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CNN This Morning

Supreme Court Ruling Halts SNAP Benefits Rollout Across The U.S.; Flight Outs, Cancellations Grow As Government Shutdown Drags On; Arctic Blast To Bring Frigid Temperatures To Over 100 Million Americans; Trump Administration Tells Congress It Lacks Legal Justification To Strike Venezuela; IDF Announces Return Of Hostage Lior Rudaeff's Returns; Full SNAP Benefits Put On Hold By Supreme Court; Furloughed Workers Struggling To Feed As U.S. Government Shutdown Continues; Grammy Nominations Released With New Categories. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired November 08, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:00:29]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Welcome to your weekend. Saturday, November 8th. I'm Victor Blackwell. This is CNN This Morning. Weekend here's what's happening today.

The Senate will hold a rare Saturday session. It's trying to find a way forward to reopen the government. The problem here is that both sides are still frightened far apart on how to do that. We'll tell you what to expect on Capitol Hill today.

Also new this morning, the Supreme Court has now paused a ruling that orders the Trump administration to fully cover SNAP benefits. We'll tell you the next steps in that case.

Travelers, if you're out at the airports, you're going to face another day of delays.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's absurd. I think it's a complete failure of government. And there's the government serving itself and not the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Where delays and cancellations stand today and why the transportation secretary says things will get worse.

Plus, the Grammy nominations are out. Kendrick Lamar leads the pack. We'll tell you who else got the nod and what's different about this year's vote.

We're starting this morning with the Supreme Court pausing a lower court's ruling. It ordered the Trump administration to pay 42 million Americans their full SNAP benefits in November. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued this temporary pause to allow an appeals court additional time to review the case. That means that for now, the administration will not have to immediately honor a lower court's order to transfer the $4 billion to the Food assistance program.

It also means that millions of Americans who rely on SNAP to feed their families and themselves, they will have to wait even longer for that help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ONITA MORRIS, SNAP FOOD STAMPS RECIPIENT: Rather than myself having like a full plate of food along with my kids, I'm making sure that they have a full plate of food and their bellies are full. And I may have either less or I may not eat what they are eating just for the sake that they are getting enough.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So mom's having to sometimes skip a meal or curb.

MORRIS: Yes. Yes, it feels like I'm failing them now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The Senate will be in session today as the government shutdown approaches week seven. On Friday, Senate Democrats blocked the Republican bill to pay federal workers during the shutdown. That's another sign that the record long stale made on Capitol Hill is not close to ending.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Federal workers have now gone without pay for more than a month, including the people in this building. Will the far left not be satisfied until federal workers and military families are getting their Thanksgiving dinner from a food bank? Because that's where we're headed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: More on the stalemate and the rare weekend session here CNN's Sunlen Serfaty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Victor. No deal is on the horizon and frustration is certainly amplifying up here on Capitol Hill as pressure is amplifying on lawmakers to figure this now.

Now, the reality is that both sides are really dug in their positions even more so than previously this week. What we saw on Friday simply did not move the needle forward at all. We had Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer come to the floor and debut this counter proposal that he said Democrats could get behind the counterproposal, among other things, as he says, Democrats would agree to open up the government again as long as Republicans agree to attach a one year health care subsidy, ACA subsidy extension. Now, that, of course, is a nonstarter with many Republicans. And very

quickly, we saw Senate Republicans up here really reject that offer very quickly, saying this is a nonstarter for them. And at this point there is simply no path forward.

Now, today on Capitol Hill, the Senate will be holding a very rare Saturday session. They will adjourn at 12 noon Eastern Time, but there is no vote on the horizon. There is no deal that's yet emerging. Senators will continue to have conversations, positions and discussions.

But the Senate majority leader, John Thune, he put it simply when he says, as he always does, when there's something to vote on, that they will vote. And as of now, there is no vote schedule, which really speaks volumes at where they are in this process. No deal in sight. Victor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[06:05:04]

BLACKWELL: Sunlen Serfaty on Capitol Hill, thank you very much. Joining me now, Skylar Woodhouse. She's a White House correspondent for Bloomberg News. Skylar, good morning to you.

