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Charlie Kirk Killing Suspect Arrested, Held without Bond; Latest Israeli Strike Kills Dozens in Gaza; Unrest in Nepal over Social Media Ban; Kirk's Influence in South Korea and Japan; Trump's "Crime Crackdown" Veers from Chicago to Memphis; Emmys Host Nate Bargatze Shares Plans for Sunday's Ceremony. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired September 13, 2025 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
We're learning more about. The man suspected of killing. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk. We'll have. Details on the investigation and what authorities are still trying to piece together.
President Trump is planning a crime crackdown in another blue city but this time it's in a Republican-led state. We'll explain the administration's plans.
And dozens of Palestinians are killed as Israel ramps up its attacks on Gaza ahead of its expected ground invasion. We'll have the latest in a live report.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: With a suspect in custody in the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, authorities are now working to determine exactly what happened and what motivated the crime. Sources say Tyler Robinson has, quote, "lawyered up" and is refusing to talk to investigators.
The 22-year old is currently held without bond and makes his first court appearance on Tuesday. He'll be arraigned on multiple state charges connected to the shooting and could face the death penalty. CNN's Nick Watt takes us through the manhunt and the arrest.
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GOV. SPENCER COX (R-UT): Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We got him.
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After a 33-hour manhunt, a 22-year-old suspected assassin in custody. The endgame began just before 8:00 pm last night.
KASH PATEL, DIRECTOR, FBI: The FBI released a never-before-seen video of the suspect. We also released new images to the public of the suspect.
WATT: Apparently Robinson's own father recognized his son, confronted him and heard his confession. His dad called a youth pastor, who, in turn, told law enforcement.
PATEL: The suspect was taken into custody at 10:00 pm local time.
WATT: We're told that on the morning of the murder, Robinson arrived at the UVU campus at 8:29 am then changed into that outfit we see in the security camera, images, the T-shirt with an eagle and an American flag, to shoot the right-wing influencer dead at 12:23 pm.
Then he changed back into a plain tee and shorts for the roughly three-hour drive back home.
Robinson grew up here in Washington County, rural, quiet, conservative.
COX: investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson who stated that Robinson had become more political in recent years.
WATT: And at the family dinner in recent days --
COX: Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.
WATT: That is where the suspect jumped off the roof after the shooting and ran fleeing in this direction.
Now investigators say his roommate has showed the messages from the suspect, in which he talks about collecting a rifle from a drop point, later of wrapping it in the towel and stashing it and watching where he stashed it and also apparently talking about engraving the ammunition.
Now this is where investigators found the rifle wrapped in a towel with engraving on the ammunition, words, letters, symbols.
COX: A second unfired casing read, "Oh, bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao."
WATT: Apparently referencing a song that glorifies Italian partisans who fought fascists and Nazis in World War II.
Another read, "Hey, fascist! Catch!"
COX: Well, I will leave that up to you to interpret what those engravings mean. I think the clearest one that says, catch, fascist, (sic) I think that speaks for itself.
WATT: Officials here in Utah are expected to lodge charges Tuesday and that would mean that the suspect appears virtually for a first appearance 3 pm local time. We hear federal officials are also weighing whether to lay charges against Tyler Robinson.
Meantime, over the past couple of hours, we have watched this cleaning crew remove the tent and clean the scene where Charlie Kirk was assassinated -- Nick Watt, CNN, Orem, Utah.
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BRUNHUBER: On Friday evening, Charlie Kirk's wife made her first public address since the shooting on Wednesday. Erika Kirk's remarks were posted on a social media page for Turning Point USA, the group her husband founded.
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She vowed the tour of university campuses that began the day he was shot would continue and that his group's annual conference will go ahead in December. Kirk tearfully described their children and described difficult questions asked by their daughter and she aimed some comments directly at the suspect. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIKA KIRK, CHARLIE KIRK'S WIDOW: If you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world. You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The governor of Utah is calling on Americans to temper their political disagreements with civility and avoid a descent into more violence. He spoke earlier with CNN's Anderson Cooper. Here he is.
