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NOAA Hurricane Hunter Nick Underwood is Interviewed about Hurricane Isaias; Trump Makes Third Trip to Texas; Trump's Approval Underwater in Red States Iowa and Ohio; Maduro Expected to Face New Charges. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired October 08, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Able to trace the dog back to his owner using a microchip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not so good. I lost my dog.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

Hi, buddy. Hey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking in Spanish).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: That owner, very clearly very happy to be reunited once again with her pup.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, states of emergency along the Gulf Coast. A hurricane forecast right now, picking up some strength before direct impact. Concerns about storm surge and major disruption. We are getting some new storm tracks just in.

Brand-new polls from key races that hang in the balance for Senate control. And the president's popularity, or lack thereof, playing a major role.

And this morning, prosecutors expected to bring new charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife over the alleged torture of Americans. I'm John Berman, with Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner. This is CNN NEWS

CENTRAL

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking this morning, Hurricane Isaias is a category one storm with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, but it isn't likely to stay at just a category one. Along the Gulf Coast, it's still the calm before the storm, but the hurricane is expected to get stronger, and it's forecast to peak as a category two storm anytime tonight. If Isaias makes landfall as a hurricane, it will mark the first hurricane landfall anywhere in the -- well in the Atlantic. It's expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge. And if peak surge happens at high tide, some areas from Mississippi to the Florida panhandle could see five to seven feet of water above what is typically dry ground.

The storm is also guaranteed to knock out power, down trees where it makes landfall. But outages could extend further inland as well. The gulf is preparing, with some counties issuing mandatory evacuations already. In Alabama, and the Florida panhandle, more than a dozen counties are closing their schools tomorrow, and many have already closed today.

Right now, a hurricane hunter aircraft is currently flying into Isaias.

Joining us now is NOAA hurricane hunter Nick Underwood, clearly not on that flight right now.

But you have been on many of these missions, flying into these hurricanes to collect data. What are your colleagues learning about this particular hurricane?

NICK UNDERWOOD, NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER: Yes. So, our crews have been flying missions into the storm since Tuesday. And what we're doing is gathering as much atmospheric and oceanographic data as we can. So, we're collecting information on the temperature, the pressure, the wind speeds, the wind velocities. We're collecting radar data. We're sending all of that to the National Hurricane Center so that they can incorporate that information into their forecast models and have a better idea of where the storm is going to make landfall and how strong it's going to be when it gets there.

SIDNER: What is it that determines kind of how strong this hurricane might get? We're seeing so far the path here where you have it at cat one right now, but it's strengthening.

UNDERWOOD: It is strengthening. So, the water in the gulf is very warm, but there is a lot of upper-level wind shear. So, that's going to help prevent this storm from getting too strong hopefully. But that's what our crews are going out and hoping to find. Get that in situ data, actually be in the storm collecting that information and figuring out what's going on.

SIDNER: Can you give us some sense of what it is like when you are flying into one of these storms. And you've flown into major storms as well. What is that experience like? UNDERWOOD: I always say it's kind of like being on a wooden roller

coaster that's inside of an automatic car wash. So, there's a lot of vibration. There's a lot of getting bounced around. This storm, Isaias, is strengthening. And weaker storms like this that are trying to ramp up, there's still a lot of instability in those. And so even though they're not the most powerful storms yet, they can be some of the bumpiest rides. And our crews that have been flying so far have reported a lot of that.

SIDNER: Look, hurricane season, we often see hurricanes in the Atlantic. But this year, this is the first one in the Atlantic. What explains that?

UNDERWOOD: It's been a quiet season in the Atlantic so far. There's a very strong el Nino in the Pacific. The Pacific basin has been very active. And so, our crews have spent a lot of the last few months out to Hawaii, out to Texas, flying storms that are in the Pacific, that have been threatening the Hawaiian Islands and places in Mexico. This is the first hurricane, obviously, that we're flying in the Atlantic this season. But even though we've been busy all season, we are prepared and ready to go fly these missions this week.

[09:05:02]

SIDNER: What is the biggest concern with this particular hurricane? Usually it is not just the winds but the water, right?

UNDERWOOD: Water is always a huge concern. What we advise people to do, folks who are projected to be in the path, is to listen to their local officials. If they are under a mandatory evacuation, it is important to follow that direction to keep yourself safe, keep your neighbors safe, and keep your community safe.

