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CNN Headlines: Melanie Trump Approves Credentials For CNN And Politico Amid President's Media Ban; Looksmaxxing Celebrity Clavicular Charged With Rape In Massachusetts; Filmmaker George Lucas Opens Doors To New Museum. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired September 23, 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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[05:31:35]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, it's half past the hour. Let's check our top stories.
A testimony in the murder trial of former "AMERICAN IDOL" contestant Caleb Flynn will resume today. Ohio prosecutors allege Flynn shot and killed his wife Ashley in February and staged a crime scene. In Tuesday's testimony the victim's mother recalled how Flynn's young daughters seemed nervous after speaking privately with him in the days following their mother's killing. Flynn has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and several other charges.
The U.N. General Assembly is gearing up for a second day of high- profile addresses. In the next few hours the leaders of two nations currently at war are set to address the gathering. Ukraine's president is expected to speak this morning followed by Iran's leader later on in the day.
And a late-night filing from the U.S. Justice Department argues the president can shut media organizations out of the White House at will or to protect national security. A federal judge will hear arguments from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico today supporting their lawsuit to restore White House access. President Trump admits the judge overseeing the lawsuit will probably rule in the media's favor.
His concession comes as the first lady appeared to break with the president's media ban, approving CNN and Politico's press credentials at a sideline event at the United Nations General Assembly yesterday.
CNN's Betsy Klein has the latest.
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BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: This appears to be a symbolic break between the president and first lady on this issue of press freedom. President Trump over the weekend implementing that ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico amid what he deemed to be unfair coverage at the White House.
First Lady Melania Trump, however, appears to be taking a different approach here. Now, the office of the first lady approved credentials for both CNN and Politico to cover an event she was hosting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. This was part of her Fostering the Future Together coalition. It's aimed at bolstering resources for children with education and technology.
And she also appeared to take a different approach from the president on this issue of artificial intelligence as the president is pushing to move full steam ahead. The first lady offering a more cautious tone on AI safety and responsibility for children.
Now, CNN's credential for this event was approved on Sunday, one day after the president's ban went into effect. Those three outlets, CNN, Politico, and MS NOW have filed a First Amendment lawsuit, and it is going to go to a hearing on Wednesday.
Now, the first lady is meticulously involved in the details around her public appearances and other events, including the substance of her remarks, the diplomatic message that she's choosing to send with her outfit choices, as well as a very fine attention to the minutia of her press releases.
She is aware of the ban, according to a source familiar with the matter, and her office had discretion over whether it was going to approve the credentials of those two outlets. Now, the decision to approve them really underscores the role that Melania Trump has played, independent of her husband and really doing things her way.
[05:35:00]
Now, she lives away from the White House most of the time. She keeps a very small inner circle. She also has a portfolio of initiatives that is very neatly tailored. However, she does remain one of her husband's most trusted and influential advisors.
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WHITFIELD: All right, Betsy Klein. Thank you.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is back on the campaign trail. This time she joined Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El- Sayed. Some analysts say Harris could help strengthen his appeal among some Black voters who opposed him during the Democratic primary. She said El-Sayed would be a check on President Trump during his final years in the White House if he gets elected.
Meanwhile, Harris' return to the campaign trail has many wondering is she planning to run for president again? Listen to what she said.
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KAMALA HARRIS, (D) FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have not decided if I'm going to run again. But I'm going to say -- and I thank you for that. But let me just say this, I do -- I do sincerely believe '28 won't matter if we don't get through '26.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's true, very true. HARRIS: And I'm a big believer that you can be -- when you focus on the thing out there, you trip on the thing over here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Harris is expected to campaign for candidates in Georgia and Nevada in the coming weeks.
