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Humberto Weakens Into Category 4 Hurricane; Trump Planning On Deploying Troops To Portland, Oregon; ICE Arrests Superintendent Of Iowa's Largest School District; Netanyahu Under Pressure Over U.S. Peace Plan For Gaza; Russia Opens New School To Train Children To Use Drones; Senate Dems To Hold Sunday Caucus Ahead Of Tuesday Deadline; The Impact Of Trump's Tylenol Comment. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired September 28, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:35]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Humberto is now a powerful Category 5 hurricane. We'll look at what the storm's rapid development could tell us about the rest of the hurricane season.

President Trump says he's sending federal troops into Portland, but there are still questions about what that will look like.

And immigration enforcement in the Midwest is facing serious backlash. We'll look at public reaction in one red state to raids and crackdowns there.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: We'll get to those stories in a moment, but first, investigators say three people are dead and at least eight injured after a gunman in a boat opened fire on a waterfront bar in North Carolina.

Now, the attack happened Saturday night at the American Fish Company in Southport. The city's public information officer says a suspect is in custody, a motive hasn't been determined, but authorities say there is no known further credible threat to the public. The condition of those who were injured hasn't been made public, and we'll have more on this story as soon as details become available.

We're watching two weather systems that could intensify in the coming hours. Hurricane Humberto has just weakened slightly to a Category 4 storm, but it's generating dangerous swells that have begun to affect parts of the Caribbean and are expected to impact the U.S. east coast beginning Monday. Forecasters say Humberto will likely remain a powerful major hurricane for several days. Forecasters are also monitoring Tropical Depression 9 between Cuba and the Bahamas that could become Tropical Storm Imelda in the coming hours. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for portions of Florida's east coast.

I want to bring in Sim Aberson, who joins us now, and he's a meteorologist at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, and he's in Dania Beach, Florida.

Thank you so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it. So, just to start here, what's the latest on these storms, and what should Americans be watching for in the coming days?

DR. SIM ABERSON, METEOROLOGIST, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA): Well, the latest advisories just came out in the last few minutes, and Humberto, as you said, remains a very intense hurricane. Luckily, it is forecast to stay out to sea between Bermuda and the U.S. and Canadian coasts and move off to the north and northeast and not affect really any land areas except for the swells and maybe some rip currents along the shore.

So, it will affect some shipping lanes, but luckily it's not going to be impacting any land. The main thing right now is looking at Tropical Depression 9, which is in the Bahamas, and it looks like it's going to strengthen and impact the Bahamas and the southeast U.S. coast over the next few days.

BRUNHUBER: Right. OK. Now, I understand there's also a possibility that the two storms could kind of interact and actually merge. I understand it's not super likely, but explain for us how this works and what were to happen if they did sort of become one big storm.

ABERSON: Well, this is what we call the Fujiwhara effect, named after a Japanese scientist who studied it about 100 years ago, and it's looking at two vortices that can interact with each other, and if one is bigger than the other or stronger than the other, one of them, the smaller one, tends to start rotating around the stronger, larger one, and eventually they attract each other and one absorbs the other one. It doesn't mean you get a big super storm. They don't add together, but it does become a larger storm in total, but not necessarily stronger.

BRUNHUBER: Oh, that's interesting. All right. So, you've been flying into storms in the name of science for a long time. You were actually -- I understand, supposed to be flying into that storm. I understand the flight was canceled, but what were you hoping to learn by doing that?

[05:05:03]

ABERSON: Well, these were operational missions, and in the Atlantic we've been doing these missions since the 1940s, whenever there's a storm that is getting ready to impact any land area in the Atlantic or even in the East Pacific, especially the Mexican coast or Hawaii, we send aircraft reconnaissance into the storm, and that's the best way that we can get information as to where the exact center of the storm is and how strong it is.

And the NOAA aircraft have extra equipment on them compared to the Air Force aircraft, and we have Doppler radars and other instrumentation that can give us a lot of information that we transmit in real time and send to the models, and we know that these are necessary to improve, to keep the forecast very accurate.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Let's look at the big picture here. We're almost at the end of September. The season has been a little bit different than expected. I think eight named storms so far, but only three have become hurricanes, which is slower than usual for this time of year. What's behind that, and could that change? Could we see, basically, could we catch up?