SIDNER: Nick Underwood, it is a pleasure to have you. Good luck to you and your crews as you keep flying into the beast to give us the most and best information that we need for the tracking of this storm. Appreciate it.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: There is new CNN polling out this morning, 26 days now to the midterms, and the numbers, they are rough for President Trump in two red states that he has previously won quite easily. Like in Ohio, a state the president carried by 11 points in the '24 election. Now just 36 percent of likely voters are approving of the job that he is doing. Democrat Sherrod Brown, who previously held the Senate seat there in 2024, leads Republican Jon Husted now by six points. This would be a flip, clearly.

In Iowa, the other state focused in this new CNN polling, where President Trump won that one in -- by 13 points, his approval rating there now 41 percent. And in the Senate race there, no clear leader between Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek.

With Republicans on edge, the president has been carrying out a campaign blitz through states that usually are reliably red. Last night, he made a third trip, a third return trip to Texas in less than a month.

CNN's Alayna Treene is live at the White House with more for us.

Alayna, what is the latest? How are these numbers going to be received over there today?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, these are exactly the type of numbers, Kate, that I know the president's team has been showing him personally as well. They are getting their own polls. They are very aware of what is happening in these races. And that's why you're seeing them spend so much time in these red states and also spend so much money on ads in these areas as well.

And I'd remind people that, you know, six months ago, if you asked Republicans, you know, would you be spending so much time in these places, so much money in these places, worried about these different districts in these red states? And the answer would have been, no. They would have thought these would have been safe seats.

I mean, many of these places that the president has been spending his time in the last week, Kate, are in states that he won by double districts in 2024. Take Texas, for example. You mentioned it. He was there last night. He was also there another time in the same week. This is his third trip to the -- Texas in less than a month. He won that state by 14 points.

Meanwhile, we're also seeing Republicans pour $100 million boosting Ken Paxton because they are worried about just how tight that race is against the Democrat, James Talarico, there.

Now, the president, I should say, talked about how important he believes Texas is. And he said it's not only just about winning the state, keeping Texas red, but also about the margins that -- losing, if they lose Texas, what that will do to the margins in Congress.

Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will not let my legacy of having the highest vote in the history of Texas be tarnished or destroyed by allowing that travesty to happen again. And, you know, if they get in, if they get in, and -- I remember with like a guy like Talarico, it's basically one vote. It's so important. Forget about, for Texas, it's still just one vote. It's a killer in Congress because we have a very close majority. We can't let that happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, look, obviously he's spending a lot of time in Texas, which is a Senate race. And this is something interesting as well. When I, you know, a couple months ago was talking with the president's political operation, talking with outside Republican strategists who were advising the president on all of this, they really were worried about the House and about losing the House, but hopefully keeping the Senate. But more and more, as we get closer to the midterms, there is the

possibility, they argue, that they could see the Senate switch to Democratic control as well. And that is really something that would be damaging, of course, not only to Republicans, but to the president himself. He has two more years left in office, not being able to get his own policies through, the type of investigations that would come with losing control of Congress, very difficult for him. So, that's part of why you're seeing him make his case so plainly in so many of these states.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

Alayna, thank you so much. It's great to see you.

John.

BERMAN: All right, with us now, Leigh Ann Caldwell, chief Washington correspondent for "Puck," and Will Steakin, co-author of "The Politico Playbook."

And, you know, guys, it's not just the Senate races in these two states that are seeing this issue for Republicans here.

[09:10:02]

This is the Ohio Senate race with Sherrod Brown ahead of Jon Husted. But the governor's race in Ohio right now. The Democrat, Amy Acton, is leading Vivek Ramaswamy in the new CNN poll.

And in Iowa, again, where we have no clear leader in the Senate race, the Democrat in the governor's race, Rob Sand, has opened up a sizable lead there.

What trends -- Leigh Ann, let me just start with you, are you seeing like this around the country?

LEIGH ANN CALDWELL, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, "PUCK": Well, you just mentioned that it's not just the Senate race, it's the governor's race in those two states as well. And then there's also congressional races that are further down the ballot that are also in trouble for Republicans. I was talking to one key Republican strategist last week who admitted that Iowa is perhaps their most difficult state. That's because it's a state that is so red, something that they did not think was going to be on the map this cycle, and something that they are having to defend vigorously and they might lose up to three Congressional races, the governor's race and the Senate race. We'll see how it plays out.

But this is a pattern that is happening around the country. We're seeing it in poll after poll in these purple and even red states where Republicans are really struggling --

BERMAN: Yes. CALDWELL: Despite the fact, in many of these states, Republicans are outspending the Democrats. And it's a big question on if money is going to be able to make any sort of difference and turn the tide of the mood of the electorate, John.

BERMAN: Money is making a difference. It's just money in people's pockets. Maybe not money being paid to ad makers right now.