Let's start with SNAP benefits. The bold headline here is that the administration asked the Supreme Court to block this lower court's ruling for full payout. And the court has done that at least temporarily. On what's the context below this? The administration's making a broader argument.

SKYLAR WOODHOUSE, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, BLOOMBERG NEWS: Yes. Good morning, Victor. Right now what we're really seeing are on the SNAP benefits as they are sort of thrust into the spotlight. And these shutdown negotiations, there's been a lot of whiplash, as you could say, with the courts and varying courts.

You have one court saying that the administration needs to, you know, dole out these benefits ASAP. And then you have the Supreme Court, as you mentioning late last night, saying, you know, they can sort of take a pause to sort of continue to figure out, you know, if these benefits should be rolling out.

This all comes at a time where Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and Americans are trying to figure out how they're going to, you know, make it through the holidays and also just sort of and really have their next meal.

So, you know, look, SNAP has been thrust into the spotlight here in these shutdowns as well as the travel disruptions that we are seeing. But for the administration, President Trump is really taking a hands off approach in terms of shutdown negotiations. Yes, he is tweeting, intrusing and calling for the filibuster to end that. Republicans need to finish this.

But as it all boils down to SNAP benefits. Look, this is something that Republicans and Democrats are having to navigate as they try and find that deal to end the government shutdown.

BLACKWELL: And so what explains the Democrats vote against paying federal workers during the shutdown?

WOODHOUSE: Yes, I mean, the Trump administration, they, you know, they wanted to pay military workers. They found a pot of money and there is a mysterious donation, like an outside donation to pay military workers. But look, people aren't receiving paychecks right now. And this comes at a time where the U.S. economy prices are already very high.

And what we're seeing right now is people are having to sort of stretch their usual finances. And this, like I mentioned, this comes as the holiday season is quickly approaching. And it also does not seem like there is necessarily a deal or the end of the shutdown is in sight. I think a lot of people are trying to figure out, well, it's just going to be finished next week or how soon is this going to wrap up as it really starts to impact Americans daily lives.

BLACKWELL: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer put another proposal on the table to end the shutdown. Here's what he said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D) SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Democrats are offering a very simple compromise. Leader Thune just needs to add a clean one year extension of the ACA tax credits to the CR so that we can immediately address rising health care costs. That's not a negotiation. It's an extension of current law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And so Republicans shot this down. How does this compare, Skyler, to what has been in the House, this bipartisan bill for a month now? This is the one that Republican Mike Lawler confronted Leader Jeffries about in the hallway there. This is a major shift for Democrats. Is this the same thing that they kicked off the table four weeks ago?

WOODHOUSE: Yes, Victor. Look, Democrats, even though they had the proposal yesterday, they still are not backing down. They are really, you know, fighting for these health care benefits here and they are not backing down. So, I think it'll be interesting to see what the Democrats present next and if there is any sort of wiggle room that they can get from the Republican Party or if they will budge.

But I think what we can see from both sides, and one thing that is just notably interesting around this shutdown, when you take a step back and look at the last government shutdown, really, once the airport started to go haywire, things got solved very quickly.

And as airports right now and the U.S. go haywire and face those insane travel delays and flight cancellations, it does not seem to be like there is an end in sight for the shutdown. And so for the Republican Party and for Democrats, you know, it's been quite interesting to watch the two sides continue to plow forward with what looks like no end in sight.

BLACKWELL: Skylar Woodhouse, thank you very much.

[06:10:00]

Be sure to tune in to First of All later this morning, I'll be joined by Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries that it's 8:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN. You can also stream the show on the CNN. You can also stream the show on the CNN app.

Former President Biden accused President Trump of taking a wrecking ball to democracy. Now, he made these comments in a speech at Omaha Democratic Party gala last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: When I left the president, I knew Trump was going to take a wrecking ball of the country, but I had no idea. I have to admit, I didn't know it was going to be an actual wrecking ball. Anyone see what he's done to the West, East Wing of the People's House? The White House. It's a perfect symbol of his presidency. Trump is taking a wrecking ball not only to the People's House, but to the Constitution, to the rule of law, to our very democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: During the speech, the former president also directly addressed President Trump. He said he embarrasses the nation. He also accused President Trump of putting his own interest ahead of the country's. Biden also touted Democratic wins in this week's elections and encouraged the party to keep fighting backs against Republican policies.

