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CNN This Morning

Isaias Soaking Southeast After Smashing Into Gulf Coast; Florida Officials: Too Dangerous To Assess Full Scope Of Damage; Protests In New York After ICE Shoots At Man In Car With 5-Year-Old; DHS: New York ICE Shooting Justified, Suspect "Threat" To Community; Higher Diesel Costs Threaten Freight And Consumer Prices; Trump Fumes Over Nobel Peace Prize. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired October 10, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: It is Saturday, October 10. Welcome to a new hour of CNN THIS MORNING. I'm Sara Sidner. Victor Blackwell is out this morning.

We begin with the latest on post-tropical storm Isaias as it drenches the southeast. It made landfall in Florida's Panhandle as a category two hurricane. We learned moments ago from an Escambia County official that there is so far one fatality in the Pensacola area.

Now, while the worst of the storm has passed, the storm is still strong enough to cause problems as it travels inland. Right now, crews are out assessing the aftermath of the first major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. since Milton two years ago. As we speak, more than three -- 830,000 customers are without power across the Southeast as Isaias continues to push inland.

Now, residents in Florida, already working to clear roads and fallen trees and debris as floodwaters recede. All hurricane warnings have been lifted. But there are still high winds and flash flood warnings, and flood watches for parts of Northern Alabama and Georgia as the storm moves there.

As the hurricane made landfall, winds got up to 105 miles per hour, tearing a roof off this hotel in Pensacola. Look at that. You can see it being just ripped to shreds. Debris scattering all over the place. One of the hotel guests described the moment it all happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STORM MCCREE, HOTEL GUEST: Yes, it ripped the roof off and everything almost immediately. So as soon as it picked up, everything just came apart. I don't even know how to describe it.

So, you know, I've been in a lot of storms and the howling and the whistling and stuff like that, you know, the normal attributes you get with the hurricane. But this had like a growl to it. It almost had like a roar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Rafael? CNN has a team of reporters fanned out across the Southeast covering this storm. We've got Ryan Young, who is in Montgomery, Alabama, Rafael Romo in Pensacola, Florida, and Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is tracking the storm in the CNN Weather Center.

Ryan, the storm is heading in that direction. What are the conditions this morning? Are you seeing any changes?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sara, you know, the -- first things first. We did an initial assessment of the day. And so far, it's just a light drizzle, which is good news for the folks in this area.

But they're still concerned about the lingering effects of this. They almost got a month's worth of rain in 24 hours. So you understand what they're concerned about when it comes to the ground and trees falling and maybe creating more power outages.

I want to walk you this direction because, as we did our initial assessment, you can see all the power crews that have been mobilized into this area. One of my cousins is actually a linesman, and he was telling me they moved them from Florida to Alabama to help things out.

Over 700,000 people between the two states without power right now. These crews right now, as you see them sitting here, will be getting their orders in the next few hours to go out and help do the assessment and also make sure they reestablish power for people who have lost power all across the state. You got to think, on top of that, there's a lot of people who are mobilizing throughout the state to be ready for the football game later on this afternoon.

That is going, of course, happen. But there's been a large conversation about what will happen in the first morning hours when some of these trees could fall because of the impact of the heavy rainfall. We also will be checking in with the EOC across the state to figure out exactly what's going on when it comes to their assessments.

[07:05:08]

We haven't had first light yet. And that's what we know when the critical moments are, when people start going out and those downed power lines; sometimes they encounter them. That could create issues. And that's what we continue to pay attention to.

The good news so far, Sara, power is in this area. And for most of the state, it seems like it's been pretty consistent. Hopefully, people will stay -- (AUDIO GAP) this morning. Sara.

SIDNER: Yes, looks like Alabama fared pretty well. And we're just looking at the radar there. It looks like the storm is past Montgomery at this point. Ryan Young, thank you so much reporting for us there. Let's go to CNN National Correspondent Rafael Romo. He is in Pensacola Beach. And, you know, look, the Panhandle seems to have gotten the brunt of this, Rafael. What are you seeing this morning?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it sure did, Sara. Good morning. We were standing in the middle of it last night. And let me tell you, those winds were really pummeling us.

