gunman bar that he was a 39-year-old man who is now in police custody.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Just 11 days remain until the U.S. midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Right now, President Trump is at a midterm

rally in Fort Myers, Florida. He's there to give remarks in support of Republican candidate Byron Donalds, who's running for governor against

Democrat David Jolly.

Early voting is underway in numerous states, including Iowa and North Carolina, both of which so far show clear Democratic advantage. In North

Carolina, registered Democrats outvoted registered Republicans by nearly 28 points. That's up from -- that is up from a two-point advantage on the

first day of early voting in 2024. Of course, these numbers aren't always indicative of the final result.

Dianne Gallagher is in Charlotte, North Carolina.

But they do give us a sense of, you know, the motivation to vote, which is all important in this election.

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. You -- it certainly does feel like voters are enthusiastic and just to give some

context here, North Carolina has a pivotal Senate race. Democrats view this state as their best shot at flipping a Senate seat. It is open right now

and the Democrat, a former two term governor, Roy Cooper is leading the Republican Michael Whatley in pretty much every poll. That's Trump's

handpicked candidate. He used to run the RNC.

There were also several competitive congressional races here. And so, all eyes have been on this state and it appears that voters know that. And

look, they're casting their ballots like they're in the spotlight. We're talking about more than 1,269,000 ballots that have been cast through

yesterday here in this state. That's through mail ballots and people standing in line and voting like you can kind of see behind me here.

And Max, exactly what you were talking about. This enthusiasm we can kind of read from the data here, 37 percent up from this point in 2022. But what

we're also looking at is the registration of these voters, and you can't read too much into it like you said, but Democrats make up 42 percent of

the ballots that have been cast so far. And to give you an idea, registered Democrats only make up 29 percent of all voters in the state. So do

Republicans, 29 percent.

Well, as of right now, Republicans have only cast 23 percent of the ballots thus far, and we are seeing a slight uptick each day in those GOP ballots.

But there is quite a gap for them to make up if they're going to run even or surpass Republican or excuse me, Democrats.

And so, the party officials say you never know exactly how somebody votes, just how they're registered. But they are looking at this with a smile on

their face at least because that is what Democrats would need to sort of get that, quote/unquote, "blue wave" that so many forecasters have been

talking about in North Carolina is kind of a perfect state for them to look at and then try and look at some of those other states they've been eyeing

because of the political party breakdown here with Republicans and Democrats having about the same number and then 40 percent being

unaffiliated. Those unaffiliated voters, we have also seen a significant jump in enthusiasm for them as well.

What does that mean? Who are they voting for?

[15:15:01]

We don't know, but they are coming out and they're coming out early, Max.

FOSTER: You do get the sense that the Republican Party broadly is taking attention off areas like yours are really focusing on the ones --

GALLAGHER: Yeah.

FOSTER: -- you know, the red stakes, I guess, where they know they could win, but they're under so much pressure there.

GALLAGHER: Just south of us, actually, Max, this is something here in covering the Carolinas, North Carolina has not elected a Republican to the

U.S. Senate since 2008. There are babies born the same year that North Carolina last elected a Democrat to the United States. who are voting in

this election. That is how long it has been.

But this particular race, it does appear they've sort of conceded that Whatley's just not going to beat the former governor, Roy Cooper. And they

have taken money away from North Carolina, which at one time was expected to potentially be the most expensive Senate race in the entire nation. And

they've moved money from supporting Whatley to going to places like Kansas, Texas, and even South Carolina next to us, which is a super reliably

Republican state.

But they've had to take money to try and shore up the Republican candidate there because in so many of these potentially safe states that Republicans

haven't worried about in a long time, their candidates are struggling.

FOSTER: Yeah, I mean, the amount of money they're spending on this campaign is extraordinary, isn't it?

GALLAGHER: Yeah.

FOSTER: Thank you so much, Dianne, for joining us from North Carolina.

Now, The British royal family caught up in disturbing child sex abuse allegations. Still to come, tonight, the Duchess of Sussex responding to

claims about her father. We'll have her statement and more on the allegations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Shock for one branch of the British royal family. Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has been accused of possessing

a large collection of images showing child sex abuse.

