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CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Headlines: Three Dead In Los Angeles News Helicopter Crash; Massie Moves To Impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; U.S. Military Confirms Weapons Deployed In Space. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired September 16, 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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[05:30:10]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It's half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
Three people are dead after a news helicopter plunged from the sky in Los Angeles. The chopper went down while covering a deadly bus crash causing several cars and two large cargo containers in an industrial area to catch fire. The NTSB and the FAA are investigating.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie surprised his colleagues yesterday with an effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Massie said he intentionally didn't tell anyone what he was planning until he introduced the Articles of Impeachment. Massie has long been at odds with President Donald Trump and Republican leaders. He lost his primary in the spring to a Trump-backed candidate. A vote on the measure could happen as early as this week but it is not expected to be successful.
This morning, Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty says that President Trump lashed out during a Kennedy Center board meeting. It comes after the Supreme Court rejected his bid to add his name to the performing arts center.
Congresswoman Beatty describes Trump's behavior when he called into the meeting.
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REP. JOYCE BEATTY (D-OH): To hear a president using the language that he used for -- he threw a tantrum. It was like an immature child. I wouldn't even want to put this on a child. It was just being very -- in my opinion, very immature, shouting, calling names, stating facts. He doesn't really know anything about me. And I looked to the board and said, "Are we really going to do this? This is very unprofessional."
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SMITH: Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and his sister of -- sister of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is urging President Trump to turn his attention to other priorities. Take a listen.
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KERRY KENNEDY, DAUGHTER OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY, RFK JR.'S SISTER: We have real pain in our country. President Trump, please focus on what's important. Leave the Kennedy Center alone. Allow us to move forward with this great art center, this monument to a slain president, and leave it alone. Focus on your job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: After the Supreme Court ruling, the Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board voted to close the main building for two years for remodeling work.
Back to this developing story, the fiery crash of a news helicopter in California. At least three people are dead and several more are injured. CNN's Reed Benyon has been following this and has more for us.
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MAYOR KAREN BASS, (D) LOS ANGELES: This is a very, very, very tragic day In Los Angeles.
REED BENYON, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): L.A. Mayor Karen Bass speaking after multiple victims were killed when a news helicopter crashed Tuesday night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a heads up, there's a helicopter down over there. There's a helicopter down just outside the airspace.
BENYON (voiceover): Local television stations KNBC and Telemundo 52 said their helicopter crashed just before 7:00 p.m. in Chatsworth, a neighborhood about 25 miles northwest of downtown L.A. Emergency officials and news crews in the area had been responding to a separate deadly incident.
BASS: A crash occurred between a bus and a vehicle. Then there was a crash of a helicopter that crashed near the scene near the earlier collision.
BENYON (voiceover): Officials said the helicopter crashed near several vehicles and two large cargo containers and sparked a fire. Videos from the scene showed flames and thick plumes of smoke billowing from the site. Dozens of firefighters responded to the incident.
BASS: Thankfully, LAFD extinguished the fire caused by the crash.
BENYON (voiceover): Officials said several people died at the scene with at least one person transported to a local hospital. A fire official said one of the victims killed was a pedestrian who was outside in the parking lot. As of late Tuesday, the cause of the crash was unknown.
BASS: The National Transportation Safety Board will be leading the investigation.
BENYON (voiceover): I'm Reed Benyon reporting.
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SMITH: Thank you, Reed.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is working to allow survivors of alleged sexual abuse to speak freely without the restrictions of nondisclosure agreements that they might have signed. This comes as the committee moved to hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt for defying two subpoenas in its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): He was issued a lawful subpoena and he didn't show, so we have a lot of questions for him. This is an investigation that's very serious. It's -- I feel like it's bipartisan. So we've tried every way in the world to get him in, as well as to see some documents that we've subpoenaed.
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[05:35:05]
SMITH: Chairman Comer spoke with CNN last night and explained his move to void NDAs for victims of sexual abuse.
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COMER: We don't want a piece of paper to prevent any bad person from getting away with any type of crime. We've asked and offered the -- many of the victims of Epstein to be able to testify in Congress in the Oversight Committee. Many of these women are prevented from doing so because they had signed very strict nondisclosure agreements. So that's made this investigation even more difficult.