A controversial livestreamer behind the so-called looksmaxxing trend has been charged with rape in Massachusetts. His real name is Braden Peters, but he's more known by the name Clavicular. He was charged in a criminal complaint with drugging a person for sexual intercourse and procuring alcohol for an underage person. The new charges are related to allegations in a civil suit filed in Florida. Peters is an online influencer who is infamous for encouraging his followers to better their physical appearance through extreme methods.
CNN's Josh Campbell is tracking this for us.
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JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you say, his real name is Braden Peters, and he's this controversial online influencer that's involved in helping men improve their appearance as you say -- this trend known as looksmaxxing.
Now, folks might remember him. He has also claimed that he had repeatedly hit himself in the face with a hammer in order to try to sharpen his bone structure. He also said that he allegedly used drugs -- or not allegedly, he had used illicit drugs in order to try to stay thin. And on these live streams, he's frequently made sexual comments towards young women that appear in these videos.
He's now also been accused and charged with rape in Massachusetts, as well as drugging a person for sexual intercourse purposes and providing alcohol to an underage person. Now, these new charges stem from or are related to a civil suit that was filed in Florida. Now, the alleged victim here, her name was redacted in the charges, but a source familiar tells us that it's the same person that filed that Florida suit. Her name is Alexandra Mendoza.
Now, what she said that she reported this rape in June, and she said -- told police that in May of last year, she was with Peters at his family's home in Cape Cod. They say that she was provided with alcohol. She says that she was then -- he initiated sex against her consent. And the civil suit also accuses him of battery, of emotional distress, as well as fraud.
As far as what his side of all of this is, he repeatedly claimed that the civil suit was an attempt to get attention and as well as to make money. His attorneys in that case, the civil suit, said that she had known about this livestream that was done in which she claimed that she was injected with some type of fat-dissolving substance. They sought to have portions of that civil suit dismissed.
We've repeatedly reached out to them for comment on these new charges -- the criminal charges -- again, to try to determine, does he have comment? He has said again in the past -- Clavicular himself on X -- that the parts of the civil suit were just trying -- an attempt to get attention.
We do know that he is scheduled to be arraigned there in Massachusetts on October the 14th.
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WHITFIELD: Autopsies have been scheduled as police investigate the deaths of two students from the University of Mississippi on Monday. Officials found a psychoactive herbal extract from a retail store in both investigations. Residents are beginning to -- are beginning to be asked now to avoid unregulated substances and medications not prescribed to them. Authorities say there is no evidence at this point to indicate the deaths are connected. The university issued a statement saying it was heartbroken by the loss of the two students.
And new this morning the estate of Dolly Parton is accusing her nephew of threatening violence and to destroy his aunt's legacy.
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My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I'm representing the Partons --
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WHITFIELD: You may remember this is the same nephew who announced the singer's death last -- on her Instagram account.
The entity managing Parton's professional property and businesses has asked for a temporary restraining order claiming Bryan Seaver has been sending increasingly threatening messages over the last several weeks. The court documents accuse Seaver of threatening physical violence and threatening to destroy the legacy of his Aunt Dolly. Seaver has not commented on the allegations.
All right. Music legend Lionel Richie is taking some time off from performing after undergoing a heart procedure. A representative for the 77-year-old singer says Richie was hospitalized this week but is doing well after a successful operation to address his irregular heart rhythm. Three upcoming tour dates with Earth, Wind & Fire have been canceled while he recovers. Richie's team says he expects to be back on stage soon.
All right, now to Buzz Express and other stories that will have people talking.
Taylor Swift is in her surprise era. The 14-time Grammy winner announcing on Instagram yesterday that her new single called "Patient Zero" will be out this Friday. The song is already available for pre- order on her website for 24 hours. This will be Swift's first single since she and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelsey got married at Madison Square Garden on July 3rd.
All right, we've been super excited about this one, too. Filmmaker George Lucas has opened the doors to his brand new museum in Los Angeles. Here's part of the crowd that turned out for opening day of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
Our Elex Michaelson was at the big grand opening with all the celebs. Take a look.