[15:20:05]

Thomas Markle Jr., the brother of the Duchess, reported their father to authorities. He says he found the images on their father's computer in the

Philippines. as well as in storage boxes at that house. Thomas Markle denies all allegations. He also says he hasn't had access to the computer

since 2025.

Now the Duchess of Sussex released a statement on Friday saying she is deeply distressed by these accusations. She also said her thoughts are with

any children who may have been harmed. The duchess has been estranged from her father for many years.

Anna Stewart following this for us.

We should be clear Thomas Markle hasn't been charged or arrested, but we are getting lots of messages coming in around this story, let's say.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, a whirlwind of messages from various members of the Markle family. The story broke last night in "The Sun"

newspaper when Thomas Markle Sr.'s son, also called Thomas Markle, spoke to "The Sun" newspaper saying that he'd found hundreds if not thousands of

images depicting child sexual abuse in his father's home in the Philippines, as you say. They were on computer hard drives and old phones,

storage boxes, and so on. He felt he had to alert officials, including officials in the Philippines. And there is an investigation underway by the

Philippines Justice Department.

And he also reported it to the U.S. FBI hotline, to the U.S. National Center for Exploited and Missing Children, to state police in Pennsylvania,

which is where Thomas Michael Sr. was living at that time. As you say, we have had a response from Thomas Markle Sr., though, vigorously denying

these allegations, as has his elder daughter, Samantha Markle, who supports her father, both of them saying he's not had access to the computer hard

drives for many years.

FOSTER: OK, Anna Stewart, thank you very much.

Now, coming up, if we win, it's fair and it's square. If we lose, then we sue. That is the message from the Department of Justice about the razor-

thin race for a Senate seat in Alaska. We'll give you the bizarre reason for the DOJ's threat, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:25:27]

FOSTER: Eleven days till the midterms and the Senate race in Alaska could end up deciding who controls the upper chamber. Now President Donald

Trump's Department of Justice says if the Republican candidate loses there, they're suing to block the result. The DOJ is asking a court to delay the

certification of the results if Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses, it's arguing that an independent candidate with the same name who is also on the

ballot could confuse voters. It is a bizarre twist, which legal experts say is based on a strange and unusual theory.

A few minutes ago, U.S. President Donald Trump said it was him who was behind the lawsuit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm the one that said, Do it. They have two guys around named Dan Sullivan running. So the Democrats put

up a guy never -- I don't think he ever voted before. All of a sudden, he decides to run for the Senate, and his name is Dan Sullivan. One is Daniel

S., one is Daniel J. The Daniel J. is the fake, and he wants to change his middle initial to Daniel S. But he said this has nothing to do with

politics.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), FLORIDA: And Daniel J. just so happens to be funded by liberal donors. Imagine that. What a coincidence that is.

TRUMP: By ActBlue. Okay, but he has nothing to do with politics. No, it's a disgrace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: This is just the latest example of the Trump administration inserting itself into next month's vote. On Thursday, Attorney General Todd

Blanche defended the DOJ's lawsuit against the state of California. It's trying to stop state officials from counting around 20,000 ballots that it

says could be from non-U.S. citizens. A federal judge has ordered the government to stop investigating voters using these lists of alleged non-

citizens, saying the lists rely on faulty data.

But Blanche is refusing to rule out getting involved with the election in one way or another.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Is there any scenario in which DOJ would weigh in on that certification process or try to block states from certifying?

TODD BLANCHE, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I mean, is there any scenario? Yes, of course, there's scenarios that we could all come up with hypothetically,

you know, some doomsday scenario, for example, right? So I don't think it's proper to make any kind of conclusory statements about what's going to

happen in the future because I have no idea what's going to the future.

It is not DOJ's intention to and it's never our intention to improperly interfere with elections or the state confirmation process or certification

process. But you know, to say that there's no circumstances that we would ever do that, of course, I'm not going to say that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: What we don't know is will voters be intimidated away from the polls because of the Trump administration's actions?

