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CNN Headlines: Trump Announces "Energy Ceasefire" Between Ukraine And Russia; Remnants Of Isaias And Rachel Fuel Massive Coast- to-Coast Flood Threats; Major Houthi Attack On Saudi Airport Kills At Least 13 People. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired October 12, 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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[05:31:45]

BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.

Tonight President Trump will be campaigning in battleground Ohio as the countdown to midterm election day continues. The president still urging to act as if he's on the ballot when he's speaking with supporters even as his approval ratings reach new lows.

Over the weekend last-minute itinerary changes. The president headed to the Tennessee -- the Tennessee game instead of Alabama while the Gulf Coast endured Isaias, the first hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in two years.

Speaking of the Gulf, we know Trump renamed that the Gulf of America. He's also renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America, and he doesn't want to stop there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need a river, we need an ocean. So I was thinking of either the Atlantic or the Pacific. We call it Trump Ocean or Ocean of the Americas, something like that. We -- no, we have to have. We should have -- before I get out, I think we should have an ocean, and we need a great river.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: He noted that renaming the Mississippi River is not under consideration.

Election day is November 3, almost three weeks away.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to cancel any further airings of the controversial taxpayer-funded ads that promote the president's agenda. On Saturday, the Justice Department informed the judge that the ads would no longer air after Sunday. But on Sunday, the ads were still airing. In an earlier filing, the administration reportedly already spending $19 million. And in Maine, Democrats hope Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders can give a

boost to Troy Jackson. The Democratic challenger is in a tight Senate race against Republican Susan Collins. Sanders campaigned with Jackson over the weekend, and CNN's Arlette Saenz has some of the details for us from Maine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Senator Bernie Sanders wrapped a two-day, three-stop swing through the state of Maine as he is trying to energize Democratic voters to turn out for Troy Jackson in November. Jackson is in a very tight contest against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

And Sanders had initially supported Graham Platner, who is running in this race as the progressive candidate, but was forced to bow out of the race after he had faced an allegation of sexual assault, which he denied. Jackson entered this campaign in mid-July, giving him very little time to mount his campaign against Sen. Collins.

But what Sanders was trying to do with this visit is really juice up the turnout from the progressive voters in this state. Take a listen to a bit of his message.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-ME): And here in Maine and all over this country, we've got to stand up to Trump, and we got to make sure that we end this rubber-sack U.S. Senate Republican.

SAENZ: While Senator Sanders is a draw for progressive voters, there are questions about whether he can appeal to the moderates and independents that Jackson will need in this campaign. Now, Maine is a state that is key in the Democrats' map to try to regain the Senate majority next year. Democrats will need to pick up four Republican- held seats and hold on to all of their own if they want to win the majority.

[05:35:05]

Senator Susan Collins is dealing with a lot of the same anti-Trump sentiment that other Republican candidates across the country are grappling with in this race. But Collins has had a history of surviving very tough re-election battles in the past, something she's hoping to replicate here in the state of Maine.

But Democrats are trying to do all they can in this final stretch, including having Sanders come out to try to energize those voters to turn out in just three weeks.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Biddeford, Maine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Thank you, Arlette.

President Trump has announced Russia and Ukraine have agreed to what he described as an energy ceasefire. However, that news appears to have surprised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It comes as authorities in Kharkiv report attacks on the city's energy facilities and residential areas that came after Trump made his announcement.

CNN's Betsy Klein has the latest from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the fact that Russia continued to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure after President Trump announced this so-called energy ceasefire is reason for skepticism that there is in fact a deal in place.

President Trump claimed early Sunday morning that both sides had agreed to an energy ceasefire that would begin, in his words, immediately. But Ukraine's President Zelenskyy appeared to indicate that he was caught off guard by this announcement. One Ukrainian official telling CNN that they found out at the same time that the president made that post to social media. Zelenskyy does say that Ukraine supports a ceasefire, but they are awaiting more details from the U.S. side.

