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Heroes Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies Aged 36; Trump Says U.S. To "substantially reduce" Military Drills With South Korea; Kushner Meets With Hamas On The Gaza Road Map; Rescue Teams Search For Survivors In Indonesia After Powerful Earthquake; Europe's Dwindling Rivers Threaten Energy Production and Trade; CentCom Commander Addresses Concerns over USS Lincoln Crew; "Nashville" and "Heroes" Actress Hayden Panettiere Dead at 36; Tropical Storm Lala Brings Flooding and Gusty Winds to Hawaii; How High Gas Prices are Impacting Trump's Poll Numbers; Taiwan Wraps Military Drills after Test of Preparedness. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired August 17, 2026 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:35]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello from Hong Kong. I'm Will Ripley and we continue to follow very sad breaking news from the entertainment world at this hour. Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36.

The actress is most well known for her roles on television and in the science fiction show "Heroes" and the country music drama "Nashville." The circumstances surrounding her death remain unknown at this hour. Panettiere's father told CNN, quote, she was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her and to the millions who watched her on screen. For more, I'm joined by Emily Longeretta, director of features at variety.

Emily, 36 years old, what was your reaction when you heard this news?

EMILY LONGERETTA, DIRECTOR OF FEATURES, VARIETY: I think I can probably speak for most when I say it was absolute shock. 36 is extremely young. And of course, as you said, we don't know any of the details yet surrounding what happened Hayden Panettiere, but she has been acting on our TV screens since '94. She made her debut and working on "One Life to Live" and then "Guiding Light."

She's been on TV, you know, for many, many years, starting around five years old. But she's been open with the lot through the years about what she's been going through and kind of her ups and down in her personal life and some mental health struggles and some abuse with substance struggles. And she was recently sober and recently put out a memoir and was talking a lot about how good she was doing. So it's really, really shocking to hear. RIPLEY: Yes. You mentioned how Hayden Panettiere spoke publicly about her intensely personal struggles. So how do we, in covering this, acknowledge that part of her story without allowing it to define her life, particularly, as you said, when we don't know the circumstances of her death.

LONGERETTA: Absolutely. I think that to be brave enough to write a memoir and go into detail about some of those things that she was going through growing up in Hollywood, being in the limelight at a very young age, being in some of the biggest movies and TV shows, like you said, "Heroes," "Nashville," she was in so many of these big projects very young.

I think it's important to just focus on that, focus on the success that she had. You know, I always think of the "Scream" movies that she was in she was in "Scream 4" and became such a big fan favorite that people demanded she come back for "Scream 6" a few years later. And they got her back in the movie.

And I think that, you know, in her memoir, she talks a lot about how she found people that she was close to and the people she really trusted and held on close to them. And that's what, you know, I would assume her friends and family would want people to remember.

RIPLEY: And she also endured the death of her younger brother, Jansen, just a few years ago. How did she speak about the effect that loss had on her?

LONGERETTA: Yes, she said, you know, in many interviews and in the book, she said a lot that, you know, she felt responsible for taking care of him because he was her baby brother and he died at such a young age in 2023, and that she almost couldn't leave the house for a little while because she was going through such a situation, such a guilt and almost a depression around this death that was so tragic for her and so shocking for her.

And that, of course, you know, it did take a toll on her mental health and she wanted to talk about it. Finally, you know, a year later, she came forward and spoke about it in a long interview with People magazine. And then she spoke a lot about it in her book about.

Hopefully her talking about it will let people know that, you know, it's okay to go through things and grief looks different on anyone. The more we talk about it, the better it is for everyone involved. So she kind of, you know, took her trauma and really used it to try to help others.

RIPLEY: She was so candid about that and also candid about just the difficulties that come with growing up in the public eye. And that honesty had to really become a part of her connection with audiences.

LONGERETTA: Yes, I think it's always really special when we see people who have been on screen since such a young age being so open about their struggles and being so open about how it look all glamorous and red carpets and award shows, but, you know, that behind closed doors that's not the case. She spoke about, you know, a bit about her sexuality and not being

comfortable coming out as bisexual because she wasn't sure how her team and how people around her were going to feel because she'd been on TV since such a young age and people viewed her in a certain way.