Jess Marsden is a counsel of Protect Democracy, a group that filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security saying U.S. citizens

have already been scared off from voting.

Thank you so much for joining us.

I guess, are they going to be scared off? This is just a case of disqualifying some votes, isn't it, effectively?

JESS MARSDEN, COUNSEL, PROTECT DEMOCRACY: There are actually two cases at issue in California. We filed a case challenging the efforts the Department

of Homeland Security has made to investigate what it claims what it calls non-citizen voting based on questionable data like you described earlier

and doing it in incredibly intimidating ways knocking on people's doors making arrests that look like sort of SWAT investigations and then

plastering those images across their social media feeds like propaganda.

So, I think it's unquestionable that -- and a federal court ruled earlier this week that those actions are intimidating voters. DOJ is also suing

California to remove voters identified through that same dubious matching process from the voter rolls. So that lawsuit is not meritorious and highly

likely to fail, but both of these efforts are examples of how the administration is trying to insert itself into the election process at the

last minute.

FOSTER: Yeah, and because this Alaska vote is fascinating, isn't it? It's really important because it could define who controls the Senate if you

speak to a lot of the experts, of course. But it's interesting that the administration's trigger will only come into effect if they lose the

election. It doesn't apply if they win the election.

[15:30:02]

So, I mean, where's the legality with that?

MARSDEN: That's just one reason why while the Alaska Senate race may be important, this lawsuit is not important. It reeks of desperation and is

not going anywhere in court. There is simply no legal basis for the federal government to stop Alaskan officials from counting Alaskan votes. The

Alaska Supreme Court has already ruled that it's proper for both candidates to be on the ballot, and this is just an effort to preemptively

delegitimize a Democratic victory in the Alaska Senate race.

FOSTER: But it could get caught up in the courts, couldn't it? We're very close to the election. If they contest the result, we won't have an

official senator, will we, until that's resolved, and it could be months.

MARSDEN: It could get tied up in court, but the thing I want to underscore is how this is not like a close legal case, and I don't think it's going to

take the courts months to resolve this.

At my organization, Protect Democracy, we call these zombie lawsuits, sort of flimsy lawsuits that are filed at the last minute so that it's highly

unlikely they can be resolved before elections begin. That way, there's something to point to if the election doesn't go the way the Trump

administration and its allies want. But this lawsuit is so thin, so flimsy, I really don't see it going anywhere.

FOSTER: Jess Marsden at Protect Democracy, thank you so much.

MARSDEN: Thank you.

FOSTER: Now, two former FBI -- thanks for joining us. Two former FBI officials are facing charges for allegedly lying to Congress. The U.S.

Justice Department says the Intel specialist potentially hampered the investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of the former President Joe Biden.

A special counsel probe looking into the corruption accusations ultimately charged Hunter Biden with tax and gun crimes. He was pardoned by his

father, though, in 2024.

Meanwhile, President Trump is speeding up plans to build his towering, triumphal arch in D.C. despite opposition. The Justice Department says

construction could begin in just two weeks.

CNN's Sulen Serfaty has more from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think the arc is going to be incredible.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Despite legal challenges and fierce resistance, President Trump is expediting plans to

get his long-desired 250-foot Triumphal Arch built while he's still in the White House.

TRUMP: And I want to see if I can get it built before we leave.

SERFATY (voice-over): In a new court filing, the Trump administration is now announcing they will commence construction in just two weeks, as early

as November 5th. November 5th is when the arch will likely pass the final regulatory hurdle at the National Capital Planning Commission.

After the administration streamlined the process by abruptly cutting off a historical preservation review that's required under law.

CROWD: No arch! No arch! No arch!

SERFATY (voice-over): The immediacy of breaking ground, potentially on that very same day, is despite the legal limbo that the project remains in.

CROWD: Veterans over vanity.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop arch insanity.

SERFATY (voice-over): With two separate lawsuits, including a high-profile one brought by a group of preservationists and veterans.

