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CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Headlines: 1,100+ Dead, 4,500+ Missing In Catastrophic Nepal-China Floods; No Verdict After Day 4 Of Deliberations In Lindsay Clancy Triple Murder Trial; Judge Decides Charlie Kirk's Alleged Killer Will Stand Trial. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired September 02, 2026 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:30:35]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It's half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
The U.S. strikes on Iran Tuesday prompted Tehran to attack Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait overnight in defiance of President Trump's warning to hit back much harder. Iranian state media is reporting several dead after a U.S. strike hit a wedding in southern Iran, and Kuwaiti officials report damage to a residential building in that U.S. ally.
Also, golf legend Tiger Woods is expected in a Florida courtroom today for a change of plea hearing. Court records show that it comes five months after his rollover crash led to DUI charges. It is unclear how Woods may change his plea or if he has reached a plea deal with prosecutors. He previously pleaded not guilty. Woods' attorney declined to comment to CNN.
And the death toll in the catastrophic flooding disaster along the Nepali-Chinese border is now topping 1,100 people with more than 4,500 still missing. Some areas are still remaining out of reach a week later.
CNN's Anderson Cooper is in Nepal with this update.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, "ANDERSON COOPER 360" (voiceover): It's been one week since disaster struck and in Trishuli this is the end of the road. Once a bustling market, now soggy and cement-soaked, it looks like a wasteland. The river is running fast; the water is still high. Residents and visitors stand and stare.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This water source has been a life for people living here. And by that, I mean they've been living here for generations and generations.
COOPER: Looking at the water today, does it look different to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it does. COOPER: In what way?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Um, well, it makes me sad. It makes me sad and emotional as well because this is one of the sacred water resources that we have. And, you know, when you mourn for somebody in your family, once they have died, people go off across this river and then they do all the rituals over there. So this is kind of like a holy river cross.
COOPER (voiceover): Buddhist monks came from Kathmandu to pray and offer blessings.
Traffic snarls on broken roads. A jack-knifed truck is hardly noticed.
A local school bus driver Chhiring Tamang saved the lives of some 50 children, picking them up just before their school was destroyed and crossing a bridge before it was washed away.
CHHIRING TAMANG, SCHOOL BUS DRIVER WHO SAVED CHILDREN: (through translator): After two minutes after me crossing the bridge the flood came on my side. Kids started screaming after seeing the flood.
(Kids screaming)
There was shouting. One kid fainted inside the bus. They were asking me to drive faster. On the road, there were people running like ants to save their lives. After I drove uphill, I could see the flood out really ahead of me. I reached the higher location, and I felt safe with the kids. I took a long breath and then I continued my duty of dropping the kids, came back, and parked the bus at the police station.
COOPER (voiceover): I asked him what it feels like to be a hero.
TAMANG (through translator): It's a sad time for me. I have lost my nephew. He was working in the same school. I'm very said that my nephew is dead.
My nephew called me before I crossed the bridge. This was right I informed the principal regarding the flood. He told me, "Uncle, where are you? There's a flood coming in the river."
He was a helper at the school. He informed me to not go to the school. He lives in the same school which is family. He had a daughter and his wife is disabled. They are safe now. They have nothing left as my nephew was the only breadwinner of the family.
COOPER (voiceover): Later, he showed us a photo of his nephew. His name was Trudan Lama (PH).
There are many heroes here but even they have heavy hearts.
Anderson Cooper, CNN, Trishuli.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Anderson, for bringing us their stories.
[05:35:00]
Now to the latest on the flash floods that swept through the Grand Canyon. This morning we know one person is still missing. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing for 53-year-old Timothy Allen Smith. He was with Brent Rosenkranz and Dr. John Giusti of Granbury, Texas who both died when the flood hit on Saturday. Now, the trio were in the park fulfilling a lifelong dream to explore the Grand Canyon together. The families say that they are profoundly grateful for the outpouring of prayers, concern and support.
The storm unleashed torrents of rock and mud, washed out bridges and campgrounds, and sent people running for their lives.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has officially docked in Thailand after spending more than eight months at sea. This is the aircraft carrier's first port of call ending a marathon stint in the Middle East. Its record-setting deployment, in fact -- it raised concerns about the crew's well-being. CNN has previously reported that it led to moral issues amid supply shortages and at least one possible suicide attempt among the crew of 5,000.