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SMITH: It's still not clear what happens to the bill in the House, but there's broad bipartisan support for accountability measures after what investigators have learned in the Epstein probe.
New developments this morning from Capitol Hill and the heart- wrenching pleas from the families of the deadly 2025 Potomac River midair crash. On Tuesday, the victims' families pleading with lawmakers to pass a bill that would require civilian and military aircraft to carry transmitter technologies that could have prevented the collision and saved lives. Sixty-seven people died in last year's collision between an American Airlines plane and a Black Hawk helicopter that happened over the Potomac River.
Doug Lane lost his wife, Christine, and 16-year-old son, Spencer, an award-winning figure skater. Lane is calling for Congress to act now.
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DOUG LANE, LOST FAMILY MEMBERS IN MIDAIR CRASH: There are still people and organizations working to make this harder than it needs to be. We see you. We need you to stop. If you do not believe that the NTSB's recommendations will make us all safer, say so. Say it to our faces. Say it to Chairwoman Homendy and the investigators who worked for a year to develop them. If you think the cost is too high, show us the math. Tell us what a human life is worth to you.
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SMITH: Doug Lane and the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, spoke with our Jake Tapper last night. OK, we had an issue getting you that video, but we'll work to make sure that you can still get that audio of the correspondence and the discussion there.
The president of the Airline Pilots Association says that it supports incorporating the strongest parts of both pieces of legislation.
All right. Pennsylvania has reported its fourth death linked to the measles. It is the first time that the U.S. has seen four measles deaths in a year since 1992. The latest case involves an unvaccinated 18-year-old who died from a rare neurological complication that can occur after a measles infection. The outbreak has led to a clash over how measles deaths are counted, and so far, the CDC has counted zero measles deaths this year.
A bill, separately, that could regulate NIL agreements for college athletes just got enough votes to move forward in the Senate. So it's called the Protect College Sports Act, and it's been getting a lot of attention since the college football season started. It would also affect conference telecasting rights and an athlete's ability to transfer schools. But there is opposition.
All right, it's time for Buzz Express, the stories that have people talking.
And first up, several of Ed Sheeran's opening acts have quit his stadium tour to protest the removal of Macklemore. He was removed earlier this week after making pro-Palestinian remarks during a concert in New Jersey. The comments sparked some online backlash with billionaire Robert Kraft saying he would bar Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium. Ed Sheeran insisted the decision to drop Macklemore as his opening act was made by promoters alone. Sheeran also said that he would not be drawn into a public debate about the war in Gaza.
American Idol will no longer film in Los Angeles. The show's production company confirmed it's relocating to the Atlanta area. Current judges like Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood are expected to return and season 25 will premiere next year.
Judge Judy stepping away from TV after a 30-year career on the bench. A representative for Judith Sheindlin says that her Amazon Prime spinoff, "JUDY JUSTICE," will stop releasing new episodes next month. The 83-year-old became a household name in the 1990s with "JUDGE JUDY," which wrapped its CBS run in 2021 after more than two decades. Sheindlin now moving behind the scenes as an executive producer on "ADAM'S LAW," starring her son.
[05:40:00]
And Dolly Parton's legacy is getting a new collectible tribute. The estate of the late superstar has released the first in a new series of Dolly dolls. It continues a tradition that goes back to the 1970s when Parton first started putting out dolls inspired by herself. The new dolls are dressed in outfits modeled after pieces from Parton's personal fashion archive. And you'll be able to see some of that archive in person at the new Life of Many Colors Museum set to open in Nashville later this month.
Next up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a Russian oligarch with ties to President Putin reportedly paid for part of Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding celebration. A look at the investigation on the events.
And a wild video as a man dropped his children in a gator-infested swamp, all while running away from police. The charges that he's now facing, coming up.
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[05:45:17]
SMITH: Donald Trump Jr.'s new wife has confirmed that part of their wedding celebration was funded by a man who allegedly has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. ProPublica first reported that their wedding was heavily funded by the Russian oligarch.
