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Next Hour: Day 2 of GOP Midterm Convention Kicks Off; Trump Offers Americans $5,000 if GOP Wins Midterms; NYPD Mounts Massive Security Operation for 9/11 Memorial; NYPD Official: Threat is Much Different than in 2001; Global Oil Hits $107 per Barrel for the First Time Since May; DOJ Demands States Preserve 2024 Election Data; Pilot Raised Speed Concerns Moments Before Deadly Miami Crash 3-3:30p ET

Aired September 10, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

KYLE SHANAHAN, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS HEAD COACH: ... which is the first day we put in a game plan. But I think it's Monday. However, though, it's Sunday in the present. So, like, I'm going to mess that up all week if you guys ask me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Wait until the flight home. He's going to get back before they left. How does that work?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Right. You are in the future.

RIDDELL: Yes.

KEILAR: That is how it works. Don, thank you so much for that fun report.

RIDDELL: All right.

KEILAR: A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: President Trump's midterm promise, offering voters $5,000 to keep Republicans in control of Congress. We're going to dig into the questionable legal aspect of that proposal.

Plus, from the polls to the pump, another jump in the price of gas is costing Americans even more. The President's war in Iran pushing prices of a gallon of gas past levels unthinkable a few months ago.

And despite new warnings about A.I., few world leaders are seeking to take action. The Pope, though, has been speaking out. We're going to speak to the Vatican's A.I. advisor about what could and should be done.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KEILAR: Money talks, but will it motivate voters at the polls? President Trump hopes the promise of 5,000 bucks will work to his party's favor. He would have to put the government's money where his mouth is. If Republicans keep control of Congress, he says he will. He's made offers like this before, though, that never played out.

This midterm promise, though, if delivered on, would cost 1 trillion dollars, and that would add to the nation's 40 trillion plus dollar debt.

CNN Steve Contorno is live at the site of the first-ever GOP midterm convention, where day two kicks off next hour. Steve, what's the giveaway, allegedly, tonight?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: I don't know. I guess we'll have to check under our seats down on the floor and see if there's anything underneath. But there's a lot of buzz still about the $5,000 giveaway, so let's stick with that one for now.

You know, there's still so many questions about how the government would pay for this, the timing of it. Would Congress even go along with it? Remember, Republicans are supposedly the party of deficits, but yet this is coming from a Republican president.

Another key question is, why couldn't the President just push this through now, since he has a Republican Congress, if this is a priority for him? He was actually asked that question by Fox News is Laura Ingraham. Take a listen to his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA INGRAHAM, HOST, FOX NEWS: Why not just give the money now if you have the money? Why not give it now?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because they can't -- I'll tell you what, because the Democrats can't do it, because with them it's negative growth. With -- with us, it's so positive. So, we're taking in $21 trillion. Nobody -- no country's ever taken in anywhere near that. It's four or five times higher than the next, all because of that beautiful word that you and I love more than most of is tariffs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: So, clearly, he's trying to say that the tariffs would pay for this giveaway. He's also promised that tariff would be -- you know, previously -- it could be used to pay for a $2,000 dividend to American taxpayers. But he didn't answer the question from Laura Ingraham. You know, why not do this now? And that is certainly a -- a question that deserves to be answered.

But the -- it is also one of the questions that's leading people to wonder, is this just a way to get people to show up to the polls and to win over undecided voters? The President's approval rating is well underwater. It's at about 35 percent, according to the latest CNN poll of polls. That is historically bad for Republicans and any president going into a midterm election.

So that is, you know, one of the challenges the Republicans are facing and one of the reasons why you're seeing them sort of grasping at these last-minute tactics. Tonight, we will hear from Vice President J.D. Vance. He will address this crowd, as well as RFK Jr., the President's son, Donald Trump Jr., and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, we'll be looking for that. Steve Contorno, thank you. Boris.