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ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): His movies transport us to a galaxy far, far away and his museum looks like it could be a spaceship drawing the biggest stars in this galaxy to see it firsthand.
GEORGE LUCAS, FILMMAKER: You get to decide what art is.
MICHAELSON (voiceover): Director George Lucas and his wife Melody Hobson spent a billion dollars to make the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art a reality.
MICHAELSON: What's the big thing you want people to see when they walk through those doors?
MELODY HOBSON, GEORGE LUCAS' WIFE: Themselves. We want them to see themselves.
MICHEALSON (voiceover): Mark Hamill literally saw himself as Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" exhibit.
MICHAELSON: What does this museum mean to the "Star Wars" legacy?
MARK HAMILL, ACTOR: Well, it's an acknowledgement of how George created something that has become a permanent part of pop culture through the ages.
MICHAELSON (voiceover): The "Star Wars" collection only about seven percent of the 1,300 pieces of art on display here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's mind blowing. Melody always describes it. It's like going through George's brain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is George's soul. This is who he is and the kind of stuff he wants people to see, and the kind of things that made him who he is.
MICHAELSON (voiceover): The building itself feels like a set piece from a Lucas blockbuster.
MICHAELSON: The elevator feels like you're taking a ride straight into a science fiction movie.
MICHAELSON (voiceover): Three hundred thousand square feet on 13 acres. Its futuristic design topped with a massive rooftop park.
OPRAH WINFREY, MEDIA PROPRIETOR: It brings me to tears to see what they have been able to do here is. It's beyond words.
MICHAELSON (voiceover): Opening night includes music, a drone show, and virtually every major director in modern Hollywood history assembled in one epic class picture.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Star Wars" made me believe in magic. It made me, you know, sit in that theater and want to change my whole life.
MICHAELSON (voiceover): Lucas himself on hand for the opening ceremony to the public.
LUCAS: Everything you do, everything you say is a lesson for somebody else.
MICHAELSON (voiceover): The real goal, inspire the next generation of storytellers. All kids under 17 get free admission.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To know that we can maybe have a museum someday or have ideas like his. it's very inspiring.
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WHITFIELD: Yeah, super, super cool. Can't wait to visit that one.
George Lucas and his wife personally greeted the first 100 visitors to the museum on its opening yesterday.
All right. Next on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, Hyundai is recalling thousands of cars due to a seat defect they say could trap children. Details on that recall coming up.
And imagine finding millions of dollars hidden in your house. That actually happened in one apartment, and it wasn't the only thing authorities discovered. That story and so much more are still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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WHITFIELD: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she is weighing a run for the presidency. In a new interview with The New York Times, AOC says she'll make her decision after November's midterm elections. She also spoke about whether a Latina has a chance at winning in the current political climate.
CNN's Gloria Pazmino has the story.
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GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Will Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez run for president? At least now we know she has given herself a timeline. Ocasio-Cortez spoke with the New York Times, and now we know she will decide what her next political steps will be after the midterm elections. And she's thinking about everything -- her gender, her electability, her politics, and even her ethnicity, wondering if a Latina can really become president of the United States. Her personal life is also on the balance. AOC recently shared her egg-freezing journey on social media.
[05:50:00]
No woman has ever been elected president. That is also part of what she's mulling, saying, "Pretty candidly, I think about my identity. I'm not naive to the fact that we are living under a very regressive administration, and I happen to be a woman and I, you know, happen to be Latina. And I think that there's a lot of conversation about electability, and I don't kind of shy away from those realities."
Here is what else is interesting. It's not just the White House. The four-term congresswoman could run for re-election and continue representing parts of the Bronx and Queens, where she is extremely popular, or she could choose to run for the Senate seat currently held by Chuck Schumer, who turns 76 in November and is up for re-election in 2028.
This week, she is spending time in her home state and has donated $300,000 to help Democrats in New York. She will be traveling across the state to boost turnout in the midterms.