Millions of people flying this month are already feeling the impact of the ongoing government shutdown live. Look here at the world's busiest airport in Atlanta, one of many airports where flight delays and cancellations are piling up. And for a lot of travelers, this stress is setting in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EUNICE DELL, TRAVELER: We've been here since 4 this morning. But the thing is, there's no flight to Syracuse. So we're going to Raleigh, North Carolina, then we're going to Buffalo, then someone has to pick us up.

NICK SPENCER, TRAVELER: No, can't get you hotel comp, you know, no transportation comps. They wouldn't get us on another airline. Not even a little money for lunch. Pretty much just send you back to where you came from and call it a day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: So far today, more than 400 flights are delayed. More than 900 have been canceled across the country. The FAA has cut flights at 40 airports across the country and it means -- it's meant rather to ease pressure on air traffic controllers working without pay. Some have called in sick. That has led to staffing shortages. And if the shutdown continues, airlines plan to raise those flight cancellations to 10 percent by next week. CNN's Ed Lavandera reports from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor, across the country, tens of thousands of people have flown to destinations either coming home or going somewhere for the weekend. And obviously of great concern is how things are going to continue to unfold at airports across the country in the coming days. There's already been airlines announcing hundreds of flight cancellations starting this weekend and continuing on. United, American, Southwest Airlines already announcing hundreds of flights being cut today on Saturday and in the coming days.

So, we are at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. We have seen pretty good signs here on the flight boards. But obviously this is clearly a situation that is dynamic and changing and will continue to change rather quickly in the days ahead.

So, what people really need to be aware about is just stay on top of their flight arrangements and be aware of what might be coming down the pike. One of the things we've been told is that it's really flights not necessarily between major cities like Dallas and Chicago or Dallas and Denver, but flights from major cities to smaller airports that might be the most heavily impacted.

So if your flight arrangements involve that kind of travel, be very aware of how difficult travel might be in the coming days as this government shutdown continues to loom over the airline travel industry across the country. And we have talked to many people who are really kind of taking a lot of things here in stride, at least for the moment.

But they're also fully aware that in the coming days this might become an even more chaotic and troubling situation. So, many people that we've seen leaving through this airport and coming through this airport here today are very concerned about what's going to continue to unfold in the days ahead. Victor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Ed lavender, thank you. FedEx is grounding its fleet of MD- 11 planes, joining UPS and pulling the aircraft from the service out of what both companies call an abundance of caution. Now, of course, this follows the deadly crash of a UPS cargo plane in Kentucky. The plane went down just after takeoff Tuesday. It hit two businesses, started this huge fire.

14 people were killed, including three crew members on board. Crews are still working through the wreckage as families wait for word on those still missing. The NTSB, their early findings say that the plane's left engine fell

off during takeoff and made it impossible for the pilots to recover. A growing number of people and business owners are now suing UPS, Boeing and General Electric accuse them of negligence as the investigation continues.

[06:15:05]

This weekend, a rush of arctic air is moving in. It's going to bring a deep freeze to more than two dozen states. Temperatures will drop below normal with some areas seeing their first snow of the season. CNN meteorologist Chris Warren joins us now.

Chris, the early part of this week was warm and pleasant. I was like, this is nice, the seventies here in Atlanta. Now grab the coats.

CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right. Well, today's going to be all right. The difference between today and Monday, Victor, you just wait and see. Man, it's going to be so cold. All the action here is in the east looking pretty good in the west for today.

But by early next week, some of the, well, the coldest air of the season for some big cities here across the central and eastern time zones. Each one of these spots where there could be record temperatures for the cold. Here are the temperatures right now, 50s and 60s throughout the south, just right at freezing in Minneapolis.

And this is what's going to be happening. This is the difference from a high to a low. So in Atlanta, 74 today, by Monday morning, 25 degrees. It is going to be quite chilly for you for the morning. Here's that cold air.

You want to know what your weather is going to be like sometimes just look at where it's coming from. This is coming from the Arctic. So it's going to get quite cold again from the warm temperatures, 80s today around Dallas tomorrow, 61, 20 degree difference in one day. And then by Monday, that cold air moving in 40 degrees in Atlanta, high temperature.

