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CNN Headlines: President Trump Now Expecting Talks with Iran to Resume This Week After Rejecting Their Proposal to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz; Former American Idol Caleb Flynn Pushes Back on Allegations that He Killed His Wife; Brutal Nor'easter that Hammered Parts of the U.S. East Coast is Slowly Starting to Ease Up. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired September 28, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
BRAD SMITH, ANCHOR, CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS: President Trump is now expecting talks with Iran to resume this week after rejecting their proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Why he turned it down. Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CALEB FLYNN RECORDED SONG PLAYING IN A COURTROOM): It was you and me, we were --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: That was the courtroom reaction to a song from a murder suspect to his mistress. The Caleb Flynn murder trial picks back up this morning as the former "American Idol" contestant pushes back on allegations that he killed his wife.
And the brutal nor'easter that hammered parts of the East Coast is slowly starting to ease up. But it's left flooding, wind damage and thousands without power. We have your updates and the forecast for you. Good morning, everyone, I'm Brad Smith, this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, glad that you're with us this morning. Let's get started.
We begin with the tensions in the Middle East and the U.S. war with Iran. President Donald Trump says he expects Washington and Tehran to resume talks this week. Now, his comments to "Axios" come one day after he rejected Iran's last proposal; the latest one to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Global crude oil futures still high as talks remain on pause. Now, seven months into the war, President Trump still claims a U.S. victory is imminent, and that a nuclear free Iran is well worth the cost of this conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to win this war very soon, and as soon as we win it, it's going to go. The oil will go down, way down to what it was before the war. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think that --
TRUMP: And the key is Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. That's the key to the whole thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Iran's Foreign Minister says Tehran is still waiting on a definitive response to its Hormuz offer, despite President Trump's public response. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations told CNN's Jake Tapper why Trump said no to Iran's latest proposal. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: The bottom line is they were asking for everything up front, with a promise that they would then talk. And I'll remind everyone, once we got to the MOU from just a few months ago, the Iranians immediately violated it by attacking international shipping in violation of international law and 146 nations have joined us in condemning Iran for those attacks.
So, just the President is just not confident that the Iranians are coming in good faith. And that will truly negotiate the end of their nuclear program.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Iran's Foreign Minister has not elaborated on the exact conditions for the proposal, but said that they were nothing more than what was included in the Memorandum of Understanding. Well, we are now just 36 days out from the critical Midterm elections, and recent polls still show Democrats with an edge over Republicans in the race for Congress.
Now, at the same time, polls show that the economy remains one of the biggest concerns for many voters. But the latest political ad from the White House doesn't address that issue at all. Here's part of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And we will liberate America from these villains once and for all.
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SMITH: That ad has drawn scrutiny from a government watchdog group, suggesting it could violate rules against using taxpayer dollars for propaganda. But the White House argues that the President is not on the ballot, and the ads don't have a call to action.
CNN's senior politics reporter Stephen Collinson says that the ad serves a political purpose this close to the Midterms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICS REPORTER: In the Republican Party, he's not exactly giving his candidates a great deal to run on. And I think perhaps that's one reason why you are seeing these kinds of ads.
They're recreating this persona of the President as an all-powerful figure, somebody, you know, that is very attractive to his base voters. If those voters don't come out, the Republicans are really in deep trouble.
[05:05:00]
Even though some of these adverts, you could say actually could alienate the middle and moderate voters, the Republicans need to actually make a race of this in November.
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SMITH: Worth reminding the context here that at the Midterm convention that was put together, the President said to vote like he was on the ballot his name. Now, in its defense, the White House said the ads were public service announcements and pointed to similar PSAs released by previous presidents.
Attorney General Todd Blanche is defending the President's ban on media outlets after CNN was blocked from its scheduled TV pool duties aboard Air Force One over the weekend. Blanche told "ABC News" yesterday Trump has every right to block what the administration considers one-sided news due to what he says are national security concerns.
All that comes after Trump blocked CNN, "MS NOW" and "Politico" from the White House last week, complaining about negative coverage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD BLANCHE, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The unfortunate and sad thing here is that after years and years and years of one-sided media coverage of the President from certain outlets, the President finally said it's not fair to the American people this is happening and did something about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: A federal judge later temporarily lifted that ban. Blanche also said access to the White House is a privilege, not a right. So, court resumes later this morning in the Caleb Flynn murder trial; the former "American Idol" contestant accused of killing his wife.