JOHN GUNDERSON, U.S. ARMY VIETNAM WAR VETERAN, PLAINTIFF IN LAWSUIT: It's a little ironic that a man who gets out of service before should build a

gargantuan arch, blocking the view of all these iconic memorials.

SERFATY (voice-over): Today, the plaintiffs in that case responded to the building plans, filing a preliminary injunction to stop the administration

from taking any steps to construct or to direct or facilitate construction of any structure in Memorial Circle while the lawsuit plays out.

TRUMP: I think it's going to be fantastic --

SERFATY (voice-over): The arch has become a key part of the president's quest to remake Washington in his name and style as part of his legacy in

office.

TRUMP: A totally magnificent, triumphal arch to honor the 250-year triumph of the American spirit, American military, and, frankly, American

competence.

SERFATY (voice-over): Intended to be the tallest arch in the world.

TRUMP: The most beautiful one is the one in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe. It's beautiful, big. Ours is going to be bigger and more beautiful.

SERFATY (voice-over): Last month, the President debuted a new justification for building the arch.

TRUMP: It's going to be great. And it's got a military component. Everything has a military component nowadays.

SERFATY (voice-over): Claiming it will become a top-grade military complex for drones, snipers, and ammunition storage. However, the plans revealed

this month did not include any military infrastructure at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: And time really played into this, sources tell me. Last month, there was a private call of the advisory council on historic preservation.

[15:35:02]

On that call, the agency revealed that any plans for a military complex would be separate and reviewed, separate entirely from the plans for the

arch, because this dual track would provide them the opportunity to not have to go and re-review and re-approve plans for the arch as it has slowly

been making its way through the approval process for the better part of this year.

A look at the arch as a military complex, sources tell me that would have to come straight from the Pentagon. And as of last month, nothing had been

submitted yet.

Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.

FOSTER: In the final moments of trade on Wall Street, stocks are in the red. The Dow losing about 600 points in what's been a volatile week for

stocks.

This is our Business Breakout.

U.S. consumers are feeling negative about the economy ahead of the midterms. The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index has fallen

for a third straight month to a record new low, 57 percent of consumers said high prices were eroding their personal finances.

Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has now donated more than $400 million towards U.S. midterm election campaigns. Most of that money has

gone towards helping Republicans retain hold of the Senate. Musk is the largest disclosed donor in this year's elections.

Oil prices have jumped to five-month highs, the global benchmark today going past $115 a barrel. Recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as well as

renewed threats against Iran from the Trump administration are fueling concerns.

Drivers in Michigan are receiving an unwelcome surprise, gas prices are skyrocketing there, surging by 17 cents in one day alone, just before the

crucial midterm elections.

Matt Egan explains what's causing the price hike.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Max, this price spike is stunning, and so is the timing here, right? Just days before the midterm election here in

the U.S., one of the biggest frustrations for voters, high gasoline prices. getting dramatically worse and it's happening in some of the states that

may very well decide the balance of power in Congress. Now let's zoom in specifically on Michigan, one of the biggest battlegrounds in this

election.

On Wednesday, gas prices were not cheap in Michigan. They were averaging $4.44 gallon, but look at this $4.77 a gallon today. That is a 33-cent

increase in the span of 48 hours. That is very rare.

And it's not just Michigan. When you look throughout the Great Lakes region, significant price increases in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and in

Illinois.

Looking specifically at Ohio, 39-cent increase in 48 hours in another key battleground state of Ohio.

So why is this happening? Well, analysts are pointing the finger at. a key refinery in Joliet, Illinois. This is an Exxon Mobil refinery, Exxon

confirming to me that yes, they are having operational issues. However, the company has not detailed specifically what has gone wrong, nor have they

said when it'll get back online.

But still, the fact that prices are up across this region and that they are going higher really across the country. This is just going to underscore

those same cost of living and energy sticker shock issues that have angered voters ahead of this election.

And keep in mind that Michigan, again, one of the biggest battlegrounds in this election, Michigan has faced the biggest price increase over the last

12 months of any state in the country, bigger than even what has happened in California. And this is, of course, it's impacting consumer sentiment,

driving it lower and lower because it is squeezing consumers financially.