ABERSON: Yeah, we're actually just a little bit behind normal in total activity, but the forecast for major hurricanes has been right on. So far, we've had two Category 5s and a Category 4, which is extremely active. Luckily, all of them have been offshore, and they haven't really impacted land areas directly, so we've been pretty lucky in that regard. But it has been a somewhat active season, and it looks like we will be catching up.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. All right. So, fewer big storms, but they have been very strong, as you say.

Listen, we'll leave it there, but really appreciate getting your expertise on this. Meteorologist Sim Aberson, thank you so much.

ABERSON: OK. Thank you very much.

BRUNHUBER: Well, four people are dead and an unknown number are missing after devastating flash floods hit Arizona. Three people died in the town of Globe, east of Phoenix. One other person was found dead in the Scottsdale area in a vehicle trapped in high water.

Streets were turned into rushing rivers when heavy rains hit Friday night into Saturday. Rescue crews are working to find people who are unaccounted for. The governor has declared a state of emergency for Gila County, where Globe is located.

President Trump says he's deploying troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect immigration and customs enforcement facilities that he claims are under siege by domestic terror groups. This comes as an ice facility near Portland has had nearly constant protests throughout the summer and after a shooting at an ICE compound in Dallas that killed one detainee and injured two others. CNN's Kevin Liptak has more from the White House.

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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: There's no question that the president's decision to use U.S. troops in Portland is an escalation of his push to deploy the U.S. military on U.S. soil. It's followed a pattern. You've seen it in Los Angeles and here in Washington, D.C., of the president targeting Democrat-led cities and states for this move that really pushes the boundaries of domestic use of U.S. troops.

And the president wrote on "Truth Social" that at the request of Homeland Security Secretary Krisit Noem, I am directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war- ravaged Portland and any of our ICE facilities under siege from attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing full force if necessary. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Now, there are a lot of unanswered questions here. One is, what full force means when the president refers to that on "Truth Social." He also didn't lay out a timeline of when this would happen. He didn't say what type of troops these would be, whether it's National Guard or active-duty U.S. military, and he didn't lay out his legal rationale. You know, the U.S. law sharply limits the use of U.S. troops for domestic law enforcement purposes, and it has set off quite a sharp debate over the U.S. military's expanding footprint here at home. And so, a lot to learn going forward.

Now, the president has selected Portland. There have been ongoing protests at an ice facility about two miles from downtown Portland. They have been mostly peaceful, but there have been some violent clashes. Some federal officers have been injured. There have been arrests related to assault when protesters erected a prop guillotine outside the building. Homeland Security called it unhinged behavior.

We have heard the president sort of foreshadowing these moves over the last several days. He said in the Oval Office on Thursday that, quote, "We're going to do a pretty big number on those people in Portland that are doing that." He called them professional agitators and anarchists.

[05:10:10]

Now, leaders in Oregon and Portland have been speaking out against this move. The governor of Oregon, Tina Kotek, said that she has had conversations directly with President Trump and Secretary Noem. And that, quote, "I have been abundantly clear that Portland and the state of Oregon believe in the rule of law and can manage our own local public safety needs." She says there is no insurrection. There is no threat to national security.

We heard in a similar vein from the mayor of Portland, Keith Wilson, who said that the number of necessary troops is zero in Portland and any other American city. He goes on to say that the president will not find lawlessness or violence here unless he plans to perpetrate it.

And even before the president made this announcement, you heard officials from the state suggesting that this could potentially be an effort to try and goad protesters into conflict. The Democratic senator from Oregon, Jeff Merkley, saying not to take the bait.

And so certainly a lot at stake here, but also a lot to watch for in the days and week ahead as this move really comes into fruition.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: New protests have taken place outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois. Tensions are high in the Chicago suburb, which is being targeted by immigration police. The facility has attracted protests since early September.

On Saturday, protesters tried to stop a vehicle driving towards the detention center. ICE agents chased demonstrators and later fired tear gas and pepper balls to try to disperse people gathering outside the center. Last week, Mayor Daniel Biss of Evanston, Illinois, was tear gassed outside the same facility.