Because, Will, when you ask voters in these two states what the most important issues are right now, and this is really interesting, economy and the cost of living, 49 percent in Ohio, 48 percent in Iowa, basically more than every other issue combined. And when you talk about how the president is doing on the economy, some staggering figures, Trump's policies have increased costs 76 percent in Ohio, 74 percent in Iowa. These are both states he won by a lot two years ago with three quarters of the people, Will, saying that he's made their financial situation more difficult.

WILL STEAKIN, CO-AUTHOR, "POLITICO PLAYBOOK": Yes. And if you remember about how that -- his campaign in 2024, so much of it was focused on affordability and groceries. I remember that one press conference he did towards the end of the campaign in '24, where he had all the food behind him. It was a little gross because some of the food was like rotting. But the point was made that he was going through the groceries and talking about how much it was to, you know, buy groceries under President Biden. And that connected with a lot of voters who were saying, yes, my groceries are high. He gets into office and groceries are even higher. And so, of course, you know, they're holding him accountable.

And I think, you know, to the point of like the governor's races, I look at someone like Vivek Ramaswamy, who is trailing in this poll in a state that the president won by double digits. And to me, it speaks to how tied he is to President Trump. You know, Vivek Ramaswamy's political career is essentially because of his ties to President Trump. And he's not doing kind of what we're seeing other races, like Mike Rogers in Michigan, distancing himself. It would probably be even harder for someone like Vivek Ramaswamy.

But clearly, you know, they're -- not only are they -- are voters in these states, you know, you know, tying the cost of living to the president, they're also tying it to their allies who are running, like Vivek Ramaswamy.

BERMAN: Will, just sticking with you for one second here. In the "Politico Playbook" this morning, you wrote about this situation where two political advisers to the president, Chris Lacivita and James Blair, have been doing consulting work overseas for this Russia aligned, sort of self-governing region inside Bosnia and Herzegovina. The president put out a statement on this yesterday that I think has political tongues wagging in the consultant class. You know, "Chris Lacivita and James Blair are outside consultants. They do not work for me other than as outside consultants. They most likely have numerous clients. They're allowed to do work for others, just like all consultants. I do not have any idea who else they work for, but I will, on reflection, ask them. And if there's a conflict, I will terminate them immediately."

I mean, these aren't just any guys, Will. These are guys who ran his reelection campaign and ran his political operation inside the White House, and now he's making -- putting distance between himself?

STEAKIN: It was remarkable. And like you said, I think it really sent shockwaves through Washington. I mean, these are, like you said, these are the -- James Blair, Chris Lacivita. The president has thanked them essentially for resurrecting his political career and giving, you know, winning -- running the campaign that brought him back to power in 2024.

You know, just a few months ago when James Blair left the White House to go help run MAGA Inc, the president put out this glowing, you know, post on Truth, completely the opposite of what he just posted a few days ago saying that James Blair is one of the most talented operatives he's ever met.

And so, you know, I think it really speaks to what we were talking -- you know, what we reported today in "Playbook" was, there's been a real brewing upset.

[15:06]

The president has really been upset about how the midterms have been going and he's potentially looking for someone to blame. And, you know, a story as old as time in Trump world, the president often will look at who's actually running the political operation to (AUDIO GAP) and I wonder if that's what's happening here.

BERMAN: Leigh Ann, quick reaction.

CALDWELL: Well, one thing that the president doesn't like is when other people make money on the president's name. He can make all the money he wants, but he doesn't like other people to make money on his name. And that's exactly what this story was. And so I -- it's, yes, it obviously irked the president.

BERMAN: Yes. And we'll see if it goes further than this. He goes, if there's a conflict, you know, we will see.

All right, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Will Steakin, great to see you both. Thank you very much.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you, John.

Coming up, the wife of Nicolas Maduro set to appear in court this morning, trying for a release from jail. The new serious charges CNN has learned are expected to be filed against her and her husband.

Also, unprecedented student protests are happening right now in Paris. Already thousands taking to the streets as riot police fire tear gas there. Why students are demonstrating. Plus, authorities tried twice to execute her, but she survived the

lethal injections. What convicted murderer Christa Pike told her lawyers after waking up from her botched execution.

Those stories and more ahead.

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[09:21:02]

SIDNER: Sources tell CNN, New York prosecutors are expected to bring new charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, alleging the torture of Americans held in Venezuela in recent years. Maduro and his wife were captured in a U.S. military raid in January. They have pleaded not guilty to the first charges brought, which include narco terrorism, conspiracy, among other charges. The two are being held in New York. Next hour, Maduro's wife is expected to appear at a hearing where her lawyer will ask that she be moved to house arrest ahead of her trial due to her health concerns.