First of all, let me share with you some bad news. Escambia County has confirmed that there's been one fatality as a result of Isaias here in this part of the country. And many, many people still without power. I wanted to show you some of the damage that we have been able to see in this part of Pensacola.

As you can see, there's a heavy wooden wall right here behind me that was knocked down by the winds overnight. Take a look at this beam. It's a very heavy piece of wood that was torn off the ground by the wind.

We have also seen a lot of standing water in different parts of the city, and we reached out to Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves. And he told us that the problem here are many downed trees, power lines -- one danger. And one reason why he's telling people here not to try to -- stay home for the time being is that there are many downed power lines that are blocking roads. And so the crews are right now working on making sure that the roads are clear.

Something else that the mayor told us is that the initial estimate of people without power -- he said 103,000 households initially without power. But crews are already working. And I can tell you here where we are, power is back on.

Again, a lot of standing water, a lot of air units that were downed by the -- by the strong winds. But when you consider the whole situation, not as bad as it could have been, Sara. Now back to you.

SIDNER: Rafael Romo, thank you so much. And we should mention we'll be speaking with the mayor of Pensacola in the next hour to give us an assessment of what has happened there to his city. Now, let's go straight to CNN's Allison Chinchar. Allison, I was looking at -- I am no meteorologist, so I just didn't make that clear.

But I was looking at the path of this as Ryan was standing in Montgomery. And it looks like it sort of passed through there. What are the remnants, what's left of the storm, and what is the threat that it's posing?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. So an interesting threat will be is yes, based off the radar, it's really kind of clearing out here. But what's the interesting threat is that means if we get some sunshine out there later on this morning and into the afternoon, that will in turn help fuel more showers and thunderstorms in the latter half of the day. And not just for Montgomery, for areas of Georgia, the Carolinas as well.

So this is really -- if you think about it -- the first full wave of moisture that's going to roll through a lot of these areas. The heaviest rain now stretching from Georgia and Alabama, pushing into Tennessee. This is going to be the case throughout much of the morning.

You're going to go back and forth between heavy rain and light rain, heavy rain and light rain. The power outages, especially the high-end power outages, most of those are really focused closer to where the storm made landfall. But you're starting to see more of the northern counties begin to tick back up.

So we are still seeing the wind be in impact for a lot of these areas. And you take a look at this map. These are the wind alerts. So I want to emphasize you have a ton of places that are under wind advisories, extreme wind warnings, or high wind warnings.

So again, most of these areas you're looking at wind gusts around 50 to 60 miles per hour. When the ground is saturated with all of the rain, some of these areas are expected to get. It does not take all that much to bring down some trees and subsequently some power out -- power lines as well.

One thing to note: most of the trees in these areas still have their entire full canopy on them. And so what that means is they -- it causes a little bit more drag, which means it's almost easier to bring the trees down when you have very strong winds than if perhaps these trees didn't have any of their leaves left on them. Now, one thing to note: we do still have one flash flood warning right now in portions of Georgia.

We've had off and on anywhere from one to maybe six or seven of them at a time. This is going to continue to ebb and flow throughout the day, as well as the heavy rain bands shift from one area to another. There is still the potential for some severe thunderstorms.

We're talking those damaging wind gusts up around 60 to 70 miles per hour. And perhaps even a couple of tornadoes. That's mostly going to be on the eastern flank of the area. So basically, Georgia into the Carolinas as we head into the latter half of the day and the evening.

[07:10:03]

SIDNER: Allison Chinchar, it is a pleasure. Thank you so much for walking through that for us.

We're also following these headlines this morning. Several people are dead after a mass shooting in Erie, Pennsylvania. Our affiliate WSEE reporting that nine people, including two children, are among the dead. We have not been able to independently confirm that number just yet.

But according to witnesses, the suspect was seen firing a -- firing a weapon before entering a house Friday night. A SWAT team arrived and tried to get the man to surrender, but more shots were heard coming from inside that home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICK LORAH, CHIEF, ERIE POLICE: Our hearts are with the victims, their families and everyone affected by this tragedy. There are no words that can be adequately expressed the magnitude of the loss of life here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Authorities say the suspected shooter died of an apparent self-inflicted wound -- gunshot. The identities of the victims not yet been released. And there's no idea on why exactly the shooter did this.