The case has drawn national attention in part because of an unusual piece of evidence, a love song written with Artificial Intelligence. CNN's Sammy Lindell has the story.
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SAMANTHA LINDELL, CNN DIGITAL VIDEO ASSOCIATE PRODUCER (voice-over): Something unusual happened in court during former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Flynn's murder trial, and reactions were mixed, to say the least.
Prosecutors played two songs that Flynn produced with the help of A.I. and dedicated to his mistress, Aleigha Botner. As the lyrics played out about their 16-year-age gap and relationship, the trial camera captured various reactions from people in the courtroom.
(CALEB FLYNN RECORDED SONG PLAYING IN A COURTROOM): And age never matter when it was you and me, we were proof that forever was something you feel, not see.
LINDELL: Flynn is on trial for the murder of his wife, Ashley Flynn. He has pleaded not guilty. Another line in the song referred to Botner as his once-in-a-lifetime love.
(CALEB FLYNN RECORDED SONG PLAYING IN A COURTROOM): You were always my love, my once-in-a-lifetime!
LINDELL: Both songs were written by Caleb Flynn, and he allegedly used Artificial Intelligence to write the music and create the vocals. Botner was 21 years old when she met Flynn at their church in Ohio in 2022. She testified their affair lasted around a year and a half.
In August 2025, Ashley Flynn found out about the affair during a cruise for their 15-year wedding anniversary. Botner said in the texts from Caleb Flynn to Botner that were read in court, Flynn said in early 2025, quote, "I just want her dead and gone."
Flynn claims he found his wife shot dead by an intruder in their bedroom in February 2026. The trial is ongoing, and it's unclear if the songs will have any bearing on the case.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: The worst of that massive storm system that hit the northeast is over, but it's not completely out of the way just yet, as the remnants of that rare early Fall nor'easter that slammed parts of Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York are expected to stick around through today. Here's CNN's Reid Binion with more.
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GOV. MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ): To be clear, we're not out of the woods just yet.
REID BINION, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill on Sunday warning residents not to let their guard down as a massive early season nor'easter storm finally began to weaken.
SHERRILL: I ask that you stay vigilant and continue to watch for updates so you're prepared if conditions change.
BINION: The storm battered communities across the northeast over the weekend, with torrential rain, damaging high winds, massive waves and coastal flooding. In Atlantic City, New Jersey, water levels hit the highest point since Superstorm Sandy in 2012, prompting evacuations and rescues along the Jersey Shore.
The severe weather turning deadly in New York City. According to police, a City Housing Authority employee died after a report of a fallen tree. The man was taken to a Brooklyn hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Even as the storm weakens, crews are working to restore electrical service, with tens of thousands of customers across the northeast still without power on Sunday. The rare timing of this nor'easter in early Fall made power outage challenges a different beast for officials.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The unique nature of this storm is the strength of the wind and the duration, and the fact that the leaves are still green on the trees.
BINION: Nor'easter storms usually happen in Winter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Typically, in nor'easter, we have frozen ground, the leaves are gone off the trees and it's not as significant.
REID: I'm Reid Binion reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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SMITH: All right, thank you Reid, keeping us updated there. We've got lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Millions will be getting an increase in SNAP benefits, but it may mean cuts elsewhere. We'll explain later on in the hour.
Plus, the alarm bells just keep ringing. What Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates is saying about just how rogue A.I. could go. And a skate park in Georgia becomes the scene of a mass shooting, leaving at least a dozen teens injured. We'll have the latest there when CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS continues.
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[05:15:00]
SMITH: At least 12 teenagers were hurt in a mass shooting at a skate park in Macon, Georgia, on Sunday. And we do want to warn you, the video you're about to see may be disturbing. Two of the teens are in critical but stable condition.
Police say two groups, including one that was at the park for a party, exchanged words and pulled out guns and started shooting at each other. So far, no arrests have been made. President Trump announced plans to welcome Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to the White House for a private meeting last night.
Now, Anthropic is the A.I. company that's behind Claude, and it comes as more tech leaders and lawmakers, they're sounding the alarm about how fast A.I. is advancing and whether there should be more guardrails around it.