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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: You've called this a watershed event in our history and that the chapter is still being written about what kind of a watershed event is it?
What direction the country goes from here. Can you just talk about that a little bit and how do we all help write that history?
COX: Yes, so to me, I look at this, it feels like something happened. This is big and it's big for a reason.
Again, somebody who was involved in political speech, political discourse, doing the very thing that is the foundation for our democratic republic and then losing their life, which makes it harder for all of us to do the thing that we should do and that's dangerous in a different type of way.
And so, the question is, we've certainly been building to this. I don't think it's a surprise to most people that something terrible like this could happen. You know, President Trump was almost assassinated a year ago.
So the question is this the end of a very dark era?
Does this wake us up in a way that we actually change?
Or is this just the beginning of something far, far worse?
And what will write that history, what that will depend on is all of us. It's not any one person who's going to change this.
If we are waiting for a leader from Washington, D.C., or Utah or anywhere else, then it will never happen. And that's why I just feel so strongly that it's incumbent on every single one of us to look into our souls and decide, do we want this to continue?
Are we going to be the part that continues or are we going to try something different?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The photos and video the FBI released were key to identifying Kirk's suspected assassin. Tyler Robinson's father saw these images and recognized him. They were widely televised and circulated on social media in the hours after the shooting.
But the power of social media as an investigative tool can be double- edged, especially in today's media landscape, where confusion and speculation can spread just as quickly as vital information.
I want to bring in Roxane Cohen Silver, who's a distinguished professor of psychology, public health and medicine at the University of California/Irvine.
Thank you so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it. Millions of people --
ROXANE COHEN SILVER, DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/IRVINE: Thank you very much for having me.
BRUNHUBER: You're welcome.
Millions of people have watched that, the horrible video of Charlie Kirk being shot.
What does it do to us, to our brains, when we -- when we keep watching stuff like this over and over again?
SILVER: Well, I can say that what was perhaps most unique about the video that we -- that was distributed unwittingly by many people the other day. Was that it. Went on autoplay on social media.
So people may -- would have seen it inadvertently, as opposed to what might have happened previously, which is that people would need to seek it out.
And my colleagues and I have conducted research over the last 20-30 years that suggests that there is no psychological benefit to exposure to graphic, gruesome images, videos.
And, in fact, in contrast to being any psychological benefit, we see very strong evidence that watching these kinds of graphic images can be psychologically damaging and, in fact, can have physiological and physical health consequences over time.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, I imagine it's the same, just consuming all the social media that we do because it's just exploding with angry reactions and people calling for revenge.
I mean, what does all that that rage and political polarization do to us, when we're, again, when we're exposed to it and seeing it constantly?
SILVER: Well, one thing we see since the pandemic is that, in many cases, it's all bad news all the time.
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And in fact, during the pandemic, that bad news escalated. Since the most recent events, we have seen, as you clearly indicate, there has been enormous rage and anxiety, distress.
And we know that political polarization is also very stressful. So the combination is perhaps almost too much to bear. We're seeing collective trauma that has been compounded day after day by new events. And unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be abating any time soon.
BRUNHUBER: No, not at all. And talk to me about the fear. I mean, after Kirk was killed, several Black colleges got threats and had to lock down.
I mean, when people are genuinely scared for their safety like this, I mean, how do you -- how do you deal with this kind of fear?
SILVER: One thing that happens, which is actually counterproductive, is that, when we are anxious, we monitor our environment for things that might make us more anxious. So if we're concerned about terrorism or mass violence, we often monitor our environment to see seek out whether or not there's safety or not.
What that inadvertently does is lead us to engage in even more media about mass violence. And so it's a self-perpetuating cycle that's very difficult to extricate oneself.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. That's right. I mean, we heard from the Utah's governor there. He went on to say, you know, he called social media a cancer and urged people to log off. I mean, you talked about the dangers of always engaging with us.
I mean, how do we disconnect while still staying informed? SILVER: Well, I personally have not seen the video. I personally do
not engage with violent, graphic videos or even graphic images. And I can stay in touch with the news by reading but by not clicking on videos that have a warning label saying that it's graphic.