So the high temperatures barely getting out of the 30s in Atlanta, 39 will be the high in Nashville on Monday. And then as far as the chance for some snow, quick shot of snow for the mountains here in the east around the Great Lakes, some leftover lake effect snow as well. It will be short lived. But Victor, that cold air would be made even worse by the wind that we're going to be seeing as well.

BLACKWELL: All right. Pilot on all right, talk to you in a minute. Headlines this morning a federal judge says the Trump administration unlawfully deployed troops to Portland. The Trump administration described the situation outside Portland's ICE building as war ravaged to justify sending National Guard there.

Well, the judge said that did not square with the facts and she ruled the government did not show there was a rebellion or the danger of one. The judge said protesters there did not rise to the level of something regular forces could not handle. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Wendy's plans to close hundreds of restaurants across the US. These closures will happen over the next few months. The company's interim CEO says a small percentage of underperforming restaurants are hurting Wendy's bottom line. And that chain could close up to 350 of its 6,000 restaurants in the US.

The scientist who shared a Nobel Prize for discovering DNA's double helix structure has died. James Watson worked with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins on the discovery in 1953. He later became the first director of the groundbreaking Human Genome Project. Watson died after a brief illness, according to his former employee. He was 97 years old.

The Senate rejects a bid to prevent President Trump from attacking Venezuela. The administration is targeting drug traffickers, it says. We're breaking down the concerns around legality and hidden motives.

Plus, Israel receives the remains of one of the hostages held in Gaza. We're live with the race to bring the rest home.

And later, we have another CNN Heroes nominee. How one woman is helping inmates heal through the power of storytelling.

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[06:23:35]

BLACKWELL: Sources say the Trump administration has told Congress that it does not currently have legal authorization to strike inside Venezuela. While the administration did not rule out potential future strikes, sources say the Trump administration said there were no current plans to strike land targets inside Venezuela.

The U.S. has launched 17 strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean since September. At least 70 people have died.

Now, these attacks have garnered criticism because the Trump administration has not sought congressional approval. The administration calls the strikes an armed conflict against drug cartels, but has not released evidence publicly.

New this morning, Israel has identified the remains of a deceased hostage returned from Gaza yesterday. Israel says the remains belong to Command Sergeant Major Lior Rudaeff. Israeli officials say that the 61-year-old Israeli soldier was killed responding to Hamas's attack on October 7th.

And this is the fourth exchange this past week as part of the US brokered Gaza cease fire between Hamas and Israel. Let's go now to CNN correspondent Nada Bashir with more. Nada, good morning to you.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this has come as a major source of closure for the family members and loved ones of Lior Rudaeff who was the deputy security coordinator for the rapid response team within his community kibbutz nearly attacked. [06:25:02]

He was killed on October 7, according to the officials and Hostage and Missing Families Forum, while responding to the sound of gunfire in his community as it came under attack by Hamas militants on October 7. His body was then taken captive and held in Gaza until now. His remains returned to Israel as part of that ceasefire agreement.

And of course, this is one of many deceased hostages that have been returned as part of the cease fire agreement. But it's understood that at least five continue to remain in Gaza and there has been mounting pressure on Hamas to arrange for and coordinate the return of the remains of these deceased hostages to Israel as soon as possible, as per the terms of that cease fire agreement.

But as we understand it, there is a huge amount of complexity around that process given the sheer scale of the destruction in the Gaza Strip. And of course, this is a process that is being closely coordinated by Red Cross officials who are providing support on that front.

But as we understand, and as we've been hearing from Gaza's own civil defense, who has been carrying out recovery missions to recover the bodies of Palestinian civilians from beneath the rubble, this is a hugely difficult undertaking.

But of course, for many families in Israel waiting to lay their loved ones to rest, this is of course, a moment of great anxiety. We've been hearing from the hostages and missing families forum with regards to the return of Lior Rudaeff, the 61-year-old Israeli soldier.

They have released a statement and I'll just read you a little bit from that. They have said alongside the grief and the understanding that their hearts will never be whole, Lior's return provides some measure of comfort to a family that has lived with agonizing uncertainty and doubt for over two years.