President Trump dismissed concerns about the lengthy time at sea, saying it was "not nearly long enough."
New details out of Massachusetts. Jurors wrapping up day four of deliberations without a verdict in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial as we wait see not when but if they can reach a unanimous decision. The judge ordered jurors to continue deliberating on Tuesday after they said that they were unable to agree on a verdict. And they are currently working to determine whether the 36-year-old mother is criminally responsible for the 2023 deaths of her three young children or if he actions were driven by mental illness.
CNN's Jean Casarez has more from outside of the courthouse.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On Tuesday morning the jury had been deliberating for about 45 minutes when Judge Sullivan, in open court, made the announcement that the jury had a note.
As jurors filed in, our producer in the courtroom noted that a female juror was looking at the defense table and the defendant, and then the prosecution table. One male juror was rubbing his face with his hands.
The judge proceeded to read that note and to talk to the jurors, saying, "I understand you cannot reach a verdict." Let's listen to that moment in court when Judge Sullivan addressed the deliberating jury.
JUDGE WILLIAM SULLIVAN, PRESIDING OVER CLANCY TRIAL: Members of the jury, I've got your question and the question is: After many hours of deliberation, we are unable to come to a unanimous decision. Uh, I brought you back out because I know that this was a long trial,
all right. I know there were over 80 witnesses, there were over 300 exhibits, and -- but because of that, I'm going to ask you to go back out keeping in mind all the instructions that I gave you to go out and to continue your deliberations at this time, all right? And so with that, I'm going to ask you to go back out. Like I said, keep in mind the instructions I gave you, reviewing the evidence, and I'd ask you to resume your deliberations at this time.
CASAREZ: At that point the jurors were excused. They went back to the deliberating room. They deliberated for the rest of the day. There was not another note. There was no communication that we know of from that jury. But they did ask to leave at 3:30 in the afternoon, which was a bit earlier than yesterday and actually one hour earlier than they can deliberate.
In Plymouth County, I'm Jean Casarez for CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Jean.
The man accused of killing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk is headed to trial. A Utah judge ruled that there is enough evidence for the murder case against Tyler Robinson to move forward after a lengthy preliminary hearing. Robinson is charged with murder and several other felonies in connection with Kirk's assassination nearly a year ago.
His attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf after the decision. If convicted, prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.
Charlie Kirk's family said in a statement to CNN that the decision by the judge is an important step in the pursuit of justice. Both Erika Kirk and her mother-in-law were visibly emotional and appeared to comfort each other in court as prosecutors made their closing arguments in the preliminary hearing.
Well, new this morning, school will begin today in Seattle. This is after a teachers' strike was averted. Their union reached a tentative agreement with the school district overnight. They were trying to replace a contract that had expired on Monday. Negotiations had been going on all summer.
[05:40:00]
All right. Now, a warning for you. This next story may be disturbing to watch. Authorities are searching for a motorcyclist involved in this astonishing collision in Colombia. A surveillance camera captured the man crashing into a bus and falling inside of it before getting up and leaving the scene. He reportedly ran a red light and hit the bus at a very high speed, as you could see. He was not wearing a helmet.
Now here is the view from inside the bus which fortunately was mostly empty. The man appears stunned but seemed to try and shake it off. You see him stumbling to get up there. He left his motorcycle behind, and officials are still trying to track
him down.
Next up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, two men are now behind bars after investigators say they scammed more than a million dollars out of several women posing as NFL players and wealthy investor. You don't want to miss this story at all. Stick around for that.
Plus, remember MapQuest? The popular '90s navigation system is having a comeback, and it has something to do with Lake Ontario or Lake America. That story on the other side of the break.
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[05:45:25]
SMITH: Well, on social media, a man was living the life as a San Francisco 49er player, but authorities say it was all a lie.