There's also outrage in Iowa over the violent detention of Colombian immigrant Jorge Elieser Gonzalez Ochoa. Now, this video captured the arrest on Thursday. You can see here a plainclothes officer chasing Gonzalez Ochoa into a grocery store before pinning him down to arrest him.

An immigrant advocacy group condemned the arrest, accusing immigration enforcement agents of excessive force. The agency said in a statement that an arrest of Gonzalez Ochoa because he's in the country illegally.

Meanwhile, an Iowa school superintendent detained by ICE is now on administrative leave from his job. ICE detained superintendent Ian Roberts on Friday. Authorities say he's in the U.S. illegally and faces weapon possession charges. But community members have come to his defense with the Des Moines public school board chair calling him an integral part of the community.

As for what the school board knew, they say Roberts wrote on his job application that he was a U.S. citizen. According to a school district spokesperson, Roberts disclosed the weapons charge. The district says it was related to a hunting rifle.

Now, earlier, I discussed the events in Iowa with Nicole Grundmeier, Editor at the Midwest newsroom. I asked her what the rhetoric there has been like since these arrests. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE GRUNDMEIER, EDITOR, THE MIDWEST NEWSROOM: I think like the rest of the United States, Iowa is deeply divided. And Des Moines public schools, employees, families, students right now are experiencing deep grief and confusion. There's a lot of anger. There's a lot of tension. Emotions are high. There are people who believe 100% and back Mr. Roberts.

There are also members of the larger community who believe that ICE is doing its job and that this was the right move. So, I think a lot of people are jumping to conclusions before all the facts are known.

BRUNHUBER: Right. You said that, I mean, Iowa is divided. Do you get the sense that it's basically divided along party lines?

GRUNDMEIER: Very much so. However, if you look at maps of Iowa, Des Moines tends to be a large blue dot on the map. So does Iowa City, where Mr. Gonzalez was arrested.

BRUNHUBER: Right. That makes sense. So, let's talk about that case. I mean, how are folks in Iowa City reacting to seeing, you know, you know, immigration enforcement play out like this in broad daylight?

GRUNDMEIER: I had a colleague cover that. And that case was very unusual in that the officers were in plain clothes. They were not wearing masks. It was extremely, extremely public. And with the video, you know, you could hear the individual saying, ayudame, ayudame, help me, help me in Spanish.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah.

GRUNDMEIER: So, it was very intense. I think there's a lot of anger, a lot of -- a lot of huge emotions of concern in Iowa right now.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. All right. So, looking more broadly at the political issue at play here, immigration, we saw the governor direct some of the Iowa National Guard to help ICE officials in the state. On the other hand, we had President Trump promised farmers during, you know, the campaign he wouldn't target their workers. But then we saw the administration kind of flip-flop on that policy a couple of times this year.

So, how are people in Iowa, especially farmers, feeling about this sort of whiplash, especially with harvest season coming up?

[05:15:07]

GRUNDMEIER: You know, I have parents who farm in western Iowa, and I think that a lot of them go out of their way not to talk about politics. But generally speaking, it seems that there are concerns over issues like tariffs. There are concerns over issues about workers. But generally speaking, I would say the majority of Iowa farmers are still backing the Trump administration.

BRUNHUBER: At least 39 people have been killed as a crowd surged to see the actor-turned-politician Vijay at a political rally in southern India. Saturday's event was held in support of next year's elections in the state of Tamil Nadu. Vijay was already a hugely popular movie star before starting a political party in 2024 and has drawn massive crowds since entering politics.

Dozens of doctors from nearby areas arrived to treat victims. Officials say at least 93 people were injured in the crush. The city of Karur faces an extensive cleanup operation in the aftermath of the tragedy. An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway.

Israeli lawmakers are pressing Benjamin Netanyahu to continue the war in Gaza while Israeli protesters and members of the international community are pressing him to end it and what he might face at the White House on Monday.

Plus, Russia's Foreign Minister insists his country is not the aggressor as its drones and missiles bombard Ukrainian cities. Stay with us.