I don't think that it is necessary to watch those videos in order to stay informed about this story, this or any other story. So I strongly encourage people to monitor how much graphic media they are consuming.
I strongly encourage people to avoid those graphic images if they can, not seek them out; if they've seen them once, make sure they don't look at them again. And I think it's extremely important.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, as you said earlier, though, it is so hard to avoid. And young people especially might not have the self-control to stop engaging with it.
So for parents out there, I mean many of them are probably wondering, you know, how the heck do you talk to your kids about this, especially when, as we say, those videos are all over social media?
I mean, what should they be doing?
What should parents be saying right now?
SILVER: I think they should say -- they probably should ask whether or not their child has seen these images and ask them how they're feeling about it.
They could engage in a conversation but strongly discourage repeated exposure, strongly discourage people to get their children from sending these images to other people.
I think when people distribute these kinds of images in social media, they really don't think about or realize the potential psychological consequences for the recipient. And I think talking to one's children -- and it's not just children, though. I think adults are also quite susceptible to this.
And I think it's extremely important that we recognize that there is no psychological benefit to watching these images.
BRUNHUBER: And indeed, it can be harmful, as you said. An important message in these troubling times. Really appreciate it. Roxane Cohen Silver, thank you so much.
SILVER: Thank you very much.
BRUNHUBER: Dozens have been killed in northern Gaza. Hospitals report at least 70 dead overall, as Israel prepares for invasion.
Plus, Donald Trump shifts his crime-fighting focus from Chicago to Memphis, Tennessee. We'll have those stories and more coming up. Please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Israeli strikes on Friday killed dozens of Palestinians, mostly in northern Gaza, according to hospitals. At least 70 people were killed across Gaza, with the majority, 56, in the north of the enclave, according to a tally by hospitals in the region. This comes as Israel ramps up attacks ahead of its expected ground invasion.
Meanwhile, 142 countries have approved a non-binding resolution at the U.N. General Assembly, endorsing a two-state solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. Ten countries, including Israel and the U.S., voted against it. The declaration calls for Hamas to be excluded from any government of a Palestinian state.
Donald Trump had dinner with Qatar's prime minister on Friday evening. That came after his vice president's meeting to reiterate American solidarity with the Gulf state in the aftermath of Israel's strike at Hamas in Doha.
So for more on all this, we're joined by Nada Bashir in London.
Let's start with the latest airstrikes on Gaza.
What are we learning?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well. Kim, we've been hearing from the Israeli. Military vowing. To intensify their assault on Gaza City. We heard from the military on Friday saying that they had struck more than 500 targets in the area.
And we have certainly seen the devastating civilian impact as a result of those strikes. As you mentioned, at least 70 people are reported to have been killed across the Gaza Strip. And while the majority of them were identified in parts of northern Gaza, we have seen that deadly impact in central Gaza as well.
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In fact, the one hospital official confirmed that they had received the bodies of 13 members of the same family.
We've seen this devastating video emerging as we have seen so often over the last almost two years now, of the complete destruction wrought by those airstrikes as civilians attempting to flee the area that is being targeted by the Israeli military.
And in fact, this comes as the military continues to push for civilians to evacuate southwards. They have said that they will continue to target central Gaza and they say targeting Hamas militants and infrastructure in the area.
But again, this is a densely populated civilian area. We haven't seen yet that mass evacuation movement that we have seen in the past. And this is in part because it is extremely difficult for civilians to evacuate now. It is not safe, according to many humanitarian organizations.
And, of course, for the vast majority of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, they have been forced to evacuate time and time again, with little clarity on whether there is, in fact, anywhere safe to go anymore. Take a listen to this one account from a civilian who has been told to evacuate.
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DINA MHANNA, GAZA RESIDENT (through translator): My home, my safety, my life, my whole life has been spent in this house. It's the safety of my children. Now I can no longer feel safe for myself or my home.
I don't know where to go. I'm standing here with nowhere to go. I have no place in the south. No place in Gaza. I have found nowhere.
Where do we go?
Someone please tell us where to go. There is no safe place. Everywhere, they say, is safe. But the bombing continues and death is everywhere.