[01:05:04]

She spoke a lot about, you know, being at parties at a very young age that she shouldn't have been at, not knowing who to trust. And really just, you know, that's very vulnerable and hard to talk about. And she seemingly recently, I mean, the book came out just in May, so not long ago at all, she really finally felt open enough and, you know, comfortable enough to share that with the world.

RIPLEY: It seems like there's always so much effort and money that goes into making these young people stars and then they become stars. And yet there's very little in terms of mental health support when things change and careers change. And, you know, we've seen this time and time again with other celebrities and child star, you know, thinking of Liam Payne and others as well who've met an untimely and tragic end. Obviously, we still don't know the circumstances here, but Emily, really appreciate you coming on to talk about this.

And we'll obviously have much more coverage of this in the coming hours. Hayden Panettiere, dead at the age of just 36.

Joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea are now underway just hours after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially scale them back.

In a social media post announcing the change, the president cited his positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying the drills send a signal that is inappropriate and hostile to North Korea.

The president also cited Seoul's lack of assistance with Iran, saying he recently asked South Korea's president if they'd like to join the, quote, denuclearization of Iran, and they said no. So here to break this all down, CNN's new Seoul correspondent, Gage Goulding, following all these developments on the Korean Peninsula.

He's moving there in a few days, but right now joining me here from Hong Kong. But, Gage, let's talk about this because as you know, this isn't the first post over the weekend from President Trump. He also shared a photo of himself and Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, leading up to this announcement.

GAGE GOULDING, CNN SEOUL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, a lot to unpack here over the last couple of days. Let's start here. This is the post that was made yesterday. Obviously, kind of a mean mugging picture there. But the president saying despite the unfamiliar or unfriendly look, they're, you know, having a great relationship.

And I think that kind of teed up the post that came today where essentially the president is saying that, hey, I'm not a fan of these annual exercises that are going on, calling them totally inappropriate and hostile. And, you know, it's very interesting because the president said it, quote, is in fact too late to cancel, but I've instructed the Secretary of War to substantially reduce the joint military exercise.

And then also in the same post, he kind of talks a little bit of a dig on South Korea there about, you know, hey, can you help us with the Iran? And according to the President, South Korea says no thanks. So there's a lot to unpack there.

But let's talk about this exercise that's ongoing right now, Operation Ulchi Freedom Shield. It's essentially an annual exercise that happens during the summertime. 18,000 Korean military members join some 23,500 U.S. service members that are based in South Korea.

Kind of a wartime preparedness. This specific go around, if you will, was going to have a lot of modern warfare aspects, drone warfare, GPS jamming, things of that nature.

Now, it's important to note that previously during President Trump's first term in 2018, 2019, he scaled these back. And then COVID 19 scaled that exercise back in 2021. It returned to full strength in 2022. In last week, North Korea said of the exercise, quote, it's a rehearsal of an aggressive war and they were openly opposed to it. And then over the last two weeks, they've launched two ballistic missiles.

Now, they've not acknowledged it, but the consensus is, is that it's kind stance against this operation. So kind of some aggression, some tension there obviously on the Korean peninsula.

But Will, as you very well know, you've covered North Korea extensively. This is an interesting kind of opening of the arms from President Trump, kind of maybe looking at a welcoming of some sort of summit, something he's not had during the second term and something that he had on multiple occasions during the first term.

RIPLEY: Yes. You have to wonder if, given the big mess happening in Iran, if President Trump wants some sort of an easy diplomatic win with the North Koreans and a photo op with Kim Jong Un like the first time around. But, you know, it's interesting. The North Koreans have always been, you know, said that these military drills are hostile gauge.

And yet at this very moment, North Korean troops are gaining real life experience by helping Russia in their war against Ukraine. And now they're -- the United States and South Korea are supposed to be scaling back their own training.