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[05:20:24] BRUNHUBER: Political pressure is mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his military push into Gaza City shows no signs of letting up. Palestinians say at least 96 people were killed in the latest round of Israeli strikes on Saturday. Netanyahu has pledged to keep his offensive in Gaza City going.

He's meeting U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, who's pushing his peace plan. As he heads into these talks, the Prime Minister is under the gun from both supporters and opponents of the plan.

But for more, Barbie Latza Nadeau joins us from Rome. So, Barbie, let's start with those latest strikes in Gaza. What more are we learning?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, you know, 96 people, as you mentioned, were killed on Saturday alone. Some of these were in refugee camps. Some were in medical facilities.

And, of course, there is the overriding concern for those hostages that remain in the Gaza Strip, many of whom are thought to be alive. Let's listen to one of the mothers of one of these hostages to see what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EINAV ZANGAUKER, MOTHER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE MATAN ZANGAUKER, (through translator): The whole world sees who Netanyahu is. The whole world, including U.S. President Donald Trump, is determined to stop him from sabotaging again. I'm looking you in the eyes, Netanyahu. If you come back without an agreement, a hell awaits you here that you can't even imagine. The protests and the strikes of the past weeks will seem like child's play compared to what I'm preparing for you. If you sabotage the agreement again, we will chase you until the end of time. You will not have a single moment of peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NADEAU: And, you know, the Israeli military is saying that the intensity of these strikes is meant right now to sort of neutralize the area before they send in more ground troops. But, you know, it is just continuing to be a very deadly situation, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, absolutely. All right, Barbie, let's pivot towards that meeting between Netanyahu and Trump on Monday. What are we expecting, and what are the stakes here?

NADEAU: Yeah, you know, President Donald Trump has this 21-point plan around it that he wants to get pushed through. And, you know, some of the items on this plan are very much -- they're very, very different from what President Donald Trump has said in the past.

But some are not. One is that the hostages, all hostages, will be released within 48 hours of the agreement. One of the items is that the United States will not recognize a Palestinian state, but will recognize the aspiration for such independence. Another is very far from what President Trump has said in the past. This is that there will be no forced replacement -- displacement, excuse me, of the Gazan population. So, as these two leaders meet on Monday, of course, all eyes are really going to be on what comes out of this. Hamas leadership did say on Saturday, though, that they had not yet seen the plan.

So, this is still very much a work in progress. And, you know, the world's attention is really going to be on whether or not they can push this deal past the finish line here, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: We shall see. Barbie Latsanado, thanks so much.

Ukraine says Russia has carried out a massive aerial attack overnight, launching nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles across the country.

In Zaporizhzhia, a multi-story building was struck, setting several apartments on fire. At least 31 people were wounded in the city, including three children. And in Kyiv, at least four people have been killed, including a 12-year-old girl. Anti-aircraft fire has been heard throughout the capital since early morning.

Now, this video captured by CNN shows a projectile being intercepted a few hours ago. Earlier, we spoke with a local pastor whose home was destroyed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have three boys, so they are still alive and smiling today. I don't know. It's -- it's a miracle, really. It's a miracle for me that I -- that I'm alive. But this is our reality. Our neighbor, crazy neighbor from Russia, still fighting with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Residents have sought shelter in a metro station to ride out the attack. Ukrainian Air Force says it was the third largest strike since the full-scale war began and it prompted Poland to scramble fighter jets in its airspace as a precaution.

And more European nations are reporting unidentified drone sightings over airports and military bases. On Saturday, police in Denmark said they spotted drones near the country's largest military base and other military installations. Officials in Norway and Lithuania are also investigating potential drone activity.

NATO member nations are on high alert after verified incursions of Russian drones into Polish and Romanian airspace. Ukraine's president says Moscow is testing Europe's capabilities. Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his Air Force helped shoot down dozens of Russian drones headed for Poland earlier this month.