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BASHIR: Now, Kim, as Israel's military assault on Gaza continues and intensifies, according to the military, there is, of course, dwindling hope for any sense of a ceasefire going forward, given the recent strike that we saw in Doha. Targeting appears to be Hamas' chief negotiator. Khalil al-Hayya.
We've been hearing from Qatari officials saying that this has undermined the peace process and there has been mounting criticism from many in the international community, including world leaders and humanitarian organizations, against Israel's continued assault on the Gaza Strip.
Of course, this is an area that is now experiencing famine as well, we must remember. But as you mentioned, the U.N. General Assembly has now voted largely in favor of a pathway that outlines steps toward a two- state solution in order to establish some peace process in the territories.
And let me just read you a bit from their statement, saying, "We agree to take collective action to end the war in Gaza;
"To achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution and to build a better future for the Palestinians, Israelis and all peoples of the region."
Of course, as you mentioned, both Israel and the U.S. did not vote in favor of this but the U.S. is growing increasingly isolated, with some of Israel's key allies, including Germany, the United Kingdom, also voting in favor of that resolution. Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Appreciate that. Nada Bashir in London, thank you so much.
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BRUNHUBER: Tensions are growing in Eastern Europe as NATO and Russia make a show of force close to their borders. NATO is moving warplanes and other military assets to its eastern flank following Russia's drone incursion into Poland this week.
Officials say Operation Eastern Sentry is meant to send a message that NATO is ready to defend itself.
But Russia and Belarus are making a military move of their own, launching major drills on land and sea. The exercises have been billed as defensive. But Poland isn't buying it, saying Russia and Belarus are practicing aggressive steps.
Nepal's first female prime minister was sworn in on Friday as interim leader after a week of violent unrest; 73-year-old Sushila Karki, a former chief justice, became the champion of Gen Z activists after protesters pushed for the end of corruption. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout looks back at the events leading up to her swearing-in.
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A dramatic week in Nepal as the capital turned into an inferno. Protesters in Kathmandu torched government buildings, including the parliament and the home of the former prime minister, who was forced to step down on Tuesday.
High-rise buildings like the Hilton Hotel were also destroyed. Some ministers were evacuated, airlifted to safety by helicopters as demonstrators closed in.
SURAJ RAJ PANDEY, EYEWITNESS: Yesterday night was super, super, super scary. But we had I could actually see a lot of high rises burning into flames right from my balcony.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything is burning around Kathmandu.
PANDEY: So we could not sleep all night yesterday.
STOUT (voice-over): The protesters are young, defiant and demanding change.
It's very good for our country, he says. Now I think like us, the youth will stand.
STOUT (voice-over): The protests were initially triggered by a social media ban. But after the government lifted it on Monday, they intensified.
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Fueled by a wider set of grievances, including government corruption, lack of economic opportunities and the recent use of lethal force on protesters.
Dozens of people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded. This video was filmed by Shree Gurung, another eyewitness.
SHREE GURUNG, EYEWITNESS: This young little girl was hit by a baton on her head and she was completely bloody. And I was trying to help her out. And a lot of kids, they started falling down and they started beating. They started fighting everywhere. And then everyone ran.
STOUT: In all the chaos, you were wounded as well.
GURUNG: Yes, I'm wounded. I've got treatment on my hand and at my back and legs.
STOUT (voice-over): The U.N. condemned the violence.
VOLKER TURK, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER OF HUMAN RIGHTS: I have received concerning reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by the security forces. I call for an urgent, thorough, transparent and impartial investigation.
STOUT (voice-over): Protest anger has extended online to videos like this, mocking so-called nepo kids, the entitled children of officials. The protests are being led by young people known as Gen Z.
And their pick for interim leader, Nepal's first female chief justice, Sushila Karki, will now step in as the authorities try to resolve the political vacuum. A nationwide curfew is still in place as the city smolders and tries to rebuild -- Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: Ahead, more on the man suspected of shooting Charlie Kirk. People who know 22-year-old Tyler Robinson described different memories of his political leanings. We'll share what we know about him -- next.