All right. A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Southern Panama on Friday, causing some damage. You can see it there. And some minor injuries as well. The quake's epicenter was in a deep -- very sparsely populated area, about 124 miles from Panama City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

When the quake hit, thousands were forced into the streets for safety. And take a look at this picture, because this will tell you why a local television program was live on the air when the quake hit. Watch what happens here.

The host end up having to run for cover. You can see the whole place just shaking. The television in the background shakes and the overhead lights also moving furiously. Watch it here. Really scary stuff there.

All right. President Trump is calling on the Supreme Court to revive his lawsuit against Hillary Clinton. The complaint against Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, and dozens of others claims that they conspired against him in 2016 during his presidential campaign. The suit was dismissed by a federal judge -- district -- for being just frivolous. And the court of appeals upheld that decision in 2025. The High Court will likely decide whether to hear this case before the end of the year.

All right. Ahead on CNN THIS MORNING. As daylight comes up, we will now begin to see more and more of the aftermath of Hurricane Isaias. We'll talk live with Florida's lieutenant governor about what recovery looks like in the Panhandle, where you are seeing some flooding there.

Another story we're following. The New York shooting involving ICE agents. More protests planned today after agents shot an undocumented man with his young son in the car. Where the investigation goes from here?

And later, diesel prices are putting the squeeze on American truckers, with some even deciding to call it quits. How this will likely impact your wallet as well.

And as we go to break, here's a live look at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, busiest airport ever, where there is now a high wind warning as remnants of the storm moves through. But so far, we're seeing flights are being able to land and take off. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:18:02]

SIDNER: All right. Florida's Panhandle hit hard by Hurricane Isaias. The storm made landfall as a category two storm. It landed in and around Destin. Isaias brought with it fierce winds of 100 miles per hour sustained. Some communities in the Panhandle will be waking up to flooded streets, no electricity, and downed trees. At this hour, power outages are climbing. They're approaching 430,000 there, according to PowerOutage.us.

Joining us now is Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins. Thank you so much for being here. It is early, early, early. I know you're working hard as you have to deal with the remnants of the storm.

Just give us some sense of the assessment so far. I know that the light is just starting to peek there in Florida. But what are you seeing -- hearing from crews who are out this morning about the damage that was potentially caused?

JAY COLLINS, REPUBLICAN LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, FLORIDA: Well, there's a few things that are interesting about this storm. One, it hit like a freight train. It's like a Mike Tyson punch. Really hard, really fast.

And as it came to landfall, it became more diffuse. So you saw it slow down and start to curve off to the north and to the right there. And that probably was very good for us overall.

We have road crews out. They've been out since 3:00 a.m. We have rescue crews out. You know, ongoing rescue operations are there. We do not have updated information. We're waiting for that to consolidate as we get further into daylight hours.

What I'll tell you is we are very blessed to have those people out there from FDOT, from the different counties, from our state guard, putting their neck on the line, rescuing people, and doing all they can. You mentioned the power: over 430,000 people. And I'm sure that number is going to continue to escalate throughout the next few hours before it starts dropping down.

But we have a plan in place. We have over 16,000 utility workers and vehicles in place. 5000 National Guard on standby, our 400 state guard, of course. Over 1000 generators. 260 pieces of heavy equipment.

And of course, all the food and water and EMRS and everything else that we need to help keep our people moving for the next few days. Very proud of what our state has done. And as always, we stand here with our counties and cities willing and ready to serve.

[07:20:24]

SIDNER: Do you have a sense of the timing for sort of trying to restore power, as obviously, we were hearing from Escambia County officials that there's a real issue with trees down because they said was more of a wind event than a -- than a flooding event. Give us some sense of maybe timing here for those who are without power at this hour.

COLLINS: Yes. So the first step in this is you've got to go clear the roadways. Because to your point, this was a huge winter -- wind event, right, because of the velocity of the storm. When it came through, there are a lot of these small trees, these pine trees -- they went down.

They fell across roads. They fell across power lines. And you can't go fix those if you can't get to them. You've got to make the scene safe. So that's why FDOT and our rescue crews and people like that are out there doing that yeoman's work. You'll start seeing as the lights -- as the sun comes up and we can see a little bit more clearly power teams, utility workers from all across the country really, coming down, bring that power online.