[05:25:05]

And Germany's government says it will look into amending laws to allow its military to shoot down suspicious drones in certain cases. The country's interior minister says it will do what it takes to protect people and critical infrastructure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): There is a threat that can be classified as high as far as drones are concerned. This is an abstract threat, but very concrete in individual cases. We are witnessing an armament race, an arms race between drone threats and drone defense. We must prepare ourselves for this, a race that we must not lose. And this is why we need to upgrade our technology.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Russia says it won't tolerate what it calls aggression from adversaries. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claims that Russia has never targeted E.U. or NATO countries with drones or missiles. During the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday, Lavrov insisted Moscow will act if there are attempts to shoot down anything in Russian airspace areas. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: Threats of force against Russia, accused of practically planning an attack on the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union, are becoming increasingly common. President Putin has repeatedly debunked such provocations. Russia has never had and does not have such intentions. But any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Russia has normalized the use of drones so much even children are learning to operate them. The country has opened a new school that will train kids to make and pilot the aircraft. As Polo Sandoval reports, it's part of a wider push to militarize schools as the war on Ukraine grinds on.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Named "Dobro i Nebo" which translates to "Goodness and Sky," this new grade school in southern Russia specializes in higher learning, teaching Russian school children how to assemble and fly drones. The school released a stylized video to show off the new facility, where students trained by instructors and military personnel will learn how to operate drones by practicing on simulators and real aircraft.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There will be a special exit from the school so that all students can go straight from the classroom to the training ground. It will be possible to go straight to the roof and the training ground.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): There are peaceful uses for drones, like farming, mapping or delivery services, but the opening of the school dedicated to the study of drone technology comes at a time when Russia is intensifying its use of drones on the battlefield. Earlier this month, in the largest aerial attack of the war, Russia fired more than 800 drones into Ukraine. The New York Times reports that this year alone, Russia sent tens of thousands of attack drones and decoys into Ukraine.

Russia is also ramping up its domestic drone production and looking for more skilled people to operate them. Russian state media reporting that some high school students are participating in pre-conscription military exercises that include drone piloting. And courses on drone technology are being taught in more than 500 Russian schools and 30 colleges, according to UK intelligence estimates.

Russia's education minister says there is a national plan to train one million drone specialists by 2030. The mayor of Krasnodar, where "Dobro i Nebo" school is located, says students here will be immersed in drone education and trained for a real and relevant profession, one he hopes one day won't be used for war.

EVGENIY NAUMOV, KRASNODAR MAYOR: I would like to see the victory we are all striving for come sooner, so that our children can use the skills they acquire here in peaceful life.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Polo Sandoval, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Justice Department has indicted former FBI Director James Comey. Still ahead, Donald Trump now has another of his former appointees in his sights.

Plus, the White House is threatening mass layoffs of federal workers if Democrats don't pass the Republicans' spending plan. We'll look at why Democrats are standing firm in the face of government shutdown.

Stay with us.

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[05:32:23]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Let's check some of today's top stories.

Two weather systems in the Atlantic could mean trouble for the southeastern U.S. within days. Hurricane Humberto is now an extremely dangerous category 4 storm. Forecasters are also watching Tropical Depression 9 between Cuba and the Bahamas, which could become Tropical Storm Imelda.

U.S. President Donald Trump is deploying troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect immigration and customs enforcement facilities. The president claims they're under siege by domestic terror groups. This comes as ICE facilities near Portland has had nearly constant protests through the summer, and after a shooting at an ICE compound in Dallas.

An Iowa school superintendent detained by ICE is now on administrative leave from his job. ICE detained superintendent Ian Roberts on Friday. Authorities say he's in the U.S. illegally and faces weapon possession charges. Community members have come to his defense with the school board chair calling him an integral part of the community.

President Trump is accusing former FBI Director Christopher Wray of lying about FBI agents' presence during the January 6, 2021 Capitol uprising. The president claimed, without evidence, that the FBI secretly placed agents into the crowd to act as agitators and insurrectionists.

Trump claimed this contradicts what Wray has repeatedly said, and he called it, quote, the January 6 hoax. CNN has previously reported that, according to a Justice Department watchdog, no undercover FBI agents were at the Capitol during the January 6 riot. The allegation against Wray comes just days after charges were brought against another former FBI Director, James Comey.