Plus, just days before he was shot in Utah, Kirk was in East Asia to share his views. We'll look at what he told CNN about political parallels between that region and the U.S. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Returning to our top story, the suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is in police custody and awaiting his first court appearance. Authorities in Utah say they expect to file charges against 22-year old Tyler Robinson on Tuesday, the same day he is set to appear before a judge.
Robinson initially spoke with some law enforcement but quickly went silent Friday morning after hiring a lawyer. That leaves authorities to try to piece together the circumstances around the shooting.
Law enforcement sources tell CNN Robinson's family recognized him in photos the FBI released. They reportedly confronted him and helped arrange his surrender. Meanwhile, president Donald Trump on Friday said the blame for heated rhetoric and increased division in the country lies with only one side. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have radicals on the Right as well. We have radicals on the Left.
How do we fix this country?
How do we come back together?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I'll tell you something that's going to get me in trouble but I couldn't care less. The radicals on the Right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime. The radicals on the Left are the problem and they're vicious and they're horrible and they're politically savvy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: With Robinson now in police custody, details are emerging about his past. CNN's Kyung Lah reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tyler Robinson.
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Tyler Robinson graduated Pineview High School in 2021, photos and videos from his mother's Facebook page show him as a high achiever, graduating with such a strong academic record that he won a four-year scholarship.
TYLER ROBINSON, CHARLIE KIRK MURDER SUSPECT: Congratulations. You have been selected to receive the resident presidential scholarship from Utah State University. The value of this scholarship is approximately $32,000.
LAH: But Robinson did not use all four years of that scholarship. He took a leave of absence after just one semester. According to Utah State University and enrolled at Dixie Technical College in the electrical apprentice program.
It appears Robinson lived near his family at an apartment in St. George, where today law enforcement was at this complex. FBI technicians gathered evidence at the apartment. A neighbor described Robinson as super reclusive. This apartment is three hours away from Utah Valley, the site of the shooting. He lived here with a roommate who showed police messages.
COX: The content of these messages included messages affiliated with the contact, Tyler, stating a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush.
LAH: In the woods near the school, investigators found that rifle, along with bullet casings engraved with messages, some referring to online memes and video games, others seemingly political.
COX: "Hey, fascist! Catch!"
A second unfired casing read, "Oh, Bella, ciao, Bella, ciao, Bella, ciao, ciao, ciao."
LAH: That inscription "Bella, Ciao" appears to reference an Italian anti-Nazi folk song, which has been used in recent years on video games and a TV show.
Robinson's voter registration doesn't show any political leaning. He registered as unaffiliated with any party and had not voted in the last two general elections but he had recently become more political. A family member described what he said at a dinner.
COX: In the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.
LAH: It was his family and a friend who turned Robinson into the sheriff's department.
Among the clues, investigators say they got footprints from Converse shoes when the suspect jumped off the roof. Photos show Robinson wearing Converse in several pictures similar to surveillance photos captured at Utah Valley.
Pinpointing Robinson's exact political beliefs right now is proving to be a bit difficult. We've spoken to a number of people who have known him over the years.
We spoke with a high school friend of his, who says, before the 2020 election, Robinson appeared to support Donald Trump and described the family as, quote, "diehard Trump."
But then we spoke to someone who's known him more recently, who said that Robinson, quote, "wasn't too fond of Trump or Charlie Kirk" -- Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Charlie Kirk was sharing his brand of conservatism overseas in South Korea and Japan in the weeks before his death, speaking with CNN.
[04:35:00] He said he saw parallels between the U.S. and Japan on political issues, like immigration and birth rates. CNN's Hanako Montgomery has more for us from Tokyo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three days before he was assassinated, Charlie Kirk was half a world away on his very first tour of Asia, making stops in South Korea and Japan where he gave CNN one of his last interviews.
CHARLIE KIRK, POLITICAL ACTIVIST: I've always wanted to come to Japan and I told my team, I said, hey, any way we could go to Japan?
You know, just add it on to our Korean trip. And so, we did. And was thrilled to be able to do this event.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): He told CNN he was invited to Tokyo by Sanseito, a far-right Japanese populist party that's inspired by Trump's MAGA brand.