[01:10:00]

GOULDING: Yes. You know, it's very clear that South Korea is a U.S. ally. And, you know, it's not unknown to the world that U.S. and North Korea are not allies. And at the same time that the President is scaling back wartime preparedness because that's essentially what this exercise is, is they're preparing for war specifically with North Korea. Right. That's what's been going on for years.

So at the same time they're saying, hey, let's, you know, pump the brakes on this. You have tens of thousands of North Korean troops that are aiding Russia with the war against Ukraine. They're out there fighting. They're getting modern warfare experience. Like I just said, drones jamming of GPS and all those different things.

The troops on the North Korean side are doing that right now. On top of that, North Korea having the opportunity to test their ballistic missiles against Ukraine while aiding Russia. So it's kind of a very Catch 22 in that situation. You know, you have the North Korean troops that are getting more experience.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and South Korean troops are taking a back seat here. Whether it comes down to cost, whether it comes down to trying to, to get a diplomatic win or open some sort of conversation with North Korea, that's to be seen.

As of right now, this operation has been starting. According to the South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff, the operation started as planned. It's going to go on for 10 days. We'll have to see if they do truly scale it back. But at this hour will. We have not received a comment from North Korea.

RIPLEY: CNN's Gage Goulding live in Hong Kong. Thank you. Joining me is Christopher Hill, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea and Iraq, a former Assistant Secretary of State and the author of A Diplomat at work. Hello, Ambassador.

It is so great to have your perspective as someone who has negotiated with North Korea. In fact, you were the chief negotiator in the six party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program. So what do you think? Is President Trump signaling to try to get Kim Jong Un back to the table?

CHRISTOPHER HILL, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA AND IRAQ: Yes, you know, it's really hard. They're hard to say. There are a lot of details that obviously we don't know. What we do know, however, is these exercises have gone on for literally decades, as Gage suggested, decades.

And every year, this is pretty certain. The North Koreans get up and say these are a terrible threat to us and we're going to have to do something. At one point or at several points, they threaten the six party talks. They usually threaten some kind of form of cooperation.

But in all cases, we've understood the need to be reliable with our South Korean allies, and we've always gone through the exercises. So this is rather remarkable to have a president step in at really the last minute. As he pointed out, he can't stop the exercise because it's already ongoing. And so it's really, you know, it really speaks to the issue of U.S. reliability.

And, you know, I've said before, I mean, it's one thing to be a little unpredictable. It's quite another thing to be unreliable. And that's where we're heading with this sort of thing.

I will say that it is possible that there is something in the works in terms of a meeting or something. We haven't heard that, but there may be some reason why the President got directly involved. But usually giving up your leverage ahead of time is really not the way to go.

RIPLEY: I mean, you've sat across from the North Koreans. They've always said that they view these drills as hostile. But do you think the North Koreans genuinely fear them? And especially now Kim Jong Un has sent thousands of troops to learn about modern combat alongside the Russians in Ukraine.

So is President Trump just sort of repeating a North Korean talking point before they even get to the table?

HILL: Well, what he said was very much a North Korean talking point. Whether he thought of it himself or got it from the North Koreans, I can't really speak to that. But certainly these exercises are pretty open. Everyone knows the scenarios. And every exercise that I've ever seen or been involved in has to do with a defensive exercise. What do you do if the North Koreans attack? And so how do you manage that? That is the -- that's the name of the game.

So the notion that these exercises are designed to invade North Korea, to launch a surprise attack on North Korea, that's something that North Koreans say every single year, and it's something that is quite inaccurate.

RIPLEY: In comments publicized on North Korean state media, Kim earlier this year used Iran to justify his decision to not only keep his nuclear arsenal, but continue to grow his nuclear arsenal. Even though they haven't been showcasing the missile launches as boldly, even though there have been launches, they haven't put them on their state media.

But I guess the question, you know, maybe they're dialing back the propaganda a little bit, but they're still growing their capability.

[01:15:02]

And if denuclearization is off the table, as the North Koreans have stated repeatedly, then what would Trump and Kim actually have to talk about?

HILL: Well, very good question. I mean, the name of the game has been denuclearization. The concern about North Korea going nuclear is what it means to the rest of the neighbors, what it means to Japan, South Korea. Obviously it means a lot in terms of the -- of East Asia.