So as the sun starts to come up and we can see a little bit more clearly, I think you'll start seeing really good news across the state in terms of getting power back on, you know. But that also is going to bring, you know, major damage potentially in some areas. I know I was talking to our sheriffs late last night from Escambia all the way across the Big Bend.

And there were some pretty severe power outages. Certainly some communication concerns with towers and different things going down. So they were all struggling in the middle of this.

This is an ongoing storm. You know, I -- my thoughts and prayers are going out for the people in North Carolina and beyond. But the fact is, here in Florida, we're still not out of the -- out of the thick of this, you know. Ground saturation is going to make these root balls, especially in palm trees, pine trees, that have a very shallow root base.

SIDNER: Yes.

COLLINS: It makes that more at risk for falling. Secondary issues -- secondary flooding. If we didn't learn anything else from Helene and Milton, we should have learned that the secondary and tertiary flooding is very possible as the water tables stay up at a high level. And the secondary rain that comes in post-storm is also another critical tool that's going to drive more damage in the community.

Unfortunately, you know, I would love to say we won't see that, but I do expect you'll have some of that right now. So our word to our people is stay at home, stay safe, do not go out there and try to disrupt or interrupt or go help with the power crews. I know it's well-intended. Please don't do it.

Don't follow our search and rescue people. Let them do their job. And as you see our law enforcement out there, please do not inundate them.

If they're out there driving to get to some place, it's because they're on a mission to go do something, save somebody, or make a difference in the community. Please give them a wide berth. Let them do their job. And please, let's keep them safe. SIDNER: Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, thank you for running through that, giving people advice on what not to do after a storm, because we know that there can be injuries and often are, after a storm. Do appreciate you coming on this morning, and good luck to you.

COLLINS: Thank you. God bless.

SIDNER: All right. Coming up next. Thank you. A deal with Russia to drive down diesel prices. President Trump surprising folks turning to Russian fuel. But experts question how much relief it's really going to bring. And there is also some major reaction from Ukraine on all this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:28:21]

SIDNER: We are continuing to follow the latest from post-Tropical Storm Isaias as it moves across the southwest. Flash flood, isolated tornadoes, maybe even -- and some strong winds still threatening this morning as the remnants of Hurricane Isaias moves through Northern Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Power outages are major concern as more than 870,000 customers at this moment are in the dark. More than 400,000 are just in Florida.

All right, now to New York. Outrage, big demonstrations yesterday in New York City after ICE fired several shots targeting a man in his vehicle with his 5-year-old child inside the car. The shooting happened Thursday afternoon. It was also in an area near a school in densely populated Bronx.

The NYPD released dramatic new video yesterday, which federal officials claim backs up their work and says the shooting was justified. The driver, identified as an undocumented resident named Oscar Belgal, suffered a minor injury to the neck. Federal officers say he was -- has a criminal history and is affiliated with the gang. Federal authorities say two ICE agents were also injured in all this.

CNN's Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem, joining me now to discuss what happens next. I do want to talk to you first about this video that came out, where you can see an officer kind of running up to the car, but he's in plain clothes. And it does beg the question from a lot of people is whether or not that Oscar Belgal, the suspect inside the car, knew it was an officer or someone else. What did you see in this video?

[07:30:03]

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: I saw the same thing. and I think this is the challenge right now is because of the way the ICE officials are dressed. One of them appears to be in a construction workers outfit.

(CROSSTALK)

SIDNER: That's right.

KAYYEM: It is not at all clear whether, you know --

It's not all clear who they were when they're approaching the car. I'm not defending the reaction, but just not at all clear who they were.

And I have to tell you, when the police come up, that second video, when they come up, I'm looking at it from the police perspective because of the body cam the police officer is wearing. I can't tell who is a law enforcement official in that in that pool of people surrounding the car.

So, this is why responsible law enforcement always has identifiable uniforms, as well as identification. Not just so that people will obey, because most people do, but because you wouldn't have a confusing situation like this.

So, that's what starts it, and then, of course, we really can't see -- at this stage, we cannot see whether the car was being used as a weapon. That is what DHS is alleging. But I haven't seen a video that actually shows that yet.