CNN's Tom Foreman is tracking the details for us.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): On social media, Donald Trump Jr. and his new wife Bettina say their blowout post-wedding party in the Bahamas was no conspiracy, no mystery. So why in that intimate gathering of family and friends on a pair of private islands did so many people not know this guest? At least according to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche.
TODD BLANCHE, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The president doesn't know who this person is. I think other members of the family don't know who this person is.
FOREMAN (voiceover): But in a detailed investigation, ProPublica says the mystery man is Russian billionaire Umar Kremlev, who footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses for the newlywed Trump's all during this party that included scantily clad dancers, a five-tier cake from Florida, and a fireworks show.
DONALD TRUMP, JR., WEDDING PARTIALLY FUNDED BY RUSSIAN OLIGARCH: I had an awesome weekend. The family had an awesome weekend. It was really cool. FOREMAN (voiceover): The publication also says Kremlev is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who gave him the Russian order of friendship for his loyalty, among other things. Kremlev, ProPublica says, rose from a government-backed motorcycle gang called the Night Wolves to connect with the man who now leads Putin's security service and then take over the Russian Boxing Federation and the nation's largest car dealership group, becoming rich and famous.
In one video on social media, ProPublica writes, Kremlev surprises a young mother by giving her a free car. In another, he criticizes his young female aide's outfit as not feminine enough. He shadow boxes with ostriches. He praises Stalin and rides private jets.
And after meeting at a sports conference, he and Don Jr. called each other friends. "Our dear friend Umar," the newlyweds wrote in a statement yesterday, "very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us after our wedding, for which we were and remain incredibly grateful."
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, this is not good timing for me.
FOREMAN: President Trump said last spring he would not attend that wedding party, and he did not.
And Kremlev's office made clear to ProPublica their man has done nothing wrong. This is just socializing.
So, will the attorney general investigate anything about this? BLANCHE: When you say, am I investigating, am I investigating what? And when you say, this person is a friend of Putin, I don't even know if that's true or not.
FORMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
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SMITH: Thank you, Tom.
A top Pentagon official has confirmed that the U.S. has deployed weapons in space, saying the country is ready to defend against threats wherever they exist.
Our Brian Todd breaks it down for us.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An extraordinary acknowledgement by a top U.S. official of the presence of U.S. weapons in space. This is believed to be the first time that a U.S. official has ever acknowledged the presence of American weapons in space.
This came from Air Force Secretary Troy Meink at a conference outside Washington saying that the U.S. has deployed weapons in space and will use them to defend American forces. Meink said the United States now has "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action." Now Meink did not provide specifics about the weapons, and when he was pressed on specifics, he refused to give any details.
He was vague, possibly because there are treaties in place restricting the placement of certain kinds of weapons in orbit, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bans nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in orbit. It does not ban the use of conventional weapons in space. It is also not known exactly when these American weapons were deployed into space. CNN has reached out to the Space Force for comment on this.
China and Russia have been challenging America's dominance in space in recent years. The U.S. military has repeatedly warned that China and Russia are testing new offensive space capability like "Russian satellite constellation training missions," as U.S. officials phrased it. U.S. officials say that this Russian system could demonstrate attack and defend tactics for combat in space.
Also, U.S. officials saying that China is developing what they call a nuclear-capable partial-orbit hypersonic missile.
[05:50:00]
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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SMITH: Thank you, Brian.
The House of Representatives has voted to require President Trump to end his war with Iran. Last night's vote was the third time that the House voted against the war. Seven Republicans voted with Democrats to call on Trump to withdraw troops from Iran. Last time, four Republicans sided with Democrats, but it's unclear if the Senate will take up the measure and if it would even pass if they do.
All right. Sticking with international matters, let's go around the globe to see what's making headlines today.
And we begin with some frightening moments aboard an Iranian plane. There was panic on board the Boeing 737 as the plane shook violently, causing part of the cabin ceiling to collapse. Take a look.
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Passengers screaming as plane shakes violently. Partial roof collapse.
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SMITH: Absolute frightening scene.