Well, as the clock ticks down on a possible U.S. federal government shutdown, Senate Democrats are planning to hold a conference call Sunday for a strategy discussion, leaders of both parties are expected to visit the White House Monday. They're hoping to strike a deal before the Tuesday deadline.

CNN's Camila DeChalus tells us what's at stake in the negotiations.

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Congress is once again barreling towards a government shutdown, with both Democrats and Republicans blaming each other on why they have not ironed out a deal yet. Now, Republicans on their end, they're really pushing to pass a spending bill that keeps the current spending levels and does not include any policy changes, while Democrats are making it clear that they will not support any spending bill that does not provide language that includes extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire by the end of the year.

Now, there's a lot at stake here. Earlier this week, the White House Budget Office sent out guidance to federal agencies telling them to prepare for mass firings if a potential government shutdown does happen. And this will not just impact federal workers. It will also have a drastic impact on federal agencies like the IRS and national parks.

[05:35:16]

And it will also disrupt small businesses, health care access, and also have a drastic impact on federal agencies like the IRS and national parks. And it will also disrupt small businesses, health care access, and programs that provide services to veterans nationwide and also on a global level as well if a deal is not reached in time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Now, CNN spoke to Shelby Talcott, a White House Correspondent for the news website Semafor, and she explained how each party is trying to blame the other. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SHELBY TALCOTT, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, SEMAFOR: Well, there's two sides to this, right? Democrats argue that if the government shuts down, the White House is going to be blamed because Republicans, of course, control all three levers right now. And so they're saying, you're the majority, and so you are going to be blamed by the American public.

When I talk to White House officials, they argue that that's not going to happen. I just spoke with a senior White House official the other day who said that the aggressor is ultimately blamed by the American public for a shutdown and argued that Democrats are the aggressor because Republicans have put down a clear proposal. And so it really is going to be an interesting test to see who does get blamed if the government does shut down. And I think it's going to be an insight into what might happen in the midterms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Last time the U.S. federal government shut down was in December 2018 during President Trump's first term, and it lasted 35 days.

Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani has reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over his false 2020 election rigging claims. Dominion, one of the top voting machine makers, sued Giuliani back in '21 for $1.3 billion. Dominion's suit cited statements by Giuliani in which he claimed the company conspired to flip votes to Joe Biden.

On Friday, the two parties agreed to dismiss the lawsuit. Terms of the settlement, including any financial arrangement, haven't been made public.

President Trump's unproven claims about Tylenol are already having an impact. Ahead, how his controversial advice is getting traction among patients despite pushback from medical professionals. We'll have that story and more coming up. Stay with us.

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[05:40:24]

BRUNHUBER: President Trump's announcement linking Tylenol to autism is already having a large impact across the country. On Monday, he made this statement about Tylenol.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: Tylenol during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism. So, taking Tylenol is not good. I'll say it. It's not good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: But experts say medical research shows Tylenol is generally safe during pregnancy. It's usually used to treat pain and fever. Trump also questioned the necessity of some vaccines including hepatitis B. And doctors say his statement, despite no reliable science to back it up, is already resonating with patients.

Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell joins us now from New Orleans. She is Vice Chair of the Guidelines Committee for Obstetrics at the American College for Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Really great to get your expertise on this important topic here. I mean, it's been about a week since President Trump's announcement about Tylenol. What are you actually hearing from patients out there? Walk us through what a typical conversation looks like now.

DR. VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL, VICE CHAIR, ACOG CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES COMMITTEE: Thank you for having me on and to ask about this. So, patients are confused. They know that we have said as physicians that it's OK to take Tylenol. But now this is creating seeds of doubt. And we really are having to walk patients through what the president has said and trying to help them understand the science and understand the difference between association and causation and really just reassuring them that Tylenol is safe in pregnancy and that there's no data that shows that it causes autism.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, that's important to say. Are parents or expecting mothers coming to you now sort of with a sense of guilt because they have used Tylenol and now are kind of fearing the worst?

GILLISPIE-BELL: We are experiencing that as well, which is really sad and it's really unfortunate. No mother should feel guilty for taking Tylenol or feel like they caused their child to have some form of autism because they took Tylenol. Again, the data does not show that Tylenol causes autism, but it is creating that guilt and it is creating that concern.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. And because of that concern, are you seeing patients sort of making different choices now? Are women avoiding Tylenol even when they really need it for pain or fever?