SIDNER: Yes, let's listen to what DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin actually said about this individual and this incident?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARKWAYNE MULLIN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: This individual is a threat to our community. As you heard, we had a detainer on him. He was on probation.

He also was known to be affiliated with a gang that was associated with shooting a CBP officer last year.

In this particular case, we had taken all precautions to keep him from fleeing. He went ahead and fled because of the safety. We escalated, or because of his escalation, we had to use force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Look, they are making the case that he has a criminal history. That they actually said they tried to detain him in September and were unsuccessful. So, he knew that the -- that ICE was looking for him.

But it does beg the question: in a very densely populated area, shooting at a -- at a vehicle that is -- that is driving away, or at least trying to flee, is that normal law enforcement policy?

KAYYEM: Yes. Yes. No. And I want to just be clear, no one is questioning whether the Department of Homeland Security felt that they had probable cause to arrest him, because we simply don't know.

Secretary Mullin's statement has a lot of caveats. He is said to be a member of a gang that's alleged to have caused harm. That's a lot of caveats. But even giving the secretary the benefit of the doubt, that's unresponsive to the rules of engagement that we want any federal law -- any law enforcement agency actually to conduct in an urban area.

Most state, local, and other federal law enforcement agencies basically have a prohibition on shooting into a moving car.

Giving even the scenario that the secretary gives, there is no way this car was moving faster than five miles per hour, seven miles per hour. We -- it wasn't on a -- on a -- on a freeway. It was in a crowded residential area. They could have put a stop at the end of the block. There is all sorts of alternatives to shooting.

And I think that the -- I think that the lack of preparation by ICE about how this would unfold is evidenced by them shooting into a car that they now say they did not know that there was a 5-year-old in.

I mean, that seems to me, if you are actually going after someone because they are validly -- you are authorized to do so, you would certainly know whether they had a 5-year-old in the car at that moment.

This seemed to me a hurried raid, one that was not planned out. And I will say, thank goodness there was no friendly fire. Once again, as you look at it from the perspective of the NYPD, not at all clear to me that those people holding guns are law enforcement.

So, the secretary needs to clean up the rules of engagement by ICE, even if you disagree with how they -- how they are -- who they are going after. But even if he was an appropriate arrest and deportation, this is not how we conduct legitimate law enforcement in any -- in any city, blue, red, or otherwise.

SIDNER: Let me ask you one more thing about this, which I thought was quite interesting during the press conference. You had the DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin saying that they had contacted Mayor Mamdani about this and said that the mayor demanded that they release the suspect, and they responded by saying, well, we are releasing him to NYPD custody.

[07:35:09]

We have not heard from the NYPD as to whether, you know, what they have said and or the mayor's office in response to that. But is that -- would that be unusual, because usually, you know, ICE is a federal agency, and usually they take people in and don't necessarily involve the locals, especially at this time with what is happening with these cities?

Give me some sense if you thought that was unusual.

KAYYEM: Yes, it is. Right now, I was just looking this morning. It's absolutely unclear under what theory of the case he is now being detained. If the secretary was being honest about what prompted the attempt to detain him, because the secretary would have us believe that this was pre-planned, that this wasn't, you know, just a lot of agents going after someone in a car.

They would have had already the probable cause to detain him in federal immigration facility. The move to the NYPD, and there was some reporting that he may actually be in New Jersey at this stage is not typical of a federal immigration detention. It's more typical of a of a crime. And we'll just have to see whether they can keep him held under any charges at this stage.

So, it is -- it is not consistent with the -- with the theory of the detention that the -- that the secretary said at the same press conference. It was an inconsistent series of actions that the secretary was relating.

SIDNER: It is so good to have you here, Juliette Kayyem, to sort of sort out all of these things with your expertise. Really do appreciate it. Thank you so much for getting up real early for us on this Saturday morning.

All right. No Nobel for President Trump. His fiery response after the peace prize he long has coveted goes to someone else.

And as we go to break, here is a live look at Orange Beach, Alabama. Looks beautiful out there. Sun starting to peek through the clouds, but everybody watching and waiting to see what's happening with the remnants of Hurricane Isaias.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:42:00]

SIDNER: All right, in a surprise move, the Trump administration has cut a deal with Russia on diesel exports in an attempt to lower prices ahead of the midterm elections here. President Trump announced it on Friday after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But experts don't appear to have much faith it will actually do what he is saying and do much anyway to lower the cost of diesel.