Brown University estimates that consumers in Michigan alone are spending an extra $2.6 billion since the war started, and that's just on gasoline. That

doesn't count diesel. It doesn't count interest rates that are higher as well.

This works out to about $650 per household. Now, look as refineries come back online, that could help take some of the pressure off, except for the

fact that oil prices are suddenly spiking again. Brent crude, the global benchmark, is up around the highest levels really since the war started in

the spring.

Back when the year started, Brent was around 60 bucks and the war started around $70. Now it's well above $110 a barrel and this is because traders

market is increasingly concerned about what's going to happen after the midterms, whether or not once the election is over the United States and/or

Israel end up reviving attacks on Iran and there's a return to all-out war in the region because, of course, that that would just add even more

concerns about the flow of oil out of the Middle East.

[15:40:12]

So bottom line, this is an unwelcome surprise for voters just days before the election and again, it is making the number one issue, the cost of

living, worse in the very place that could decide the balance of power in Congress.

Max, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Thank you to Matt there.

Now, coming up, an election too close to call. We will take you to Brazil, where a vote this weekend will determine whether that nation turns left or

right leading ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Voters in Brazil head to the polls on Sunday in a presidential runoff that's a virtual dead heat.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is one of the most popular campaign ads in Brazil's presidential election. This one, too. Both

are AI-generated videos that have added to the cacophony of A.I. content in this presidential race. IRL has also spilled over beyond Brazil's borders.

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NEW YORK CITY: Such a pleasure to meet with President Lula.

JONES (voice-over): Both candidates making campaign stops on American soil, one boasting closeness, the other sovereignty.

LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Brazilian democracy belongs to Brazilians.

JONES (voice-over): The incumbent, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, rose from the factory floor to become the defining figure of Brazil's modern left. At 80

years old, he's seeking his fourth term. His opponent is almost half his age.

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro is campaigning as the political heir to his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, now serving a 27-year sentence for

plotting to overturn his 2022 election loss, when his supporters rioted in Brazil's capital, much like Trump supporters on January 6th.

[15:45:12]

This election is also a test of whether Trump-style politics can return to power in Latin America's largest democracy.

JONES: The United States are looming so large in these elections, with supporters of Flavio Bolsonaro waving American flags in the streets. Some

are even asking for a U.S. military intervention. And it was in defense of Jair Bolsonaro that Trump announced those 50 percent tariffs on Brazil.

So why not endorse Flavio?

JAMES GREEN, PROFESSOR EMERITUS, BRAZILIAN STUDIES, BROWN UNIVERSITY: I think that they understand that this could backfire, because when they

announced the original 50 percent tariffs, it gave a huge boost to his support. There's a very strong nationalist sentiment in the country that

goes beyond the left, beyond the center. It's across the board.

Now, Flavio is using this to say, well, I have good relations with Trump and therefore, I can negotiate the end of these high tariffs.

JONES (voice-over): And it's not just Trump drawing attention from Brazil. Lula's campaign is also taking on Meta, accusing the U.S. tech giant of

tilting its platform toward Bolsonaro, a claim the company denies.

The dispute has now reached Brazil's electoral court, and the streets.

(CHANTING)

JONES (voice-over): All of this with the race already extraordinarily close.

In 2022, Lula won the first round by just over 5 percent. The runoff became the closest presidential election in Brazilian history. This time, Flavio

won the first round by less than 2 percent, or just 2.2 million votes, setting up an even tighter runoff.

And while security cost of living and corruption are top of mind for voters, attacks have become quite personal.

FLAVIO BOLSONARO, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (translated): Lula, with you, crime has exploded in Brazil. In fact, can you explain why 73 percent

of inmates voted for you?

LULA (translated): I wish it were 100 percent, including your father. Your father can vote for me.

JONES (voice-over): A Flavio win could pull Brazil politically closer to Washington. But ironically, Trump's tariffs have made it more complicated

than that.