SANCHEZ: The NYPD says it's launching a, quote, "massive security operation" as the city commemorates 25 years since the September 11 terror attacks. Thousands of police officers are going to be on the streets tomorrow through Lower Manhattan, according to officials. This is going to be the largest deployment of officers in recent years. Federal agents and counterterrorism teams will also be out in force.

CNN's Mark Morales joins us now. So, what more do we know, Mark, about the security measures the city's taking?

MARK MORALES, CNN REPORTER: Well, there have been a lot of high- profile events the last few months. So, what we're seeing is that playbook, which means there's going to be a lot of streets are going to be closed to vehicular traffic, pedestrians that won't be allowed in certain spaces.

And what you're seeing is that they're putting an extra effort to make sure that the area is as tightly controlled as possible, which is why you're seeing a lot of these 8-foot gates being surrounding the 9/11 Memorial.

What you're seeing is that they're putting an extra effort to make sure that the area is as tightly controlled as possible, which is why you're seeing a lot of these 8-foot gates being surrounding the 9/11 Memorial.

[15:05:11]

And it's important to note that there are no credible threats, but this is why we're seeing what the police commissioner yesterday called one of the largest deployments for the 9/11 ceremony. It's because of this dynamic threat environment, which basically means that the threat could come from a number of different places.

SANCHEZ: And, Mark, what have law enforcement officials you've spoken with told you about how securities changed in the 25 years since 9/11?

MORALES: Well, back then, it was very centralized to al-Qaeda and ISIS. But over the years, that's become very, very different. So, now we've gotten to the point where it's just offshoots or affiliates of those groups. Plus, you're talking about homegrown violent extremists, far left, far right, anybody that's upset with the government.

Recently, I sat down with the head of the Joint Terrorism Task Force here in New York City, Andrew Pachtman, who told me that basically preventing a terror attack here in New York City is a no-fail mission. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANDREW PACHTMAN, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, JOINT NEW YORK TERRORISM TASK FORCE: The threat is evolving. There are actors who are inspired by different elements of domestic terrorism ideology, international terrorism ideology, a confluence of both. So, I would say it's the ability to adapt and to detect and to get in front of -- of those subjects.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORALES: So, there have been incidents here in New York City since the 9/11 attack. You think the Chelsea bombing. You think the Westside truck attack and others, situations that were potential plots that never actually came to fruition. And that's what law enforcement is focused on now, constantly recalibrating so they can dedicate assets to figure out what plans are happening in these different scenarios and trying to get them before they -- they -- they come to fruition. Boris.

SANCHEZ: Mark Morales, thank you so much for that reporting.

Still to come: the war in Iran continues to push energy prices higher, a gallon of gas climbing $0.13 in just two days.

Plus, the Justice Department escalating its fight over voter records in 30 states, how it's threatening criminal sanctions if they don't preserve data from the 2024 election.

And later, relatives of those killed in that Miami cargo plane crash speak to CNN as investigators work to find out why the plane overran the runway.

That and much more coming your way on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:11:57]

KEILAR: Those summer road trips may be over but Americans can't avoid high gas prices heading into the fall. The global oil benchmark Brent futures hit $107 a barrel today, that's the highest since May. Diesel prices are at a new high. Those can fan the flames of inflation ringing alarm bells in the bond market and pushing yields sharply higher. CNN's Matt Egan is digging into the numbers.

So, Matt talk us through what is causing these prices to go up.

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Brianna, for a while this spring and summer, a lot of investors were betting on an imminent end to the war, a return to normal on the Strait of Hormuz. But now it's dawning on the oil market that there may be no end in sight and that energy prices may be higher for longer.

And that does help explain what we're seeing in the oil market: 6 percent increase for Brent, a hundred and seven dollars a barrel, highest level since May. At one point this afternoon, it was above a hundred and eight dollars a barrel. WTI, the U.S. benchmark, back in triple-digit territory.

Now, S&P Global Energy put out a new report where they say that, for the first time since the war started, they're no longer assuming that oil production in the Middle East is going to go back to pre-war levels. They said they're no longer expecting a definitive end to the war with Iran by next year, and they also don't really assume that the straighter her moves is going to go back to normal.