So to have us, some suddenly say we're scaling back and then to throw in the issue of Iran in the middle of it I think was rather disingenuous. But in any event, this is really worrying a lot of countries about our reliability. And, you know, we have spent a lot of time trying to build up these alliances in East Asia, trying to work with these people. And by the way, exercises, it's not a question of getting soldiers together to play volleyball.

It's a question of they need to know each other. They need to know what kind of thinking each goes into. And so it's very important if you're going to have an alliance, you better have exercises to go with it. So, I mean, this is kind of a shocking development by the President.

We'll see if he has some reason beyond what he stated. But certainly this is not the way to handle a region of the world that really expects reliability from us.

RIPLEY: If you were still stationed in Seoul, what would you be telling your South Korean counterparts, especially given the internal debate inside South Korea right now about whether they should keep expanding their own weapons capability, including the discussion of nuclear weapons on the south side of the peninsula, which is just kind of a staggering thing but somewhat plausible considering all of the other developments that we've seen in the world and the signaling from the president.

HILL: Well, first of all, we don't tend to have ambassadors out in the, in the world anymore. So I'm not sure who is there. Obviously there's an embassy there. I think they're probably going to get some assurance from Washington that our reliability with respect to the so called nuclear umbrella, that we remain a good ally of the South Koreans.

We would want to get that out of senior people in Washington so that we and try to give some reassurance to the South Koreans. But you know, this has been a pretty rough time for a lot of friends and allies out there who feel that somehow we treat our enemies better than we treat them.

RIPLEY: The new U.S. ambassador in Seoul, Michelle Steele just arrived, a former U.S. representative from California. She is now on the ground in Seoul and we'd certainly love to speak with her at some point to find out what she's saying to her counterparts there. But Ambassador Christopher Hill, we have to leave it there for now. I really appreciate your time and your expertise on this and we'll keep following it. The drill is scheduled to last for 10 days. Thank you.

Global financial markets are really in limbo right now as a deal to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz has still not materialized. Oil futures were flat on Sunday. This as talks between the U.S. and Iran remain stalled. And even though Tehran and Oman are negotiating over the crucial waterway, there are no immediate signs that they're close to a deal.

Analysts say it's difficult right now to estimate the amount of oil reaching global markets because many ships that are transiting the strait are turning off their trackers to avoid detection. President Trump's son in law is in the Middle East hoping to find a way to get the Gaza peace talks back on track.

Sources tell CNN Jared Kushner met with the new leader of Hamas and in the coming hours he will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected President Trump's 15-point peace plan for Gaza.

Foreign ministers from seven countries in the region and Indonesia released a joint statement condemning Israel's rejection. They warn it could undermine efforts to end the war and achieve a lasting political settlement.

Earlier I spoke with Benjamin Radd, a senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relationship, on whether the Trump administration can give Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel enough security assurances to see this deal through.

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BENJAMIN RADD, SENOIR FELLOW, UCLA BURKLE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: It becomes challenging. He's basically ask, he'll be asking the Israeli people to accept on good faith. The idea that Israel unilaterally hitting all the phases at once will essentially bring Hamas to capitulate or what it sees as capitulation. And Hamas in the past has been against this in general.

So I think there's skepticism in the, the electoral pressure makes this a lot more complicated than it otherwise would be.

RIPLEY: What leverage does Trump have if either side says no?

RADD: Well, the leverage right now is basically if it's not so much from President Trump, it's if Israel appears to be the obstacle to this moving forward. You could see that pressure come to bear in the midterm campaigns in the elections coming up. The idea that Israel is very slowly losing ground amongst its base of support, its traditional base in Congress, especially within the Democratic Party and amongst a, you know, small group of Republicans, but still notable. And so is this something that the electoral pressure can come to bear in a way that Trump himself does not have the leverage to do?

That's unique. We haven't seen this before in the relationship between the two countries.

RIPLEY: How much does President Trump need Gaza settled to give him room to end the Iran war?