GILLISPIE-BELL: They are. They are avoiding Tylenol. They also have much more skepticism towards vaccines that we know are safe in pregnancy that they were more understanding and willing to accept.

So, it really has created a lot of confusion. And I would say that it's created harm. When we're recommending Tylenol, it's usually for fever or it's for pain. And especially with fever, when that goes untreated, we know that that causes harm to a pregnancy and to a fetus.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. So, yeah, they could be doing more harm than good by avoiding Tylenol, I guess, in certain situations. You talk about the confusion.

I mean, this is putting doctors like yourself in a really tough spot. The medical societies say one thing, but the FDA and the president are saying something different. I mean, how do you navigate that with worried parents who are sitting right in front of you? GILLISPIE-BELL: So, it is very confusing and it has put physicians and providers in a very difficult situation. I believe that my patients trust me. I believe in all relationships, providers and patients have a level of trust that is really important. And that's one of the reasons that we always recommend that our patients talk to their provider. They talk to their health care provider as their health care expert. And hopefully health care providers can help really navigate patients through the noise.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, because of that noise, I mean, it must be tough for -- for folks out there. I mean, looking ahead, are you worried that all of this sort of undermining of these, you know, what the different societies are saying and the president saying, you know, you shouldn't be taking vaccines and so on? I mean, will it have a lasting effect on -- on how patients trust medical guidance?

GILLISPIE-BELL: It absolutely will. We know that historically, especially in some communities, there is medical mistrust. And I think that as a medical society, we have done a lot to try to gain the trust of our patients. And so when we have conflicting messages that are coming from the president and coming from the FDA compared to what's coming from our professional society and from -- from -- for patients from their health care provider, it can be confusing and it does create medical mistrust.

[05:45:18]

And I think that it -- it causes patients to just really not know who to turn to. And so I do want to reiterate that our professional societies have looked at many, many years of data to form the opinions and to perform to -- to form the recommendations that are provided. And so, we really have to lean into the guidance that's coming from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as well as the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine that shows that both Tylenol as well as vaccines are safe in pregnancy.

BRUNHUBER: Bottom line, listen to the experts, Dr. Veronica Gillispie- Bell. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your expertise on this.

GILLISPIE-BELL: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, U.S. officials have transferred Kilmar Abrego Garcia from a detention center in Virginia to one in Pennsylvania. Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported by the Trump administration to his native El Salvador before he was brought back to face criminal charges. His lawyers warned that he faces dangerous conditions at the Pennsylvania facility, including assaults, inadequate medical care and insufficient food.

All right, we'll be back with much more here on CNN Newsroom. Please do stay with us.

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[05:50:27] BRUNHUBER: England has won the Women's Rugby World Cup, beating Canada 33-13. The Red Roses claimed victory at Twickenham, the home of English rugby, in more than -- in front of more than 81,000 spectators, which is the largest crowd in women's rugby history. It came into the final having won 33 straight matches, the longest streak in international rugby. Canada scored first to put up a fight, but England dominated in the end, outscoring the Canadians by five tries to two.

Well, the Ryder Cup is supposed to be a friendly rivalry. Top golfers from Europe and the U.S. facing each other every two years. But this weekend, nerves are fraying. Some irritated American fans have even been insulting the European reigning champs while they helplessly watch their Team USA favorites. It's getting wiped out. CNN's Don Riddell reports.

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DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: The Ryder Cup is basically over. Europe's record seven-point lead is surely insurmountable. The Sunday singles will be a coronation for the away team.

Saturday's action was certainly eventful and emotional tensions really bubbling to the surface. At various points, we had players and caddies getting into a pretty heated argument and some of the European players complained that they were receiving some pretty rude and offensive insults from some of the American fans. All in all, it left a pretty bitter taste in the mouth.

LUKE DONALD, TEAM EUROPE CAPTAIN: What I consider crossing the line is personal insults and, you know, making sounds, you know, when they're trying to hit on their backswings or, you know, very close to when they're trying to go into their routines. That did happen a little bit. It's happened to other Ryder Cups too.