Our Natasha Chen spoke to the co-owners of a California trucking company, who say relief cannot come soon enough, though.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JORGE DIAZ, CO OWNER, J.D. AND L.A. TRUCKING: We are going to need reinforcements.

ANGEL DIAZ, CO OWNER, J.D. AND L.A. TRUCKING: OK.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Angel and Jorge Diaz can tell the price of groceries around the country are about to go up.

CHEN: Like, potentially, frozen chicken or frozen turkey.

A. DIAZ: Yes, yes.

CHEN (voice over): The brothers co-own J.D. and L.A. Trucking near the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. They took over the family business when their father passed away. They have got 20 trucks hauling goods from the two largest and busiest ports in the U.S. A lot of it is perishable and needing refrigeration, which takes more diesel.

A. DIAZ: Earlier this year, it was $5.15. Today, I checked it here locally, it's at around $8.30.

CHEN (voice over): Diaz took me along to fill up one of their trucks as the price of diesel hit a new record.

A. DIAZ: We are only at 18 gallons and we're already $150.

CHEN: I mean, it's not necessarily double what you are paying last year, or is it?

A. DIAZ: It's close to.

So, if we would have topped off, we would have spent about $1,600.

CHEN: What?

A. DIAZ: Yes.

CHEN (voice over): $1600 to fill up one truck. Each truck needs to fill up once or twice a week, and if their whole fleet runs at capacity, that's up to a quarter million dollars a month.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The typical trucker will save over $100 every time they fill up.

CHEN (voice over): And President Trump's recent executive order aimed at lowering diesel prices likely isn't going to help them. The order temporarily lets truckers use a type of cheaper diesel called red dye diesel on highways instead of just off road. But each state makes its own rules about where red dye die diesel can be used and how it's taxed, and California still has restrictions on it.

A. DIAZ: Unfortunately, it looks like we are in it for the long run, and that's the scary part.

CHEN (voice over): There is still a crude oil supply problem, but more recently, a diesel production bottleneck, because major refineries in the Middle East and Russia have been damaged by wars involving Iran and Ukraine. Trucking companies have to decide how much of the increase to pass along to their clients, who then decide how much to pass along to their consumers, like Lidia Sanchez.

LIDIA SANCHEZ, SHOPPER: We are the ones who are going to pay, you know. If we want to eat -- whatever we want to eat, we have to pay. It has to come out of our pocket.

CHEN (voice over): Sanchez has already cut down how much beef she buys, and Angelica Vasquez has taken on a second job.

ANGELICA VASQUEZ, SHOPPER: We just try to survive, and it's really hard, especially, for the gas. I hope the president gets more smart. TRUMP: The gas will go down as soon as the war is over, it will drop like a rock.

CHEN (voice over): The Food Industry Association says it takes 30 to 45 days for a spike in diesel prices to trickle down to prices in grocery stores.

[07:45:02]

But Rolando Pozos is trying hard not to raise prices at all. He's the CEO of Amapola Market, a small chain of Mexican grocery stores in Southern California.

ROLANDO POZOS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMAPOLA MARKET: We can see how our suppliers start adjusting prices, and they put you that surcharge that we all love to see. The fuel surcharge and it's definitely hard to swallow.

CHEN (voice over): Both Amapola and J.D. and L.A. Trucking are family- owned businesses, who have served their communities for decades.

A. DIAZ: It's going to get to the point where is this even worth? Is it worth operating?

CHEN: What would your dad say?

A. DIAZ: He would say that we have made it through worse, and that we are going to make it through this one.

CHEN (voice over): Natasha Chen, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: Thank you to our Natasha Chen for that really important story.

All right, President Trump has canceled plans to attend tonight's Alabama-Georgia football game in Tuscaloosa because of the remnants of Hurricane Isaias. He still plans to headline a rally, though, today in Tennessee, where early voting begins in four days. It will be his second visit to the state in two weeks.