RADD: Well, what Iran's trying to do is this idea of linkage. He's linking Israeli withdrawal or ceasing Israeli responses in Lebanon as well as Gaza as a basis for any deal moving forward. In other words, there's no discussion of opening up the Strait of Hormuz unless these other conflicts on these other fronts are done simultaneously. The United States is trying to decouple or delink, saying these are not tied to the same thing.

Part of the issue here is the fact that Iran is, through its axis of resistance proxy groups is trying to project its power in Lebanon, in Gaza. And the idea is from the United States and the Israeli perspective is to sever that ability to weaken its ability to do so. I don't think Iran's attempts to pressure the United States in linking those different conflicts is going to work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Ben Radd there. You're watching CNN Newsroom. We're live in Hong Kong. And we're going to turn to Indonesia after the break where rescue crews are trying to find survivors of that powerful earthquake that hit off the coast.

Here's the problem, though. Some of the hardest hit areas are extremely difficult to access right now. So they're still trying to get a full assessment of the damage. We'll be right back.

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[01:25:28]

RIPLEY: The window of time is closing to find survivors alive buried in the rubble of a massive earthquake in Indonesia. We know that more than 50 people are dead, many more missing in that magnitude 7.7 earthquake which hit off the coast of Indonesia, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. The problem is that rescue crews are still struggling to reach some of the areas that are hardest hit. These are remote areas and the roads are impassable.

So there might still be people in need of help and there's just no way to even get assistance anywhere near their location. The initial quake hit near the island of Flores, home to 2 million people. It's been followed by more than 300 aftershocks, leaving people scrambling to get to safety. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): My husband couldn't walk anymore. He was very frail and weak. He told me, you run, I'll stay here. It's OK. If God wills that we die, then I accept that. If we live, I accept that too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Turning now to Europe, where two people are dead and at least five others injured as fast moving wildfires tore across the Greek island of Salamina on Sunday. And this is just one of several fires that are burning across Europe right now. All of this exacerbated by severe drought conditions and successive heat waves in the region. Now on Salamina, near gale force winds fueled the quick moving flames and they spread rapidly into residential areas.

And here we can see the thick smoke rising from a nearby beach. The fire broke out during Greece's peak summer getaway weekend and several ferries were deployed. They had to evacuate more than 500 beachgoers from the area. The same drought and heat wave conditions fueling Europe's wildfire outbreak have taken an extreme toll on that region's water supply, as CNN's Stefano Pozzebon reports.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN ROME CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some of Europe's mightiest rivers are running dry. Great waterways reduced to a sliver of their size in the hot summer heat. In Hungary, authorities sank barges and dropped cement blocks shrinking Danube to try raise water levels and redirect the current to keep water flowing to a nuclear power plant that produces about a third of the country's electricity. Hungary's prime minister says it's a race against time. PETER MAGYAR, HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The water level is dramatically low and no significant precipitation is expected in the catchment areas for the next few days or weeks, which could also mean that the problem could persist for months.

POZZEBON (voice-over): This power plant is already operating at a fraction of its capacity because of a lack of cooling water. And if the Danube drops even further, one of its two remaining turbines could be shut down. Neighboring Romania took similar measures to try and raise water levels there, but it was forced to shut down its nuclear power plant just a few days ago.

The country had already declared a state of emergency over power shortages, with some cities going dark at night and residents asked to conserve energy use.

MIRCEA, RESIDENT (through translator): It seems we've reached this point due to poor decisions that were made considering the climate crisis we faced for decades.

POZZEBON (voice-over): The Rhine too is running dangerously low. It's a major artery for moving fuel and raw materials across the continent. And cargo vessels have been forced to lighten their loads to avoid ground in themselves and diverse shipments over land.

ANDREAS BARTEL, DIUSBURG HARBOUR SPOKESPERSON (through translator): More smaller, more easily maneuverable, lighter ships are being used. But a great deal is being transferred onto the train and onto the lorry in order to enable the transport and keep the supply chains going.