And of course, as I've mentioned, the return of these hostages is a crucial element of the cease fire agreement. It really rests on the return of all hostages, living and deceased, for this ceasefire to continue to be implemented. And in addition, we're also seeing efforts to ramp up the amount of aid getting in, or at least pressure from U.N. officials and humanitarian groups. Another key element of the cease fire agreement.

BLACKWELL: Nada Bashir, thank you. So we're seeing families struggling to put food on the table. This is one of the impacts of this ongoing government shutdown. We'll introduce a mother and she'll share her struggle and she's putting a human face on a political crisis.

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[06:31:54]

BLACKWELL: The second month of the government shutdown, and after a whirlwind back-and-forth in the courts, full SNAP benefits are in limbo again.

Last night, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson stepped in and paused a lower court order to distribute full SNAP payments until the appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause. And now millions of people are waiting anxiously, wondering when they will get that next meal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEE TARR, SNAP RECIPIENT: I was born with a mild form of cerebral palsy, so I've been disabled since birth. So, I rely on food stamps and Social Security to survive. I've been struggling. It's been really hard. I've literally been eating spaghetti for four days because it's all I have in my apartment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And frustration is settling in. One furloughed worker says that he's asking to defer bills, and just got another job to survive the shutdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL SCHARPENBURG, FURLOUGHED WORKER: I really felt like disrespected. Like the work we do doesn't matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And businesses relying on shoppers who use food stamps, those are struggling too, but they're still finding ways to help. Take this St. Louis grocer who is helping furloughed workers by giving them another $50 in food when they spend 50.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FATIMA MOHAMMED, GROCER: What's happening is hurting everybody's pocket. So, that's the thing. I can't just say, oh, I'm going to take a hit. We're all taking a hit. But the way we get past that is we all support each other and level up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And as always, community members are stepping up, organizations are hosting food drives and asking for donations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA FLAHERTY, FOUNDER, HARDCORE FOR HUMANITY: We should as humans and want to help other people. Want to -- you know, you never know what can happen tomorrow. You can lose your job. You know, the person next door can lose their job. You never know what's going to happen. So, just be humble.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And this father in Pennsylvania, he and his sons put just bins of food in their front yard, and they got a life-changing gift in return to pay it forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People want to help. If you give everyone opportunity to help, they will help. I just went out to fix things. People have been using it all night. I just looked at my mailbox -- are you kidding me?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Wow. CNN's Rene Marsh visited one mom in West Virginia who says sometimes she has to sacrifice her own meals so that her two young boys can have full plates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ONITA NORRIS, SNAP FOOD STAMPS RECIPIENT: At the top teeth, that's enough soap. I thought I heard something. Food is the last thing that we should have to be stressed out about.

RENE MARSH, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): In Martinsburg, West Virginia, mornings move fast for Onita Norris, a single mom juggling two toddlers, a dog, breakfast and a full-time job. The government shutdown has made life even harder, disrupting SNAP; the federal food assistance program she relies on to feed her kids.

[06:35:00]

NORRIS: It will be, you know, meatless meals and things that obviously you can stretch a lot longer. I work 40 hours a week. I work for the state, and I am on government assistance --

MARSH: Yes --

NORRIS: Because I am still not making ends meet unfortunately. It hurts because it's like I'm not -- I don't want to be on it, but I need it.

MARSH: Norris earns $2,800 a month.

NORRIS: Rent, for instance, $1,475.

MARSH: After paying bills, she's left with barely $100 for gas and anything else. SNAP, also known as food stamps, added $265 a month to her budget for food.

(on camera): What is the difference of having this $265 versus not?

NORRIS: Rather than myself having like a full plate of food along with my kids, I'm making sure that they have a full plate of food and their bellies are full. And I may have either less or I may not eat what they are eating just for the sake that they are getting enough.

MARSH: So, moms having to sometimes skip a meal or curb.

NORRIS: Yes. It feels like I'm failing them because I am trying. I'm trying to do all that I can. And of course, as a human, you get frustrated, and I never want my kids to see that or feel like I'm taking that out on them for something as simple as dinner.

LEIGH FLEMING, CCAP/LOAVES & FISHES FOOD PANTRY: Do you need a gallon of milk?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma'am.

FLEMING: OK.