Last night, he was in Syracuse, New York. The president lashed out at New York City and state leaders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They are corrupt, incompetent. The city and state are dirty, filthy places. We are losing our tax base, and everybody wants to leave. This is not the state that I remember 10 years ago when I went to Washington, D.C. to be your president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: The president also aired a familiar grievance at his Syracuse rally, lashing out at the Nobel Committee for failing once again to award him their Peace Prize, despite the fact that he started a war. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The United States of America, represented by me as your president, should have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn't.

This is an indelible stain on the country of Norway and those people that made such a disgraceful and embarrassing decision?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Also, President Trump has named Katie Zacharia as his next White House press secretary. She is a conservative commentator who has appeared on Newsmax, Fox News, and at times on CNN. She briefly worked for the Department of Homeland Security, and then served as a senior communications advisor for Trump Media and Truth Social. She starts on Monday.

All right. We have got some sports for you next. This was exciting. The WNBA Finals are set with Golden State and Atlanta playing for their first title. How both teams wrapped up the conference finals, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:52:14]

SIDNER: All right. Now, to sports and college football, Georgia and Alabama set to kick off later tonight in Tuscaloosa, not thwarted by what's left of Hurricane Isaias.

And you have got a dream come true for an angel in the WNBA. Carolyn Manno joining me now with the very latest.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sara.

There have been no announced plans to move kickoff for the game. Like you mentioned, Alabama said they are monitoring the weather. They are going to proceed as planned. Both teams are at five and 0. This is a top-tier matchup that carries college football playoff implications right at the midway point of the regular season, as you know.

So, the wet conditions could be a factor tonight, but both teams are ready and just loaded on both sides of the ball.

Georgia averaging a country best 51 points per game right now, right alongside an Alabama offense, putting up 49 points per game of their own, and both are giving up fewer than 80 rushing yards per game. So, this one also features a pair of dynamic quarterbacks: Georgia's Gunner Stockton, Bama's sophomore sensation Keelon Russell.

Alabama leading the all-time series. They have had the upper hand for decades, particularly, during the Knicks' Sabonis (PH) era. But Georgia had the last lap in the most recent meeting, a win in last December's SEC Championship. So, both are primed and ready to go tonight. Last night featured a pair of dramatic WNBA semifinal Game Three matchups that punched tickets to the finals. Angel Reese leading the charge for the dream. They went into Barclays Center. They finished off a sweep of the Liberty to advance to their first final since 2013.

Reese ending the night with 22 points and nine boards. New York's Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, did everything they could to keep New York alive. There is such talented players scoring 26 apiece, but Atlanta holding on down the stretch to seal it and move on. 85-83, the final.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGEL REESE, FORWARD, ATLANTA DREAM: I manifested this. When I came to Atlanta, I knew what I was getting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We go to the final! We go to the final!

REESE: This team has poured so much into me. We poured so much to each other.

We poured so much into each other, and I'm just so thankful.

Atlanta, I can't wait to see you in The Finals!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: And in just their second franchise season, the Valkyries, completing a stunning sweep of the Aces in overtime to earn their first Finals berth. Golden State trailing by nine at the break after a stellar first half from Chelsea Gray. But the Valkyries using this massive 17-0 run in the third quarter to get back in this game and then tying it at the end of regulation, and dominating the extra session, outscoring Vegas 16 to six in overtime.

Atlanta and Golden State now facing off, Sara, in the best of seven finals, beginning on October 17th, and it's fun to see new teams making their way to this stage, introducing us to the young stars who have carried this league over the entire season. Back to you.

SIDNER: It is fun. Although, here in New York, the Liberty still queens.

[07:55:02]

MANNO: Yes.

SIDNER: But they have won a championship, so, they are happy with that. But they would like to have seen another one.

MANNO: Thant's right.

SIDNER: Thank you so much, Carolyn Manno. Appreciate it.

Next, in a new hour of CNN News THIS MORNING, more from the southeast dealing with the aftermath of now post-tropical Isaias. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will have a news conference at the top of the hour.

Pensacola is where this storm hit the hardest. We were going to bring that to you live. You are looking at a live picture just before that press conference in the room there. And on the right, you are seeing the destruction caused by Hurricane Isaias as it came through the Florida Panhandle.

Here is a live look downtown now. Let's go to Mobile, Alabama. We will be right back.

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