POZZEBON (voice-over): And if navigating shallow water isn't challenging enough, the skeletons of sunken ships are surfacing in some places. Rome's Tiber River is so depleted that the remains of a 2,000 year old structure called Nero's Bridge is visible once again. These relics of the past exposing just how urgent the crisis is. Hungary says a longer term plan is underway to build a dam like structure underneath the Danube to help manage water flows.

[01:30:03]

But that will take weeks. And if the river continues to drop, its nuclear power plant might be forced to shut down entirely like Romania's did, further straining the country's energy grid and the budget much longer than the summer season.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM. We're live in Hong Kong, and we'll be right back with more news.

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RIPLEY: The commander of U.S. Central Command is pushing back now amid these reports of concerns about morale and mental health aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Admiral Brad Cooper visited the aircraft carrier this weekend. This was part of a recent trip to the Middle East.

The ship has been deployed for more than 250 days. It was sent to the region to support U.S. operations in the Iran war.

Admiral Cooper says the USS Abraham Lincoln has, quote, "among the lowest" mental health cases out of the navy's 11 active carriers. But he did acknowledge the challenges of a long deployment at sea.

With the view from the White House, here is CNN's White House correspondent, Julia Benbrook.

[01:34:45]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a statement over the weekend, CentCom chief, Admiral Brad Cooper, called his recent visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln, quote, "awe-inspiring". That visit comes as there are growing concerns about the conditions on that ship.

The Lincoln has been deployed for nearly nine months as it is supporting operations in the Middle East, and its combat efforts have prevented it from making stops at friendly ports to regather supplies, get the sailors some rest.

That has led to a number of family members voicing concerns. One crew member told us that morale on the ship is very low and that there is this regular strain on some essential amenities.

Cooper did say that out of the 11 active aircraft carriers that the Lincoln actually has among the lowest cases related to mental health right now. He went on to say this. "This doesn't mean that all is perfect. Find any of the nearly 4 million Navy veterans in America today, and they will likely tell you that service at sea for long periods isn't for everyone. It is uniquely challenging and tough, and every single one of us, including me, reacts to stressors in different ways."

President Donald Trump was recently asked about this lengthy deployment and the mental health concerns surrounding it, and he seemed to dismiss those concerns. He said that the deployment wasn't nearly long enough.

Those comments have received swift criticism. He did say that the Lincoln would be traveling out of the region soon, and it would be replaced with a very similar ship. A U.S. official tells us that that swap was previously planned.

Julia Benbrook, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: CNN NEWSROOM, live from Hong Kong continues after this

[01:36:35]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RIPLEY: Russia is still assessing the damage from one of Ukraine's largest aerial attacks of the war so far.

The mall in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region suffered extensive damage. Authorities are blaming it on Ukraine. It's reportedly the third Russian mall hit just this week. And this video shows smoke rising from a burning medical supply warehouse near Moscow.

In total, the Kremlin says it shot down more than 800 Ukrainian drones overnight. At least 187 of those were said to have been intercepted directly over the Moscow region. But Russia has also continued firing on Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia launched more than 1,500 drones, 1,500 guided bombs and 62 missiles just over the past week. The Kremlin's latest attack on Sunday hit a book market in Kyiv, among other sites.

We'll take a quick break. For our viewers in North America, I'll have more news in just a moment. And for our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is next.

[01:41:19]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RIPLEY: Welcome back.

More now on our very sad breaking news here on CNN. Film and television actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36. She's most known for her television roles, including the science fiction show "Heroes" and the country music drama "Nashville". She also appeared in some of the "Scream" horror films.

So far, there's no cause of death publicly revealed and other circumstances surrounding her death are unknown. Her father did release a statement calling his daughter an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her.

Tropical Storm Lala has started to leave Hawaii, but parts of the state are still seeing heavy rain and strong wind gusts.

Officials say the most serious threat now is flash flooding and mudslides, especially in higher areas. Lala made its closest approach to Hawaii's Big Island on Saturday as a category one hurricane, leaving behind a lot of devastation. Hawaii's governor says at least 100 homes have either been damaged or lost.