MARSH (voice-over): We visited this food pantry in Berkeley County, a place that's voted for Donald Trump in every election he's been on the ballot. Nearly a quarter of the people here live below the poverty line. And now furloughed federal workers are lining up alongside families who rely on SNAP.

FLEMING: You could see how busy we are. Our waiting room is filled up. We doubled our typical weekly amount of households.

MARSH: A judge Thursday said the administration should resume paying the benefits in full. Friday morning, the Trump administration appealed that decision, but by Friday afternoon, the administration said it would pay states the full SNAP payments.

NORRIS: Mom is improvising because I don't want to -- I don't want to use up all of you all's milk.

MARSH: Families like Norris are now waiting for the balance to show up on their cards.

NORRIS: I just don't understand how we've come to a point where we're using food in politics and being essentially political pawns.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARSH: Victor, just when SNAP recipients will officially receive their funds really depends on what state they live in. Some states may need a bit more time, but some people could get their funds loaded into their accounts as soon as this weekend. Victor?

BLACKWELL: Rene Marsh, thank you very much. The Grammy nominations are in. Ahead, how this year's list is rewriting history. And remember, you can now stream this show in the U.S. right here from the CNN app and on cnn.com. To learn more, just visit cnn.com/watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:00]

BLACKWELL: The full list of Grammy nominees is out, and there is a lot to talk about. Sitting at the top of the list with the most nominations, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga and beyond the stars, there are a couple of notable changes this year, including new categories. Joining me now, entertainment journalist Segun Oduolowu.

Segun, thank you for being with me. So, let's go through some of these. Kendrick Lamar, nine. He's got record album, song of the year nominations. Lady Gaga, seven nominations, Bad Bunny, six. What stands out to you?

SEGUN ODUOLOWU, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Well, Victor, thank you for having me. The first thing that stands out is, I thought I was making a statement with this red sweater, but that plum suit is speaking to the morning audience. So, looking very good --

BLACKWELL: Thank you very much --

ODUOLOWU: For you, very well dressed. You know, kudos to your tailor. But what stands out to me is the usual suspects, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny. You know, you're going to see names like Chappell Roan in there, Justin Bieber is in there, like it's the same name. So, when you're looking for some diversity, and I mean diversity of thought, not just in the colors of the artist, but diversity of thought, it seems as if we're getting a lot of the same ground tread upon.

Now, I'm going to be wildly hypocritical in this -- in this segment, because they do honor like a Leon Thomas, and a few new artists, but it feels like a lot of the same.

BLACKWELL: Oh, so, let's talk about diversity, because the academy announced 3,800-plus new members in its voting class. And of those in the accepted class, 50 percent, 39 and under, 58 percent, people of color, 35 percent identify as women. You think that's reflected in the nominations, and who got the nod this year?

ODUOLOWU: No, I actually think it's reflected in the mistakes they made in the past. We've seen boycotts by artists who feel they've been snubbed by the Grammys. We felt that the voting has been closed and shrouded in secrecy.

[06:45:00]

So, these new voters, this new openness in how the voting process is taking place, and as you mentioned, the thousands of new voters, young, people of color, women, I think that's to make amends for the mistakes that they had made in previous Grammy award shows and Grammy awards not being given to the artists that actually deserve to win.

BLACKWELL: Segun, you know, the people who are upset about Bad Bunny doing the half-time show, they're going to have a rough February because you've got the Grammy ceremony where he's up for album, record and song of the year on one Sunday, then the following Sunday is half- time performance. This is a historic list of nominations for a Latin artist.

ODUOLOWU: Yes, I mean, those people are still realizing that Puerto Rico is part of the United States. So, the idea of him being un- American or an un-American choice is still, you know -- that still hasn't settled in. But album of the year, record of the year, song of the year for a Latin artist, and by Latin artist, this is not to say un-American. We're saying Latin, that he's speaking in Spanish --

BLACKWELL: Sure --

ODUOLOWU: So, if you're not a Bad Bunny fan, I'm sorry. That bus has already left the station, OK? That horse is out the stables. Bad Bunny is one of the biggest things in music behind only, you know, Tay-Tay. I mean, if you're only behind Taylor Swift on the streaming charts, everybody needs -- that doesn't like Bad Bunny, that's OK. There's hundreds of millions that do.