So, that's why they're projecting that oil prices are likely to stay high in this $80 to $100 a barrel range, not just this year, not just after the midterms, but through the end of next year.

Now, this, of course, is just driving up prices for consumers, right? So, the national average: $4.28 a gallon, fresh three-month high for gas prices. Look at this, just a $0.13 increase from two days ago and a massive increase from before the war, when gas prices were below $3 a gallon.

And it's not just gas. It's also diesel. Diesel is the workhorse fuel that really powers this economy. Before the war, well below four dollars a gallon. Now, an all-time high. In fact, Brianna, diesel is now just $0.02 away from crossing $6 a gallon for the first time ever.

KEILAR: Wow, that is very expensive. And tell us what you're seeing in the bond market right now.

EGAN: Yes, well, Brianna, unfortunately, we're seeing a lot of selling in the bond market. And when bond prices go down, yields go up. This is the 10-year Treasury yield. This is the most important interest rate, really, on the planet. It started the day around 4.84 percent, but look at this: 4.95 percent. This is the highest level for the 10- year since the fall of 2023, getting closer and closer to the psychologically important 5 percent level.

Why do we care about this? Because Treasuries, they set the cost of borrowing, really, across the economy, for consumers, for businesses, for governments. The higher these rates go, the more expensive it is to borrow.

[15:15:00]

For instance, mortgage rates -- mortgage rates, they've been elevated for a while. Two years ago, 6.2 percent. But look at this, they're moving in the wrong direction: 6.35 percent at this point last year. And the new numbers we just got this afternoon is that the average 30- year fixed rate is now 6.76 percent. That's the highest level since June of 2025.

And just to try to show you what this means, if you were buying a $500,000 home before the war started and you're putting 10 percent down, mortgage rates at that time, they were below 6 percent, just a bit. So, a monthly mortgage payment was around $3,500. Now, well above $3,700, and that's per month. If you spread that over the course of a year, you're looking at almost $3,000 of higher payments.

And, Brianna, that's not getting you another bathroom or a bigger kitchen, right? That's just interest. So, I think the bottom line here is, whether it's the cost of energy or the cost -- or the cost of borrowing, it's moving in the wrong direction. And this is just adding to those affordability concerns that voters are experiencing ahead of the midterms. Back to you.

KEILAR: Tomorrow, we can do a segment where you really depress us and compare it to, like, 2020, yes?

EGAN: No, that's -- that's the job of the -- the A.I. experts that come with it.

KEILAR: Oh, I know. You're so right. Matt Egan, thank you. Boris.

EGAN: Thanks, Brianna.

KEILAR: The Trump administration is stepping up its fight to obtain voter data ahead of the midterms. CNN has learned the Justice Department has sent letters to multiple states and Washington, D.C., directing officials to preserve records tied to the 2024 election. It comes as the D.O.J. presses ahead with lawsuits seeking access to state voter lists. CNN's Gabe Cohen is here.

So, Gabe, what more are you learning?

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, Boris, not only did they send those letters to at least 30 states telling them to preserve those records tying back to the 2024 election, but they also told those state election leaders that they are, quote, "currently under investigation" related to compliance with federal election laws.

And this is -- these are not just blue states. There are some Republican-led states here. That includes Utah, where the Lieutenant Governor, Deidre Henderson, posted on social media, essentially saying, "You say we know we're under investigation. I had no idea that we were under investigation. That's news to me."

But, as you said, this is just one more piece of the Justice Department's initiative to gather up state voter data as part of the administration's efforts to hunt for election fraud. These letters came from the assistant attorney general, Harmeet Dhillon, who has one -- been one of the major public faces of that effort to search for voter fraud. She has been out on a media tour for months now, talking about all the efforts from their department.

And earlier this summer, Dhillon and the DOJ sent out these letters to all 50 states, essentially saying election officials need to remember that they could face criminal charges if any undocumented people, any ineligible voters receive a ballot or cast that ballot. And that came right before Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had a press conference and echoed that, saying that election officials who do not adequately secure the midterms could face prison time.