Now there's no word from the Kremlin at this stage on whether they are in agreement here, but if you're tracking their actions, there is not an energy ceasefire at this time.

Now I asked the White House if they could provide any additional details beyond the president's social media post on how this came together and what the next steps are. They referred me at this point to the president's post.

And there are some important contexts here and that is that on Friday, President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the two leaders unveiled what has proven to be a controversial deal to allow Russian diesel exports aimed at helping to provide additional supply there.

Now that deal has drawn bipartisan criticism, including for a new statement from a group of seven senators, four Republicans and three Democrats. They say, "Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing Putin's brutal war against Ukraine. Congress was clear the U.S. should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our NATO allies. The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The administration must immediately," they say, "reverse course."

Now, after that diesel deal was announced, Trump officials met with Ukrainian officials in Miami, but Zelenskyy personally criticized that deal, saying that it would prolong the war.

All of this likely to come up on Tuesday morning as the president's newly minted press secretary, Katie Zacharia, holds her first press briefing at 9:30 a.m.

Betsy Klein, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: The remnants of two tropical systems slammed communities on both coasts over the weekend. At least four people died in storm- related incidents linked to Isaias. On the West Coast, remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel brought flooding rain to southern Nevada, including Las Vegas, as well as southwest Utah and northwest Arizona.

CNN's Jenn Sullivan is tracking the impact of both storms.

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JENN SULLIVAN, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voiceover): Two tropical storms saturating communities on both the East and West coasts over the weekend causing coastal flooding, fierce winds and heavy rains.

On the East Coast, remnants of Hurricane Isaias spawning tornadoes. This one captured on camera in Georgia. The storm carving out a path of destruction in several southern states.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debris hit the house. We actually got a part of a board stuck into the side of the house.

SULLIVAN (voiceover): Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida late Friday as a category two hurricane, packing 110-mile-per-hour winds, tearing down trees and power lines, and dumping several inches of rain across the Gulf Coast.

GOV. RON DESANTIS, (R) FLORIDA: We are going to submit a disaster declaration once we get the data from the counties.

SULLIVAN (voiceover): The remnants of Isaias still producing soaking rain along the northeast Sunday. Water spilling onto this roadway in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, where heavy rains triggered flash flood warnings Sunday. The winds powerful enough to overturn several cars in this parking lot, including this semi-truck in Fayetteville. The winds toppling trees and power lines in multiple communities.

[05:40:00]

And over on the West Coast, Tropical Storm Rachel making landfall Saturday and soaking Southern California.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were sandbagging frantically.

SULLIVAN (voiceover): The remnants of the storm pummeling Phoenix, Arizona. The winds causing a dust storm Saturday with wind advisories in effect through Sunday.

I'm Jenn Sullivan reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Thank you, Jenn.

In Texas, a man that officials claim is an undocumented immigrant is now hospitalized after he was hit by a truck driven by ICE agents Saturday. We want to warn you the video of this incident could be disturbing to some viewers. ICE officials say that Miguel Parra- Hernandez suffered injuries to his lower body when the vehicle hit him after he and another man fled an enforcement operation near Houston. At last check, he was in stable condition.

CNN's Mark Morales reports on the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTER: An agency spokesperson said that the man seen in that video "ran in front of an ICE vehicle." Now, according to his attorney, he has two broken legs and is currently in ICE custody.

But he wasn't the target of this. ICE officials had targeted the man he was in the car with. That was the target. They were -- they had deemed him to be a public safety threat, and he's the one who had a deportation order, but he was not caught.

So this video also really brings into the forefront the question of tactics. And as you've seen, this has been a hot button issue, especially in New York City, after a man was shot inside a vehicle by ICE agents while his 5-year-old son was in the back seat.