BLACKWELL: OK, Tay-Tay, there's that. I just want to point out for people wondering, where is the Taylor Swift nominations? The eligibility ended August 30th of this year. Her album was released October 3rd. So, that's why she's not nominated. "The Life of a Showgirl" is not eligible for this year. Last thing here, any big snubs you think?

ODUOLOWU: Well, not snubs. I want you to go back just a second to the -- to eligibility, because one of my favorite artists, Olivia Dean is nominated as best new artist. And this is where I get wildly hypocritical as I said before, where you praise the Grammys on one side for certain changes, but other things, they completely missed the mark.

Olivia Dean, my favorite song on her album -- is on her album that came out in 2023. She won a best artist award in Britain in 2024, and now she's up for best new artist in 2026 for the Grammy. That it does not make sense. So, judging art in its -- in its totality is a really weird practice, right? If you like Kendrick Lamar, maybe you don't like Drake.

If you like Jay-Z, maybe you don't like Nas, you like Taylor Swift, maybe Beyonce is not your thing. To rate and judge art, there's always going to feel -- be snubs, or there's always going to be an artist that we like, maybe --

BLACKWELL: Yes --

ODUOLOWU: Because of background or just our own listening preferences. So, I don't really deal in snubs. What I will say is that coming from Virginia, I'm all Clipse. Clipse all the way. I need them to win everything that they're up for. Those two brothers coming back together --

BLACKWELL: Yes --

ODUOLOWU: And all the Hip-Hop categories and songs of the year, I need the Clipse to rep Virginia like they did at the Vatic(ph) --

BLACKWELL: Including album of the year. Segun Oduolowu, thank you so much for being with me. Next, turning heartbreak into hope. How a former crime reporter is helping people in jail heal through the power of the written word. She's a CNN Hero's nominee. Her story is next.

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[06:50:00] BLACKWELL: Voting is happening right now for the 2025 CNN Hero of the

Year. Debra Des Vignes is a former crime reporter helping incarcerated people transform their lives through creative writing. It's given them the tools to reflect and grow and build brighter futures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBRA DES VIGNES, FORMER CRIME REPORTER: But when Sheriff SWAT team members arrived at the home, no one was found inside.

I was a television news reporter and I covered crime. I didn't really understand humanity as I should have as a young reporter in my early 20s. It wasn't until much later that the faces had stories and had names. I decided to volunteer in a prison because I was always inquisitive and curious about their stories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is one more reminder that inmates had no --

DES VIGNES: I saw the raw talent, and that's what led me to create this 12-week creative writing curriculum.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was convicted of dealing in a narcotic and dealing marijuana. I pretty much grew up on the streets. I lost my mother and my father, my sister and my brother, and came to a cross- roads and had to make a decision whether I was going to use that as fuel to do better.

DES VIGNES: Thank you for sharing that. Yes, I know that was heartfelt. We never excuse what they've done. In fact, a lot of them write about their remorse. We're just giving them a sacred space where they can let their shoulders down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eventually, though, I began to confront my grief with a clear mind and an open heart, accepting the fact that no matter what I did or who I hurt, nothing was going to bring my brother back from the dead.

I look forward to my Friday afternoons more than most days. People just let their souls bleed out of their pens onto that paper. And for two hours a day, everyone can just truly be themselves, and we're like a small-knit family here. I plan on going to college and majoring in psychology when I get out, so, I feel like this is a huge step towards them.

[06:55:00]

DES VIGNES: It's going to make me tear up. We'll end on that one. That was really powerful.

Some people would think it's a lock them up and throw away the key, if a lot of these prisoners are going to be released, then why not use writing as a tool to become better in the space that you're in?

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLACKWELL: Go to cnn.com/heroes to vote for Debra for CNN Hero of the Year, or any of your favorite top five heroes. You get ten votes per day. And watch the back-to-back episode finale of CNN's original series "TONY SHALHOUB BREAKING BREAD" tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, right here on CNN and the next day on the CNN app.

There is much more ahead on the next hour of CNN THIS MORNING WEEKEND including the U.S. Senate returns to work today. It's part of the ongoing effort to end the government shutdown.

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