No matter what Ocasio-Cortez decides, she knows timing is of the essence, saying, "There's an argument that some make that this is a very unique political window. And oftentimes in politics, you do only get one shot. Just in life in general, life doesn't wait for you to be ready for things. Sometimes life just makes things ready for you."
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WHITFIELD: All right, let's go around the globe now to see what's making headlines today.
The Canadian province of British Columbia is suing OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. The government there is alleging the AI company could have prevented a deadly school shooting earlier this year if it had warned local police about the shooters disturbing conversations with ChatGPT. OpenAI employees flagged the messages internally, but allegedly no one followed up. Altman apologized publicly for this. The province alleges that the company promised reforms but never followed through. Open AI says it is committed to working with government and law enforcement officials.
And Hurricane Polo exploding into a category five storm, strengthening off the Pacific coast of Mexico. It has become one of the most powerful storms this year with wind gusts reaching up to 180 mph. Meteorologists say Polo's rapid intensification from a tropical storm to a category five in under 24 hours is among the fastest on record.
And in Italy, authorities say they have found more than $3.5 million hidden in the walls of an apartment in Naples. They say the cash was also stashed in the floors and furniture. Officials say the anti-mafia raid also netted 11 Rolex watches, weapons, and drug-selling paraphernalia. Thirty-four people are now facing charges. All right. Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a driver who police
say was in a stolen car and led them on a high speed chase. How it ended, coming up.
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WHITFIELD: In today's Money Express, we're seeing oil prices slide again amid hopes of a renewed diplomatic push to end the war with Iran.
Let's go to Maribel Aber live at the NASDAQ MarketSite. Good morning to you, Maribel.
MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: Hey, good morning, friends.
Global oil prices eased slightly overnight after Iranian leaders floated a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. So Brent crude is trading just under $100 a barrel while U.S. oil is less than $90. No change in the national gas average since yesterday. AAA shows a gallon of unleaded at $4.47 and diesel at $6.52.
Hey, Hyundai is voluntarily recalling thousands of Ioniq 9 vehicles over a potential entrapment risk for children. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the motorized second-row seats may not automatically stop when it senses an occupant or object. The automaker says it's a software issue and it's aware of at least two reports of alleged minor injuries. Owners are urged to use caution when using the folding seat feature around children until free repair can be made. Full details can be found on NHTSA's website finally.
Finally, McDonald's popular Monopoly game is coming back, and top prizes include a new Jeep or $1,000,000 starting October 6. The peel- and-scan game pieces will return on select menu items. You'll have to download the McDonald's app in order to play and redeem any prizes, which include free food for a year.
WHITFIELD: Wow!
ABER: For full details -- yeah -- mcdonalds.com.
Fred, one reason to get the prize.
WHITFIELD: Well, yeah, I know -- I always love the fries. I mean you had me at the $1,000,000 and et cetera, but then that download. I don't need another app. OK, we'll talk more about all that.
Maribel Aber, good to see it. Thank you so much.
OK, let's get a check of the other stories making news across the country.
We start in Southern California. That's where a high-speed chase -- police chase across multiple counties ended in a violent crash near L.A. The suspect was going up to 90 miles an hour at one point with California Highway Patrol behind him. The SUV was allegedly stolen, and it appears the driver lost control and then crashed. Incredibly, he was able to walk away from this, but then he had to walk right into custody.
All right, now to Washington State and an intense bodycam video to show you of authorities saving a frantic man from an SUV that was engulfed in flames. Watch this.
[06:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The vehicle is on fire.
DRIVER: I can't get out that way! Get the fire extinguisher.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need a fire extinguisher now.
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WHITFIELD: Unbelievable. That man reportedly crashed through a fence, hit a tractor yard after speeding away from deputies trying to pull him over. They say that he reached up to 111 miles per hour before crashing there. And authorities got the man out safely and then airlifted him to the hospital.
All right, that's going to do it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