Now, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen was on "STATE OF THE UNION" and not -- he not only defended the tactics of the ICE officers but also said that their body camera footage would be released. Now, as we've seen that footage of those moments, either before the incident took place or after the incident, and even during the incident, they all meshed together to really give a full picture of what's been going on.

Here's Markwayne Mullen, take a listen.

MARKWAYNE MULLIN, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Every single department -- I don't care if it's state, if it's local, if it's county or if it's federal, they all have undercover divisions. And undercover divisions make arrests every single day in plain clothes. When they approached the vehicle, they had their badges out. You can see that their badge was out and they were given lawful commands. So the tactics that are used are the same tactics that are used by law enforcement from coast to coast, from local, city, state to federal.

MORALES: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been very critical about the presence of ICE in New York, especially pointing to this incident and saying that it's a very good example as to why New Yorkers are not safe.

Meanwhile, the man at the center of all this, Oscar Belgal -- he's currently in solitary confinement at a federal detention center in New York under ICE custody. Lawyers for him finally got a chance to speak with him over the weekend. They say that not only is he in a lot of pain, but that he needs emergency surgery to deal with that bullet wound. Mark Morales, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: All right, Mark. Thank you so much for breaking that all down.

Next up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, terrifying moments for travelers when an airport was hit by a missile strike, leaving at least 13 dead and several wounded. The latest on what happened straight ahead.

And Hurricane Simon brings heavy winds and severe rain to Mexico over the weekend, and the country is not out of harm's way just yet. We've got the details on the other side of the break.

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[05:47:45]

SMITH: Let's go around the globe to see what else is making headlines today.

And we begin in Saudi Arabia. That's where several people are dead after back-to-back strikes at the King Khalid International Airport over the weekend.

We have the CCTV footage showing the terrifying moment that the airport was hit on Saturday. A warning, some of the images you're about to see are disturbing. You can see people sitting at the airport and then start running for safety while dust filled the area and debris crashed to the floor. At least 13 people were killed, hundreds more wounded. And here's more of the aftermath.

Saturday's strike was the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. And then, on Sunday, another strike at the airport sparked a fire in the terminal. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have claimed responsibility, saying it was retaliation for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen.

CNN's Oren Liebermann has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: The Iran-backed and armed Houthis in Yemen are showing they are ready and willing to fight and to escalate attacking civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. This matches the pattern of attacks we've seen on the exact same airport, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. It was on Saturday that a Houthi attack hit the airport, causing the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. At least 12 people were killed, including a U.S. citizen, and more than 300 people were injured.

That led into Sunday, where Saudi authorities say another attack hit the airport, striking a terminal building there and hitting a fire. And Saudi air defenses intercepted a cruise missile that was on its way effectively towards the same target here. So the Houthis there are indicating that they're willing and very much able to fight. Now, the Saudis have carried out punishing strikes against the Houthis

in Yemen, trying to offer their support to the internationally recognized government of Yemen, which has tried to push back against the Houthis. But in much the same way we saw Iran fight, the Houthis are doing the same. They don't have the military capability or the weapons to match Saudi Arabia's military. What they do have are drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, and they're able to use those very effectively to cause the disruptions we're seeing here.

[05:50:00]

Now, why does this matter beyond the Arabian Peninsula, and why does this matter beyond the Middle East? Take a look at this map. Just as Iran was able to leverage control over the Strait of Hormuz on one side of the Arabian Peninsula, and that sent gas prices surging and shocked the global economy, the Houthis may well be able to do the same to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, one of the world's most critical waterways through which traffic going to or from the Suez Canal has to pass. That is the risk to the global economy here and that is the reality the region and frankly the world are facing as the conflict between the Houthis and the Saudis escalate.

The key question, of course, now is what is the U.S. and what is President Donald Trump going to do?