KIRK: The attacker racialized us, just for the record.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): And Kirk's firebrand conservatism.
KIRK: I'm really kind of thrilled to see that there is this growing political movement here in Japan that is fighting the same things that we believe in.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): But Kirk also came with a warning for Japan.
KIRK: I learned, especially the last couple of months, that, you know, with mass immigration and many other issues, that this country is going through some of the similar type of dynamics that I see in France and in Germany and the U.K. and, of course, in our country.
Even my greatest critics would agree that if you put 30 million Pakistanis in Japan, Japan's not Japan anymore. That's not xenophobia. It's common sense.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Foreigners make up about 3 percent of Japan's population but that number is about 60 percent higher than a decade ago, while the country's population has declined. A reality Kirk was quick to highlight.
KIRK: Two issues, family formation and mass immigration, both of those have not been heading in the right direction.
MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Conservative politicians here have seized on stories of foreigners misbehaving as a rallying cry in their political campaigns. Sanseito leader, Sohei Kamiya, said that Kirk's message resonated deeply. Kamiya said he was, quote, "stunned and heartbroken" at the news of Kirk's killing.
For Japan's far-right, Kirk's visit was validation. For America's MAGA movement, it was proof its message is spreading, finding common ground in one of Donald Trump's closest allies -- Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Outside Chicago, demonstrators protest against ICE raids and a traffic stop turns deadly during an immigration crackdown. We'll have details coming up.
Plus, consumer confidence in the U.S. economy is falling. We'll explain what's driving it. That's coming up next. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Authorities say a Cuban national suspected in the beheading of a man in Texas has confessed. According to a court documents, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez admitted to using a machete to kill a man at a motel in Dallas on Wednesday.
Police say Cobos-Martinez was cleaning a room when he got upset at a victim and attacked him in front of his wife and son. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it's seeking his federal arrest and removal, calling him a, quote, "depraved criminal
illegal alien."
Pushback against the aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants is spilling over into Chicago-area streets. Opponents staged a 12-hour protest outside an ICE processing center in one suburb.
In another, a motorist was shot and killed by an ICE officer during a traffic stop. Sherrell Hubbard has details on the immigration enforcement operations in Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 12-hour grassroots demonstration. It began at 8 am outside of an ICE processing facility in Broadview, Illinois.
The demonstration, put on by community members, activists and faith leaders, has, at times, escalated quickly.
The Chicago area has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's efforts to detain and deport immigrants amidst the president's threats to deploy the National Guard to the city.
This week, the Department of Homeland Security also announced Operation Midway Blitz, targeting undocumented immigrants in Illinois with criminal records.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: We'd love to go into Chicago and straighten it out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUBBARD (voice-over): A person targeted during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement traffic stop in a Chicago suburb Friday morning was shot and killed by an officer, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see a. Large police. Presence. Military presence. I even saw. A guy. With a FBI jacket and like you only. See those at the. Movies.
HUBBARD (voice-over): In a statement, the department said one of the ICE officers was hit by the car and dragged a significant distance. Fearing for his own life. The officer fired his weapon. But some Chicagoans saying enforcement actions are fueling fear and tragic outcomes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While we are still uncovering the. Details of this. Particular incident, we know the increasingly. Aggressive tactics of ICE. Do not keep our community safe.
HUBBARD (voice-over): I'm Sherrell Hubbard reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: A Homeland Security official says the officer sustained severe injuries but is in stable condition.
Well, that threat to send National Guard troops into Chicago for federal crime-fighting has been shelved, at least for now. Trump's advisers warned him that it could create legal problems for the administration because of the Illinois governor's strong opposition to the move.
Democrat J.B. Pritzker has repeatedly made it clear he doesn't want federal troops in his state and won't cooperate with the president's agenda. Trump is now focused on Memphis for a crime crackdown. That city's Democratic mayor said he was against the move but Trump claimed otherwise. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're going to Memphis. Memphis is --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the next city?