Video from the scene shows just how powerful those floodwaters can be. Very scary moments here when this vehicle was just pushed down a road with two paramedics inside. They ended up being rescued by the National Guard, and they're safe now. Also, wind gusts toppled trees and knocked down utility lines. And

still, at this hour, about 180,000 customers are without power. They've been warned that these outages could last a while.

We get more from CNN's Jenn Sullivan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENN SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fierce winds and heavy rains pummeling the Hawaiian Islands as Lala slammed the Big Island as a category one hurricane, with maximum wind speeds reaching 80 miles per hour.

TOM SKILLING, METEOROLOGIST: There are whitecaps as far as the eye can see, and the winds are so strong they shear the tops off the waves.

SULLIVAN: Rainfall totals in some areas reaching over 30 inches.

JONATHAN PETRAMALA, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST: Dangerous situation. This storm really lived up to what we expected it to be, which was very impactful, especially from its rain.

SULLIVAN: The rushing waters swallowing this highway on Hawaii's Big Island, forcing authorities to shut it down. It's just one of many road closures.

KIMO ALAMEDA, HAWAII COUNTY, HAWAII MAYOR: What makes this very challenging is that there's rushing water, there's debris and there's boulders on the road. And it's dark.

SULLIVAN: Tens of thousands of people are without power, and several buildings have lost roofs. More than 190 flights in and out of Hawaii were postponed, according to the governor.

GOV. JOSH GREEN, HAWAII: It's going to be significant damage. I've already begun the process of starting the paperwork with our team for a major disaster declaration.

SULLIVAN: As Lala moves west, there's a serious threat of more torrential rain, which could spur additional flash flooding across the other Hawaiian islands.

I'm Jenn Sullivan reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: U.S. energy officials are ramping up their forecasts for oil and gasoline prices. With minimal traffic transiting through the Strait of Hormuz right now, those prices seem unlikely to go down anytime soon.

The national average gas price on Sunday was $4.07 a gallon, AAA says. So CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten breaks down how this could affect how American voters cast their ballot in the midterm elections. And also takes a look at President Trump's poll numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Gas prices still above $4 in the United States of America, at least on average. And it just feels like the American people can't catch a break.

I can tell you that the American people very much dislike, dare I say, President Trump when it comes to gas prices. Not a huge surprise, given, of course, where gas prices are.

But it's to a historic degree, the hatred for President Trump on gas prices. Look at this. Ok, highest disapprovals on gas prices by president. Look where President Trump is in 2026.

We're talking about, on average, a disapproval rating of 79 percent. That is about 4 in 5 Americans who disapprove of the job that President Trump is doing on gas prices.

Joe Biden never reached that level. He was at 72 percent. Barack Obama never reached that level. His highest was 68 percent. Even George W. Bush never reached that level. He was at 75 percent.

[01:49:50]

ENTEN: So Donald Trump, breaking records in the ways that you, simply put, do not want to be breaking records when it comes to gas prices and how Americans view the job that he is doing.

Now why? Why does President Trump have a historically-high disapproval rating on gas prices? Well, simply put, you can't reach 79 percent just by Democrats disliking the job that you're doing. Or dare I say, hating it.

Look at this. It crosses party lines. You get the rare trifecta. Yes, you get 96 percent of Democrats, that's not so surprising, who disapprove of the job that President Trump is doing on gas prices.

But how about Independents? 85 percent of Independents disapprove of the job that President Trump is doing on gas prices.

And then, of course, that tried-and-true Republican base that has stuck with Donald Trump through thick and thin. Even they, a majority of them, 52 percent disapprove of the job that President Trump is doing on gas prices.

This, simply put, are the types of numbers that, if you're a Republican running in these midterm elections, you do not like. You very much want to be running away from President Trump, at least to how it comes -- to how Americans view him on gas prices.

Now, what is driving this? Why are these numbers so low? You know, you go back to the 2024 campaign. President Trump put up a historically- strong performance for a Republican candidate among working class voters. That is, those making less than $50,000.