The Saudis have made clear they want the U.S. involved here striking the Houthis. In fact, it was President Donald Trump who said earlier during the weekend that he's considering his options and he may get involved. But it's unclear that he's really willing to do so. The war with Iran is already unpopular and has driven up gas prices. Another unpopular war with the Houthis, another shock to the global economy this close to the midterms. It's not clear Trump wants to go in that direction. And that leaves the Houthis perhaps feeling emboldened as they carry out and continue to carry out these attacks on the Saudis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: All right, Oren Liebermann. Thank you so much.

Also, at least 139 migrants, including children, are dead after a boat capsized while traveling from Djibouti to Yemen. And you could see in this video parts of the boat wreckage floating at sea, and right now crews are searching for survivors. More than 80 people are still missing.

In London, British comedian and actor Russell Brand arrived at court today for the start of his trial on rape and sexual assault charges. The 51-year-old has pleaded not guilty to seven charges involving six women, including rape, incident -- indecent assault, and sexual assault. Prosecutors say that the alleged offenses took place between 1999 and 2009. Brand has said that he has never engaged in non- consensual activity.

And Mexican officials are urging Pacific Coast residents to stay indoors. Hurricane Simon is approaching. The U.S. National Hurricane Center calls the Category four storm extremely dangerous, even if it does not make landfall. Simon is already bringing dangerous waves, flooding, and power outages, with strong winds, heavy rain, and storm surge expected through Monday. We'll continue to monitor that.

Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, Volkswagen recalling thousands of its popular electric SUVs. Why the company says some owners may need to park them outside. We've got the details.

And after a car starts sinking with someone trapped inside, a bystander and a police officer, jump into action. We've got the dramatic rescue straight ahead. Keep it here.

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[05:57:15]

SMITH: In today's Money Express, if you're heading to the gym or already there, you might want to know about a popular recall of a workout supplement.

Maribel Aber joins us from the NASDAQ MarketSite with that and the rest of your top Money Express headlines. Heyn Maribel.

MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: Hey, Brad.

So a popular workout supplement being recalled after being found to contain a legal amphetamine-like substance. That's according to the FDA. Leader Formulas issued a voluntary nationwide recall of its Rapture Pre-Workout Powders after the FDA found the powder contained a synthetic stimulant called DMAA. According to the FDA, using DMAA could result in elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, shortness of breath and tightening of the chest for more. For more -- for more information, visit fda.org.

Volkswagen is recalling nearly 23,000 of its popular all-electric SUVs due to a potential fire risk in its high voltage battery. The automaker is advising owners not to charge their SUVs past 80 percent until it comes up with a fix for the issue. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the cause of the problem is still unknown. Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed November 27, 2026. For more information, visit NHTSA's website.

And two major cookie chains are struggling with Chip City and Crumbl announcing that they're closing stores and facing leadership changes at the top. Chip City Cookies announced the closure of its last remaining locations last week, while Crumbl's co-founders said they're stepping down from their roles in May. The news comes after Crumbl's August sales were reportedly down 70 percent from August 2024. The company has closed 57 locations this year and announced significant layoffs at its corporate headquarters in Linden, Utah -- Brad.

SMITH: Oh, officially hungry, though.

Maribel Aber, thank you so much.

ABER: You got it.

SMITH: Now to some other stories that we are tracking today across the country.

We start in New York. That's where a police officer and a brave bystander jumped into action to rescue a man who was sinking in a vehicle. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEW YORK TROOPER: How many people are in there?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: The trooper got to the scene and immediately jumped in the water. Police say that he used a window punch to break the glass of the car's sunroof, and then a Good Samaritan helped him free the driver. No word on how the vehicle ended up in the water or the man's condition.

All right, let's take you out to California. The Coast Guard saved a man from a sinking boat. Crews couldn't reach him at first because of dangerous conditions. A helicopter crew found the man trapped in the partially submerged cabin. They tore open the cabin roof to get him out. There you're seeing some of that footage and you can kind of make it out, but it really goes to show what type of conditions they were working through in order to pull off this rescue. Glad that man safe and great work as always by the Coast Guard there.

[06:00:15]

That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.