TRUMP: Deeply troubled and the mayor is happy. He's a Democrat mayor. The mayor is happy. And the governor of Tennessee, the governor is happy.
Deeply troubled. We're going to fix that just like we did Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: CNN's Kristen Holmes reports from the White House.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Trump announcing Friday that they'd be sending the National Guard to Memphis, Tennessee, to help with their crime crackdown.
This, of course, coming after the Trump administration federalized the D.C. police force, something that president Trump has been raving about, talking about how it helped those crime numbers.
Now according to Trump, the officials on the ground in Tennessee and in Memphis in particular were very happy he was going to be there. While the governor did say that he was excited that they had been working together and that he welcomed the federal resources, the mayor of Memphis had a different reaction.
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MAYOR PAUL YOUNG (D-TN), MEMPHIS: This morning. We learned that. The president. And the governor are looking to bring federal resources to our city, which include the National Guard, which they have the authority to do.
I want to be clear, I did not ask for the National Guard and I don't think it's the way to drive down crime. However, that decision has been made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now according to sources, part of the reason they chose to go to Memphis was because of this invitation from the governor.
[04:45:04]
Of course, you'll recall that president Trump for weeks has been talking about sending the National Guard to Chicago or to Baltimore. Well, Chicago and Baltimore have something in common that Memphis does not.
They are both in states, blue states, with Democratic governors who told Donald Trump that those federal troops, these National Guards weren't welcome. They didn't want them in their state.
And Donald Trump's team at this point seems to be wanting to avoid any kind of legal hurdle that that might cause. As we've reported, Washington, D.C., does not have the same kind of safeguards that states do because it is not a state, which has enabled president Trump to do this federalization of the police force.
Now, of course, we are told that they are looking at other states with Republican governors, governors who would welcome in the National Guard and the Trump administration.
President Trump himself has floated New Orleans in Louisiana, a Republican governor there. But right now, the first stop is Memphis, Tennessee -- Kristen Holmes, CNN, the White House.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, it was a mixed day on Wall Street on Friday.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The Nasdaq hit a new record high but the Dow and the S&P 500 both finished down. Now this comes on the heels of a new survey showing Americans are worried about the economy.
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BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, president Trump declared on Friday that he's solved inflation but prices are still rising. CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich has more.
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VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Consumers are feeling worse about the economy this month than. They did. Last month.
Consumer sentiment fell. By nearly 5 percent. In September and down 21 percent compared to last year, according. To the University of Michigan.
This September. a Preliminary survey found that lower and middle income. Americans are more worried about the economy as higher prices impact them more. And 60 percent of consumers said that they're worried about tariffs.
Other major concerns. Include business conditions, the labor market and inflation. But sentiment overall in September is better than in April and May, when president Trump announced his sweeping reciprocal tariffs.
Now a key worry is inflation, which heated up. For. Consumers in the month of August but held steady at 2.9 percent on an annual basis. It is still far from the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target rate but it's not the runaway inflation that many economists were concerned about.
And worries about a slowing labor market are showing up in the data. Now last week, unemployment claims reached their highest level since 2021. The U.S. also created 911,000 fewer jobs between April of 2024 and March of 2025.
And August. Jobs report showed that businesses added just 22,000 jobs and revisions also showed that the economy lost 13,000 jobs in the month of June. That is, for the first time in nearly five years -- back to you.
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BRUNHUBER: The acceptance speeches at Sunday's Emmy awards may be a lot shorter than usual. New host Nate Bargatze speaks to CNN about how he plans to keep winners from running over their allotted time. We'll have that next. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: The National Hockey League is allowing five hockey players to resume their pro careers after a court in Canada acquitted them of sexual assault charges.
They've been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room in 2018. Recently, a judge acquitted the players after finding the woman's testimony. Wasn't credible or reliable.
At first, the NHL suspended the players, calling the allegations deeply troubling and unacceptable. Now they've lifted the suspension, saying the players have expressed remorse and regret.
The case outraged many people in Canada and the hockey world, with some people siding with the woman. The players will be eligible to sign contracts on October 15th and begin playing in December if teams decide to recruit them.