CNN's Samantha Lindell explains how love and his alleged co- conspirator played the long game and scammed multiple women along the way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAEJON LOVE, FAKED BEING AN NFL PLAYER: OK. So I'm on my way to get my mom. I know I get a lot of fans who want to know how football works --
SAMANTHA LINDELL, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): A man pretended to be an NFL football player for years and alleged scammed multiple women out of over $1 million as part of a fraud scheme, according to federal investigators. The United States Department of Justice charged 35- year-old Daejon Love and 18-year-old Taylor Chan with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
In the elaborate scheme, Love allegedly posed as a player for the San Francisco 49ers using misleading photos and videos posted to his social media accounts.
LOVE: The Buffalo Bills called me. The Ravens called me. A bunch of teams. And I went and worked out for all of them, but San Francisco was the best team out of all of those teams, and they offered me the most money.
LINDELL (voiceover): According to an FBI affidavit, he convinced some women he met on dating apps that he became romantically involved with that he was either an NFL player or a wealthy Swiss real estate developer.
LOVE: I love jewelry. This bracelet is about $20,000. The ring is about --
LINDELL (voiceover): The affidavit said, "Love sent his victims photographs and videos showing Love wearing what appeared to be expensive jewelry, designer clothing and accessories, and driving exotic cars. In many of the photographs and videos Love wore 49ers clothing and
gear, including what appears to be a replica 49ers football helmet, the affidavit reads.
Investigators say he also screen-recorded videos from legitimate NFL players' social media accounts, removed their identifying information, and reposted them as his own.
After gaining the trust of his victims Love then introduced them to Chan. While Love pretended to be a wealthy football player, the FBI alleges that Chan acted as his financial advisor. The pair allegedly told victims that "Chan could invest the victim's money in the same investment Love was involved with" -- investments that they claimed made Love very wealthy.
LOVE: This is my Lamborghini.
LINDELL (voiceover): According to court documents, "Love asked some of the victims to give him cash or transfer money to either Love, Chan or other associates via various online money transfer services. But investigators say the money was never invested. According to court documents, Love blocked communications with victims who had no more money to invest or asked too many questions.
So far, investigators have identified at least 26 female victims in Oregon, Washington and California who sent Love or Chan money. CNN reached out to Love and Chan's lawyers as well as the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon for comment but have yet to get a response.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: It's time for Buzz Express, the stories that have people talking.
And first up, Dolly Parton's songs are hitting Billboard's Hot 100 list a week after her death. That includes "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You." They're in the top 40 for the first time. And both are from 1974 and she reportedly wrote both on the same day. Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You" was number one for 14 weeks. Other Dolly songs popping up on the charts right now, "9 to 5", "Islands in the Stream", and "Here You Come Again."
Dolly Parton's goddaughter Miley Cyrus told fans her 10th studio album will drop on September 18. And some notice that she may have dropped Cyrus from her stage name. She signed her last few posts simply as Miley and her username now just reads Miley instead of her full name.
"Wicked" star Jonathan Bailey is dropping out of the play "Sunday in the Park with George." Ariana Grande already backed out. And remember, they were in "Wicked" together as well. They were supposed to star in the play in London but now Bailey says that he's decided to step back but wishes the best to everyone involved.
All right. And MapQuest just shot up to the number one spot on Apple's Appstore, overtaking apps like ChatGPT and ESPN Fantasy Sports -- and here is why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember MapQuest? Your parents may have used it to print 12 pages of directions to drive six miles. Well, it just found a new route directly under the Trump administration's skin. After President Donald Trump signed an executive order directly federal agencies to change Lake Ontario to Lake America, MapQuest posted a simple response -- "We're not changing it."
[05:50:10]
Then the company borrowed a page from Trump's book, saying "Our maps are big and beautiful. People come up to us and say we'll get them places, and we do."
And this is the type of thing Trump really cares about. Google adopted Lake America for users in the United States. Apple Maps also made the change on Tuesday after Interior Sec. Doug Burgum suggested on Fox Business that a change was coming.
DOUG BURGUM, INTERIOR SECRETARY: I know that the president reached out to Apple directly, so I'm sure that we may be seeing that change coming up -- coming up soon to Lake America.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voiceover): Eric Trump did take a dig at MapQuest, posting on X, "Shocking to see you're still alive."