Airport officials say a detached tire tread was to blame. Iranian state media reports that no one was injured and the plane safely returned to the airport.
The pilot of an airplane was forced to perform a safety maneuver in a separate incident after spotting fireworks while approaching an airport in Guatemala. This happened Monday on the plane's final approach during Guatemala's Independence Day celebrations. On the second attempt, the aircraft landed safely and without incident.
And in Mexico, authorities helped by a canine unit seized an international shipment declared as coffee at the country's Benito Juarez International Airport. Officials say that the shipment was listed as roasted and ground coffee. It weighed about one ton.
Well, still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, the decision to buy or sell a home getting harder. Mortgage rates push higher. Where the numbers stand this morning for you.
And I'm guessing the driver of this truck may have been running a little late. You have to hear what police say was going on when this happened.
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SMITH: In today's Money Express, mortgage rates are moving higher, and with inflation still elevated and the Federal Reserve set to meet today, what does that mean for people hoping to buy or sell a home?
CNN's Ivan Rodriguez has more for us.
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IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): At the beginning of 2026 there was growing optimism that the housing market might become more manageable for buyers and sellers. But then the U.S. attacked Iran and the economy reacted.
KARA NG, SENIOR ECONOMIST, ZILLOW: If I were to compare what we were thinking at the beginning of the year versus what we're thinking now, I think that it's going to be much tougher the last few months of 2026.
RODRIGUEZ (voiceover): Kira Ng, senior economist with Zillow, says mortgage rates were around six percent in the spring and are now pushing to the upper sixes as we head into the fall.
NG: A few things push rates higher, the primary one being oil prices. Over the last few weeks, oil prices have spiked again on geopolitical tensions. And then we had the August job report come out, where jobs came out at roughly three times what economists expected.
RODRIGUEZ (voiceover): Zillow also says the mortgage payment on a typical home is two percent higher than a year ago.
NG: At one point, the typical buyer had an additional $30,000 worth of buying power compared to a year ago. And now, over the course of the year, that $30,000 has kind of -- advantage has kind of shrunken down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, for you.
RODRIGUEZ (voiceover): For buyers waiting for rates to fall, Ng says it's a gamble.
NG: If you can find the home you can afford today at today's rates, I would try to make it work because there's no guarantee rates would get better or worse.
RODRIGUEZ (voiceover): Sellers may need to adjust their expectations too.
NG: What we're seeing right now is there are a lot of sidelined buyers, so people who are looking at listings. They're saving, they're curating, monitoring the prices and seeing what they can afford.
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SMITH: Let's get a check-in on some of the other stories making news across the country.
And we start in Florida. Crazy video of a man carrying two small kids through a swamp to evade police. Take a look at this.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): A 27-year-old Florida man is facing three felony and eight misdemeanor charges after police say he fled from a car crash on foot and was later found carrying two small children through a wooded, swampy area.
The Lakeland Police Department says officers were responding to a crash where a vehicle drove through a road closure sign and sandbags and had damage consistent with a rollover. When officers reached the scene, police said the suspect had already fled on foot. Police noticed two car seats inside the vehicle and officers immediately began searching the surrounding area for possible children.
A drone operated by Lakeland P.D. located a man carrying two children about 30 minutes later in a wooded, swampy area. Police say he fell multiple times while carrying the children, submerging them in standing water. Officers eventually reached the man, who told officers he was intoxicated and took him into custody.
The children were treated at the hospital and both survived, according to police. The suspect faces 11 charges, including three felony charges, which include two counts of neglect of a child with great bodily harm. He is currently being held with no bail for the two felony neglect charges.
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SMITH: Look at this. A Florida driver was trying to freshen up behind the wheel when he crashed on the highway. Authorities say that the 22- year-old man was applying deodorant when his truck slammed into a guardrail. It all took place Sunday in Lakeland. He walked away with no injuries, but Florida Highway Patrol says that this serves as a reminder, folks, the deodorants can wait until the truck is parked.
[06:00:13]
Yeah, looking at these images, it's going to be an extremely tough insurance claim whenever that gets submitted, if it gets submitted, and the images don't help.
That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