So, it speaks to the pressure that these election officials are under from the Justice Department, who has sued 30 states, the same 30 states, to force them to hand over their state voter rolls. But that was months ago, and we are still here. SANCHEZ: Have any of those efforts by DOJ been successful so far?

COHEN: No, they've really been fruitless thus far. They're -- I believe, over 23 in those lawsuits that have been decided at this point. But it speaks to how the administration is continuing to throw what it can at the wall here. And obviously, Harmeet Dhillon and the administration have been extremely critical of these states that are refusing to hand over their state voter lists so the federal government can audit them, looking for non-citizens or ineligible voters.

SANCHEZ: Gabe Cohen, staying on top of every angle of the administration's efforts on the midterms. Thank you so much.

Still ahead, the latest on the investigation into that deadly cargo jet crash in Miami. What the cockpit voice recorder says was happening with the plane as it approached the airport.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:23:48]

SANCHEZ: Black box data is revealing new details about what the pilots were experiencing before an Amazon cargo plane overran the runway in Miami on Sunday, killing five people on the ground. The cockpit voice recorder indicates that one of the two pilots called for a, quote, "go around" or another landing attempt after touching down. Moments before, one of the pilots could be heard expressing concerns about the plane's speed on final approach. Cockpit alarms are also heard in the recording, indicating that the Boeing 767 was dropping too quickly and flying too low.

The plane, managed by the Amazon contractor 21 Air, hit two vehicles, including a van carrying a cleaning crew. Their employer, Professional Ocean Service Corporation, says the five men killed were like family.

For more on their story, we want to bring in CNN's Carolina Peguero in Miami for us. So, Carolina, tell us about who these men were.

CAROLINA PEGUERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris, it's been less than a week since that Amazon plane crashed here at the Miami International Airport. And as the investigators from NTSB remain on scene collecting evidence, we're learning more about the five men that were in that van that was struck by the Amazon cargo plane.

[15:25:00]

And I want to identify them by what authorities have given us: Rolando Aleman Leon, Carlos Acosta Fajardo, Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, Javierkys Reyes Quevedo and Julio Pineda.

As we mentioned their names, they also have nicknames. Julio is known as "El Mago," the magician, loved by his neighbors. And Rolando as "Rolly." I want you to hear what some of them have said about them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) EMILIO HERRARA, FRIEND OF JULIO C. PINEDA (through interpreter): This has really affected me because I didn't realize how much I care about him. He was the kind of person who healed others. I never saw him upset. I never saw him angry. He was always so helpful.

ANAELVA CALATAYU, FRIEND OF JULIO C. PINEDA (through interpreter): I used to say he would be around forever. He would walk in here, and he always had a smile. He always had candy. He'd give it to the children. He would bring us all sorts of things: treats, snacks. I tell you, the magician, he is the magician, and he will always live on in our memory.

JOSE JOAQUIN SIGAS, FRIEND OF JULIO C. PINEDA (through interpreter): It was very hard, the way he and his colleagues lost their lives. Very hard, truly devastating. And as the neighbors said, he was someone who won everyone over. He won everyone over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEGUERO: Now, these people that knew some of the victims say that they were just moments and minutes away from finishing their shift that day on Sunday before the tragic accident.

Well, I have spoken to some of the lawyers that are representing the families of the victims, and they're saying that they're just seeking answers from NTSB as well. They want their own investigations to happen and get more on what exactly led to those moments of that crash, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Carolina, there were others that were hurt in the plane crash. How are they doing?

PEGUERO: Yes, including two of the pilots that they were with minor injuries and later released. And there are still three victims that remain in some of the local hospitals here in Miami, two of which are in critical condition. Boris.

SANCHEZ: Carolina Peguero for us in Miami. Thank you so much.

Coming up: some big promises and surprise appearances. The takeaways from the first day of the Republican midterm convention and what we should expect tonight, when we come back.

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