When asked about MapQuest not changing the name, the White House defended its actions against Canada, saying, "Thanks to the president's bold leadership, we are putting America back on the map."
But if neither name works for you, MapQuest has another option -- call it whatever you want. The company created a tool that lets users create their own name.
As MapQuest holds out on a name change hundreds of thousands of people have downloaded the app, according to the company. Usage surged to about 50 times its normal level and MapQuest reached number one among navigation apps in Apple's U.S. Appstore, saying on X, "The people have spoken. We are working."
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SMITH: All right. Don't call it a comeback. They've been here for years.
Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, Ford is recalling thousands of Mustangs, Broncos, Explorers and other models. Details on the problems coming up.
And a homeowner and her dogs have a wild encounter with a -- wait for it -- come into frame -- there it is -- the moose that came into her backyard. That story when CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS RETURNS. Keep it here. Get the dogs.
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[05:56:22]
SMITH: In today's Money Express, a major recall alert to pass along to you this morning. And listen up if you own a Ford.
Maribel Aber joins us from the Nasdaq MarketSite with that and the rest of your top Money Express headlines. Maribel, what do we know here?
MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: OK, Brad.
Ford is recalling nearly 160,000 vehicles in two separate recalls over problems that could cause a loss of power. The company says more than 148,000 Mustangs from the 2024 through 2026 model years may have faulty wiring connections. Another 10,000 2026 vehicles, including some Broncos, Explorers, Rangers and Mustangs may have defective pistons. Owners are being notified and repairs will be made at no cost. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has full details on its website.
Sending holiday packages through the U.S. Postal Service could be more expensive this year. The USPS is proposing temporary price increases on some packages mailed between October 4 and January 17. The increases range from less than a dollar to just over $20.00, depending on the package's category, size and weight. The Postal Service says the temporary rates would help cover the extra handling costs of the busy holiday shipping season. The increases still need regulatory approval.
And McDonald's is saying goodbye to pumpkin spice and debuting a new fall flavor. The chain has rolled out a new caramel apple pie coffee lineup at participating restaurants nationwide. It says it blends a mix of apple and caramel flavoring with coffee, topped with salted caramel-flavored whipped cream and crumbled apple pie bits. The limited time flavor is available as a frappe, hot or iced latte, and iced coffee.
Brad, those are some fighting words -- bye, bye, bye pumpkin spice.
SMITH: Maribel, it's just the fight of the different fall patches. You've got the pumpkin patch fight and the pumpkin spice latte, and then you've got the apple picking -- the orchard fight on the other side with McDonald's throwing their hat in the ring here. We'll see who wins.
ABER: And we're trying to have summer.
SMITH: We are, exactly. Take me back.
Thank you so much, Maribel.
ABER: You got it.
SMITH: Let's get a check on some of the other stories making news across the country. We start in Montana where a woman encountered a moose in her backyard. Here's the video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHELLY THORBUN, CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MOOSE: Oh my God. Oh my God. Please, get inside. No, get inside! Go! Go! Get inside! Get inside! Get inside! Go, go! Go! Get back. Get back. Go!
(Screaming)
I just have to get my little dog. No!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Yeah. That was worth the director's cut for sure. She's got to learn how to hit that circle button on PlayStation 2 for Madden.
That moose and the smaller one eventually left. Shelly Thorburn says she got all three of her dogs inside safely, thank God.
And in Michigan, a worker was rescued after a trench collapse at a construction site. Crews were working on a sewer project when part of the trench wall gave way causing the man to slide into the hole. It took crews more than four hours to free him. He went to the hospital but appeared to be in good condition.
All right. And let's go to the City of Brotherly Love in Philadelphia. More than 50 schools closed early due to excessive heat on Tuesday. Officials say temperatures rose to around 90 degrees and some of the buildings are not able to control and cool to appropriate levels. The district says it is working to repair the A/C issues. They didn't do that when I was growing up.
[06:00:08]
And Minnesota is now home to these two endangered female gorillas. Meet Kamba and Nora. The pair originally hailed from Chicago and now zoo visitors can meet the newest members of the gorilla forest. Welcome.
That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