Amodei is one of them, and he's repeatedly warned about the risks that can come with rapidly-evolving A.I. technology. But Trump has made it clear that he doesn't want those concerns slowing down an industry that's attracting billions of dollars in investment.
The President has made clear he doesn't want the U.S. falling behind China on A.I. developments, arguing the industry's challenges can be dealt with as they come up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're leading and we're building tremendous, you know, trillions of dollars-worth of places. And why should we give that up, if something is bad, they have to fix it. And if they don't fix it, that's why you have the Department of Justice.
And we've used the Department of Justice on two occasions to straighten out a company that we thought there was a problem with, and they immediately straightened it out. But you don't give up a trillion-dollar or more, $2 trillion or $3 trillion or $4 trillion industry because you think something like that -- we will straighten it out if and when a problem occurs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Bill Gates is also raising concerns about Artificial Intelligence. The Microsoft co-founder joins the growing number of technology leaders who are urging governments to put guardrails around the rapidly-advancing technology.
In an interview with "NBC", Gates warned that A.I. in the wrong hands could become unlike any weapon the world has ever seen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL GATES, CO-FOUNDER, MICROSOFT: A.I. is certainly powerful enough to drive events that, you know, cause a billion deaths, you know. So, even though it's pretty hard to get to a 100 percent, there's never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest A.I. tools.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And speaking with CNN, Gates also warned against becoming too comfortable with A.I. He worries the next two decades could bring risks ranging from biological attacks to major disruptions in the job market.
Meanwhile, Trump confirmed that he'll host what he called a big meeting tomorrow with several top A.I. executives. We'll keep tabs on that as it arises. Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, why footwear giant Crocs is suing a discount retailer over a $7 pair of shoes.
And courtesy of FedEx, two giant pandas arrive in America as a goodwill gesture from China. More on those pandas and where they will be for the next decade. Keep it right here, you're watching CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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[05:20:00]
SMITH: Well, Atlanta just got a whole lot cuter. Two giant pandas arrived from China on Sunday morning. This, a major move as part of Beijing's panda diplomacy. Their names are Ping Ping and Fu Shuang. They'll live at the zoo in Atlanta for the next ten years, CNN's Rafael Romo has all the details on the pandemonium in Atlanta.
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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): After landing at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, each panda bear was transported in a separate FedEx truck showing a panda bear image on the side of the cargo area.
Each truck carried a crate inside that served as the panda bears transportation unit, as they were escorted by police for the 10-mile trip between the airport and the zoo in the same containers used for their entire trip from China.
CNN witnessed the moment just before 7:00 this morning when FedEx flight 9756, dubbed FedEx Panda Express, landed at the airport after a more-than 15-hour flight from Chengdu, China's provincial capital, where the bears are from and where a Chinese panda bear breeding program is located.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced Thursday during his remarks at the White House that China would send two panda bears to the United States, calling the bear species an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and Americans.
We asked a couple of visitors here at the zoo if they think this goodwill gesture matters, and they told us they believe it's one exciting and fuzzy step in the right direction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it matters for families and people that want to visit the zoo. As far as our relationship with China, I don't know. It's hard to say. We'll have to see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Problem --
ROMO: It's tough, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is tough.
ROMO: Ping Ping; the male panda's name means "peace", the same name given to the bear China gave to the Soviet Union in 1957. Ping Ping was born in March 2020. Fu Shuang, the female panda's name means "double blessings", and was also born in 2020.
But in October, seven months later than the male panda. Zoo Atlanta said that the public won't be able to see Ping Ping and Fu Shuang right away because they will be housed in a bio-secure area for a routine quarantine period of around one month. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
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[05:25:00]
SMITH: Thank you, Rafael. This morning, SpaceX is gearing up for the 14th flight of its super-sized Starship. The company hopes its massive rocket will one day carry people and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
If all goes as planned today, it will be the first time that the rocket reaches orbit around the Earth. We'll be keeping a close eye on that. Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, testimony resumes this morning in the trial of former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Flynn, accused of killing his wife after a week of damaging testimony, including from his former mistress. The latest coming up.
Plus, why Lindsay Clancy may be back in court just weeks after her mistrial. We've got details on that case straight ahead. Stay with us.
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