And this is what is driving it. Look at this. Disapprove of Trump on gas prices among those making under $50,000 per year. Among them all, look at this number, 86 percent. You can't get 86 percent of Americans or even a subgroup of Americans who are not a partisan subgroup to agree on anything. But they do. They do when it comes to gas prices disapproving of President Trump among those making less than $50,000.

More than that, look at this across -- look at this across the different parties. We get 66 percent. A very unlucky 66 percent indeed of Republicans making under $50,000 who disapprove of the job that President Trump is doing on gas prices.

How about, get this, 90 percent -- 90 percent of Independents who make less than $50,000 disapprove of the job of President Trump on gas prices. And 93 percent of Democrats who disapprove of the job that President Trump is doing on gas prices amongst those making less than $50,000.

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RIPLEY: Harry Enten breaking down the numbers for us. Thank you for that.

Taiwan has now concluded ten days of annual military drills aimed at modeling a response to a potential invasion by China. The exercises even involved, for the first time, slowing down the Internet, which I was able to witness firsthand on the streets of Taipei.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: In Taiwan's capital, a jarring reminder of how quickly things can change. Every phone gets the same alert. Missile attack, seek immediate shelter.

In less than two minutes, Taipei is silent. This may be a drill, but it doesn't feel like one.

China's military is actively training in the waters and skies around Taiwan, practicing blockades, joint combat operations and rocket strikes.

It's surreal to see the busiest intersection in Taipei, or at least one of them, totally dead. Everybody's pulled over and hunkering down underground or inside.

On top of that, mobile Internet slows to a crawl, sending a text takes several minutes. Testing how Taiwan could cope if its communications came under fire.

These are the island's biggest annual military exercises. The major focus this year, preparing the entire society for what a Chinese attack could really be like.

BEN LEWIS, CO-FOUNDER, PLA TRACKER: It's very likely that in the event of an invasion, China is going to strike critical infrastructure in Taiwan, but also use its cyber capabilities to degrade Taiwan's network connections IN an attempt to cause chaos.

RIPLEY: PLA Tracker co-founder, Ben Lewis traveled from Washington to observe all ten days of Taiwan's drills.

LEWIS: The United States has a very significant interest in ensuring that Taiwan can stand and fight on its own to, you know, ensure that there is a deterrent against China that doesn't totally rely on U.S. intervention.

RIPLEY: And increasingly, many Taiwanese believe they may have to stand alone. One recent survey found less than a quarter of voters here see the United States as a trustworthy ally.

Do you trust that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if China were to attack?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Taiwanese? Also, they need to believe themselves. Like no matter if the Trump or the U.S. aid, they will help us. We still need to have a courage or to do some action.

[01:54:45]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think not because Trump is the president. He prioritizes his interest, America's interests first. Plus, if you just watch what's going on in Iran, you'll know that the U.S. Is not reliable. I also don't think we can rely on the U.S.

RIPLEY: A tiny democracy preparing for war with a superpower, a war Taiwan hopes will never come, but is preparing to fight with or without American help.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: And now, as we've seen with the U.S. tied up in Iran, Taiwan having to prepare for that possibility that it might have to hold out on its own, making these drills and preparing the entire society for a crisis all the more urgent.

Former MLB pitcher Tommy John passed away on Saturday. He's perhaps best known as the namesake of a revolutionary elbow surgery, which gave the left handers career incredible longevity. The Tommy John procedure, as it's known, now allows doctors to use grafted portions from other tendons in the body to reconstruct a ligament in the elbow.

In a statement from the New York Yankees, John is remembered as a longtime fan favorite and a bedrock of the Pins and Stripes roster.

Last month, he was reportedly battling health issues at his home in Florida. Tommy John was 83 years old.

And check out this heartwarming superhero scene in Argentina over the weekend. Yes, thousands of bikers and the kiddos dressed up as superheroes and Disney characters, riding to one of the country's most important pediatric hospitals in Buenos Aires.

The motorcycle has delivered toys to children in that hospital. Organizers say the annual children's day tradition is now in its 20th year and was inspired by a similar hero convoy in Scotland.

Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Will Ripley, live in Hong Kong?

Much more news right here on CNN after the break. Stay with us.

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