Lawyers for superstar Taylor Swift say the singer won't take part in the civil litigation involving the actor, Justin Baldoni, and the actress, Blake Lively, unless the court orders her to sit for a deposition.
Lively is suing Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation for actions that allegedly took place when they were costars on the movie, "It Ends with Us."
According to a court filing, Baldoni's lawyers said Swift agreed to be deposed in the ongoing civil suit but the singer's attorney denies she ever agreed to do that. The case is set to go to trial next spring in New York.
Hollywood is getting ready to celebrate the best in American television this weekend. Comedian Nate Bargatze will host this year's Emmy Awards for the first time on Sunday in Los Angeles. He sat down with CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister and shared some of his plans for the big night.
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ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Have you watched all the shows?
NATE BARGATZE, COMEDIAN: I've seen a lot of commercials of the shows.
WAGMEISTER: OK.
(voice-over): If you're like Emmy host Nate Bargatze and haven't seen all the nominated shows -- well, you might still watch the Emmy Awards for this.
You're making a $100,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club of America, which is amazing that you're doing that.
BARGATZE: Yes.
WAGMEISTER: But there's a catch.
BARGATZE: There's a catch.
WAGMEISTER: Bargatze says for every Emmy winner's acceptance speech that exceeds the allotted 45 seconds --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And perfect choice of music --
WAGMEISTER: The donation shrinks by $1,000 per second.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ouch.
BARGATZE: The positive, too, if they go under, we will put money on top of it.
WAGMEISTER: OK.
BARGATZE: So I would prefer them not all go that under, because that can get pretty expensive. The amount of money I give the Boys & Girls Club is totally up to all of Hollywood.
WAGMEISTER: Either way, Bargatze can afford it. He's currently Billboard's number one selling stand up comic in America. His tour grossed more than $80 million last year alone. For his first Hollywood hosting gig, he's getting advice from veterans like Nikki Glaser, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien.
BARGATZE: They're all just kind of like, you just got to be you and
trust that you know what you're doing. Fortunately, we learned that in other settings and so I don't have to hopefully not learn it, you know, in front of Harrison Ford.
WAGMEISTER: Right.
Bargatze says, sure, he'll joke about Hollywood.
[04:55:00]
But in his trademark polite style, like the cancellation of nominee Stephen Colbert's late night show.
Is that off limits?
Are you going to address it?
BARGATZE: I think we'll say something. But it will be done in a fun, playful way. WAGMEISTER: That family-friendly comedic style has helped the Tennessee native gain wide appeal in an era where comedy often divides audiences.
Bargatze met his wife while working at Applebee's.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome, my daddy, Nate Bargatze.
WAGMEISTER: And his daughter introduces him at many of his shows. His father was a magician and a clown.
I have to ask, did you have a fear of clowns growing up?
Because a lot of kids do.
BARGATZE: I had a joke about like, as, I would say, have you ever been yelled at by a clown?
Because I have and it's pretty confusing to get yelled at by a guy that's got a smile painted on his face.
WAGMEISTER: Bargatze doesn't fear the Emmy's stage. In fact, this star can't wait to be starstruck.
Who are you excited to see?
BARGATZE: Ben Stiller. I'm excited to see.
WAGMEISTER: Well, "Severance" has the most nominations, so you will definitely meet Ben Stiller.
BARGATZE: Ben Stiller, we should cross paths.
WAGMEISTER: Yes.
(voice-over) Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, Los Angeles.
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BRUNHUBER: A long-lost masterpiece by baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens has been rediscovered in Paris. The 17th century painting, titled "Christ on the Cross," had been missing since 1613. It quietly remained in private hands for centuries before resurfacing during the sale of a private art collection in a Parisian mansion.
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JEAN-PIERRE OSENAT, AUCTIONEER (through translator): And that's where I found this painting. It was there since the 17th century without ever being displayed to the public and without anyone knowing it was a Rubens.
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BRUNHUBER: The auctioneer suspected it was an important work. And experts in Antwerp confirmed it as authentic. The piece is expected to sell for up to $2.3 million when it goes to auction next month.
Well, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.