KEEGAN BRADLEY, TEAM USA CAPTAIN: You're always going to have a few people that cross the line and that's unfortunate. I really was happy to see our players trying to quiet down some people that were like that, but, you know, part of it is our fault. You know, we're not playing up to the standards that they want to see and they're angry and they should be.

RIDDELL: It has just been an extraordinary day and the European players have been incredible. Some of their biggest stars rose to the occasion and then some. Players like Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Jon Rahm were incredible and they have further cemented their legacies as European Ryder Cup legends.

On the other hand, it's been an absolute nightmare for the American team. Seemingly nothing has gone right for them and it couldn't have been any worse than it was for their world number one, Scottie Scheffler, who has dominated World Golf over the last four years, but he has gone 0-4 in this Ryder Cup. He has finished on the losing side in all four of his matches so far. The first time that's ever happened to an American player. And the rest of the team must be thinking, if he can't get it done, what hope have we got? The Americans have been totally outclassed and outplayed.

Back to you.

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BRUNHUBER: It was a big matchup in college football between number six ranked Oregon Ducks and number three ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. Oregon came out on top with a touchdown in double overtime with only one play left to go and in that final play the Ducks got an interception ending the game. Final score 30-24 Oregon.

And now the kind of upset that college football fans will talk about for years to come. Alabama ended Georgia's home turf dominance in their first visit to Athens since 2015. The Crimson Tide ranked 17th, held on late to beat the number five Bulldogs. It was Georgia's first home loss in six years. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer called the 24-21 win a step in the right direction. The Crimson Tide host number 18 Vanderbilt. Next Saturday, the Bulldogs host Kentucky.

And in Mississippi there was another upset as lower-ranked Ole Miss defeated number four LSU in a competitive matchup. The Rebels were led by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss who recorded his third straight 300- yard game. With the 24-19 victory, Ole Miss remains undefeated while the Tigers fall to 4-1.

The heir to the British throne is giving the public a tour of one of the family's famous homes. Prince William is showing off Windsor Castle in an upcoming episode of the Apple TV Plus series "The Reluctant Traveler." It follows the adventures of Canadian actor and comedian Eugene Levy. After Levy tours Windsor with the Prince of Wales, the two sat down for a pint at a pub and talked about difficulties last year.

Back in March 2024, Prince William's wife Catherine shared she was battling cancer a month after King Charles made his own cancer announcement.

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WILLIAM, PRINCE OF WALES: I'd say 2024 was the hardest year I've ever had. You know, life is sent to test us as well, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.

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BRUNHUBER: The Prince of Wales episode titled "Living the Royal Life" in the U.K. is set to be shown on October 3rd on Apple TV Plus.

Fans of popular film and television franchises have set a new record in East London. Look at this. This is what Guinness World Records says is the largest gathering of people dressed as film and TV characters. 874 fans of franchises like Star Wars, Bridgerton, and James Bond came together in Greenwich Saturday for the record. The group was dressed head to toe as their favorite characters. You see some of them there. Darth Vader, Batman, Queen Charlotte, and James Bond. Finally, unusual rainfall in northern Chile has led to a rare

phenomenon in one of the Earth's driest places, flowers blooming in the Atacama Desert. The normally arid region is now covered by a colorful blanket of wildflowers. The so-called flowering desert has attracted tourists and scientists from across the country. Now, it's so rare that only about 15 blooms have been recorded in the past 40 years. The last one was in 2022. Officials say the peak of this year's event is expected to happen in the first half of October.

And the devil may wear Prada, but apparently she doesn't mind Dolce & Gabbana. Actress Meryl Streep was at Dolce & Gabbana's show in Milan on Saturday. Streep and actor Stanley Tucci were in front row seats, the pair filming the sequel to the film "The Devil Wears Prada." Streep arrived in character as Miranda Priestly, a fashion magazine's editor-in-chief. Tucci plays the magazine's art director. Dolce & Gabbana officials say the scene was filmed for the sequel.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For our viewers in North America, CNN This Morning is next. For the rest of the world, it's Call to Earth.

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