GREEN: Flavio will carry out a very close relationship with the United States, encouraging, collaboration and the subservient role that Trump

seems to want to have in all of Latin America. But he has a big problem because exports, Brazilian exports depend heavily now on China. It will be

a complex foreign policy, but it will basically revolve around Trump.

JONES (voice-over): Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still to come, one of the most iconic roles in cinema. Final auditions are being held to find the new James Bond. Who will wield the

Walther PPK? Some clue?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:50:35]

FOSTER: Let's discuss auditions, Bond auditions. Reports out of Hollywood saying actors Jack Lowden and Callum Turner are doing final auditions this

weekend to be the next James Bond. Other actors are reportedly in the mix, though their names haven't been revealed. The auditions will include stunt

work as well as reading dialogue to camera.

The new James Bond will be the first actor to take the role since Amazon MGM took the reins of the iconic spy franchise last year. Amazon has tapped

award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who is working on "Dune Part 3" to direct the next Bond film.

So, what we want to know is, how do you handle the final audition to play Bond, James Bond?

Fay Beck is an acting coach and the founder of the Beck Academy of Dramatic Art.

So, tell us, how would you handle it?

FAY BECK, ACTING COACH: Good evening, Max. Lovely to join you this evening. How are you?

FOSTER: Very well, thank you. I didn't get the audition, the call up.

BECK: Wonderful. Someone beat you to it.

Yes, it is a grueling process, really, especially when it comes to a franchise like the James Bond franchise. The screen test would involve, no

doubt, stunts, speaking to camera, as well as presenting or being with some of the other cast members, particularly the cast members that the new James

Bond is going to have a lot of screen time with.

So that interaction, the relationship, so to speak, the on-screen chemistry would be part of what the casting team would be looking for.

FOSTER: We were talking about, as everyone always does, who's your favorite, James Bond. And it does sort of highlight something, doesn't it?

All the actors who played James Bond actually played quite different characters, particularly if you compare the early ones to the later ones.

But what would you say is the defining characteristic that all Bonds should have?

BECK: This is a very interesting question. I think why the characters or the presentation of the character has changed so much. is because of how

these defining characteristics move through time or how they perceived, how they relate to us today as opposed to 60 years ago.

So, the qualities that I would describe as being quintessentially James Bond, charismatic, powerful, masculine, and this is where some of those

questions around what masculinity might mean to us today might come into it. What does it mean for somebody to save us in the face of sure evil?

So, I think these are what the casting team will be looking for this time around as well.

Does this new James --

FOSTER: Take us into that masculinity --

BECK: -- Bond have encompassed all of this --

FOSTER: -- debate. Sorry.

BECK: Yes.

FOSTER: Yeah, because there's obviously discussion about a woman taking the role. physically it could be any type of person, a lot of people would

argue, and then obviously traditionalists would argue against that because of the original character in the book.

BECK: Yes, I think how we move through time or how we relate to these concepts, if we can relate to them as concepts. Masculinity, for example,

is one of the reasons why this cutting process is really important because it has to touch with the audiences. And it has to touch with the audiences

on an international level, right? So, there are many considerations at the same time. There is the local, here England and what this character might

represent. to a British audience, but importantly internationally as well.

And yes, this is a hot topic and has been a hot topic, masculinity. I don't mean to reduce it to a hot topic, but trying to get that right in the face

of conversations that we're having, very important conversations that we're having around what -- what masculinity might mean and what kind of specific

masculinity here, because James Bond represents a specific kind of masculinity.

[15:55:00]

We might say that there is a psychopathic element in him, right? And there is a sociopathic element, he's a killer. you know he's capable of killing

people so -- and must do so because you know presumably he's having to come face to face with a lot of nasty characters.

So, yes, this is a very interesting question that I think will be looked at.

FOSTER: Yeah, and that this is the pressure isn't it of taking on such an iconic role that we do end up reading up -- reading in so much into it

because it's so defining.

But, Fay, could talk to you all night about that, but have to leave you. Thank you for joining us -- from the Beck Academy.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW.

BECK: Thank you so much. Lovely.

FOSTER: Do stay with CNN. Thank you.

END

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