CNN's Kara Scannell is live outside a federal courthouse for us this morning.

Kara, what more have you learned about these charges, these extra charges that are expected to be filed?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sara.

Sources telling CNN that Maduro and Cilia Flores Maduro are expected to face new charges relating to the alleged torture of U.S. citizens in Venezuela. Sources tell us that these charges could be announced as soon as today, and that it relates to the detention of U.S. citizens, more than a dozen of them, during the time period that the Maduros were in power.

Now, a number of people were held in detention, more than a dozen expected to be involved in this case. And what we know what from some of them have said once they were freed, either through lawsuits or through other statements, is that they describe these brutal conditions that they were held in within this Venezuelan facility, including saying that they were waterboarded, that they were electrocuted, forced to take mind-altering drugs, had threats of sexual assault against them and held in solitary confinement. So, once we see what these charges are, we'll know the extent of which the U.S. government allegations go.

But as you said, Cilia Flores is expected to be in court this morning because she is trying to get bail based on those narco terrorism charges, saying that she has a health condition and so her lawyers are suggesting a high security home detention. The U.S. prosecutors are opposing that, saying that she is a flight risk. These additional charges will likely bolster their argument that she should not be released on bail. All that will play out in the next hour or so once that hearing gets underway. But these new charges for the Maduros, you know, they come as the --

they're facing this -- these current charges. They're currently set for trial in June. We'll see if that trial date holds.

Sara.

SIDNER: We certainly will. And I know you'll be on it.

Kara Scannell, thank you. Great reporting from you this morning.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: And joining us now for some perspective on what this means is CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams.

It's good to see you, Elliot.

What do you think these new charges mean? Add them on now to what we were -- what Kara was listing out are the existing charges that they're facing, that previously, you know, narco terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering. But now this. Does it complicate matters in bringing a case against them?

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I don't think it complicates matters in bringing a case against them. Each charge would have to be regarded in isolation and different evidence will support potentially the narco trafficking charges and different evidence would support terror -- pardon me, torture charges, if they exist.

Let's be clear. The allegations of torture by the Venezuelan regime are nothing new. Everything from lawsuits have established them over the years. There's been an International Criminal Court investigation into them. For goodness sakes, Kate, there's a Wikipedia page on torture in Venezuela. And so, there's no question, to many people, that torture certainly has happened over the years. The question is now whether you can convict Venezuelan leaders of them if the evidence exists that can be brought to court.

But, you know, there's nothing -- there's not much -- nothing new, at least about the allegations so far.

BOLDUAN: The simple fact that -- when it comes to these allegations of torture, that it all took place, obviously, overseas. What does that add to this?

[09:25:01]

WILLIAMS: Yes. You know, believe it or not, it does -- I mean, that's an element of the offense that it happened overseas. It doesn't matter who the victims were, whether they were Americans or not, but just the mere fact that someone engaged in causing suffering or pain to another person when acting under color of law, when they were purportedly, you know, running government or whatever else, and that someone was in custody at the time. Those are the things that would really need to be established. And again, if it is an allegation against Venezuelan or any country

world leaders that happened overseas, and now that the person's in the United States, it's quite straightforward. It's just a question of, can you get that evidence and can you get those witnesses from overseas here to America to be able to testify? So, really, it's just a practical question. How can you bring evidence that might be in another country? But the evidence, the charges themselves are quite straightforward. If they are what we think they are --

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

WILLIAMS: Which at least it's CNN's reporting seems to indicate it seems like we know. Yes.

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

And so then the defense here would be Maduro's attorneys have already argued the entire case should be dismissed on grounds of sovereign immunity. How strong an argument is there with the expected new charges?

WILLIAMS: Yes. Not at all. That -- number one, the United States has made clear that it does not regard Nicolas Maduro as the leader of Venezuela. So, right there, American courts are not likely to go over the president or the, you know, the executive branch's head and say, no, we actually do believe that he was the leader of Venezuela, number one.

Number two, it's telling that the Venezuelan government, the current Venezuelan regime, has not chosen to assert sovereign immunity on behalf of Nicolas Maduro. So, even if American courts were inclined to say so, the Venezuelan government doesn't even seem to think so right now. So, that argument is very much a loser. It's kind of -- hasn't gotten much traction thus far. And I don't think it's going to win here.

BOLDUAN: Yes, let's see what happens today. Quite an interesting moment.

It's good to see you, Elliot. Thank you.

John.

BERMAN: All right, thousands take to the streets in student protests that have spread day after day after day.

And for the first time in the history of baseball, a call goes against the Yankees. The home run that never was, and the World Series that will never be.

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