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CNN Headlines: Officials Identify Man Who Died After Falling Off Roller Coaster; White House Ousts Kimberly Guilfoyle As Ambassador To Greece; Vatican: Pope Leo XIV Recovering After Successful Lung Cancer Surgery. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired October 14, 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 is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
Atlanta is mourning the loss of a beloved community member after he fell from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Police identified him as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem. Atlanta Public Schools called him a cherished member of Wesley International Academy, saying his impact will be deeply missed.
Also, a federal judge has extended the order allowing CNN, MS NOW and Politico access to the White House. The Trump-appointed judge said that the president's press ban likely violates the First Amendment, adding that Trump's own comments helped the media outlets proved he barred them for retaliatory reasons. The judge's new order rejected the Justice Department's claims that national security concerns at least partially motivated the ban. It sets the stage for the administration to appeal.
And President Donald Trump will campaign today in Arizona and Montana for Republicans running in the midterm elections. The White House says he's also adding campaign stops in traditional Republican strongholds like Kentucky and Florida.
Last night, he was in Alaska campaigning for incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. Trump also took the opportunity to pardon some men who pleaded guilty to violating Clean Air Acts.
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DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Bring me the pardons. Thank you. Think of it. They want to put them in jail for 10 years because they fixed an engine. I'm giving each one of the three an unconditional pardon. That means you're as clean as a newborn baby's ass.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance is getting in on the midterm campaign blitz with a visit to Tyler, Texas on the stump for Ken Paxton. Vance took aim at Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, calling him a crazy left-wing candidate who is pretending to be a moderate.
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JD VANCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I love you too, sir, in a totally platonic way, to be clear. I'm the vice president, not James Talarico.
He was asked what he loves in life besides his own family and friends, and he responded without skipping a beat, and I quote, "trans children." Now, you've got to wonder what the internet search history of a man like that looks like. Ladies and gentlemen, you don't want to find out. Neither do I.
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SMITH: And new polling finds a razor-thin race in the Lone Star State. Talarico is looking to become the first Texas Democrat elected to the Senate since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.
Early voting begins next week and spending in the race has already now surpassed an eye popping $500 million.
We'll have much more on this race tonight. Erin Burnett moderates a new CNN Jubilee town hall with James Talarico coming face to face with Texas voters. Can this Democrat help turn the red state blue? You can watch on CNN and stream live with an all access subscription.
Well, in the Georgia governor's race, two candidates were invited to a televised debate Monday night. Two podiums were set up, but only one candidate showed up. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms was there. This was the second debate on schedule, and Republican Rick Jackson said he was sitting out this one.
CNN's Erin Burnett asked Keisha Lance Bottoms about this. Take a listen.
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KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, (D) GEORGIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: If this is a man who's unwilling to show up and answer questions -- unscripted questions as a candidate -- then you can only anticipate that he won't be willing to give answers if he were ever to be elected governor.
He doesn't want to answer to the people of this state about the six- week abortion ban that he takes credit for having it pass in this state. He doesn't want to stand up and answer questions regarding his no-bid contracts that have netted him billions of dollars in the state. He doesn't want to stand up and answer questions about his allegiance to Donald Trump and his vow to be Trump's favorite governor.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: Early voting is now underway in Georgia. The secretary of state says nearly 190,000 people turned out on the first day. That is a big increase compared to the last midterms back in 2022.
And nearly two years after the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, the city's response to the disasters remains a major issue in the race for Los Angeles mayor.
[05:35:00]
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MAYOR KAREN BASS, (D) LOS ANGELES: I am so profoundly sorry that I was not in my city when my city needed me. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of the lives lost, the families that lost their home.
NITHYA RAMAN, (D) L.A. MAYORAL CANDIDATE: The question that I heard over and over there and across the entire city was, where is our mayor? Where is our mayor? I want to tell Mr. Kamdar and every resident of this city that if there is another emergency, you will not have to ask, if I am mayor, where our mayor is.
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SMITH: The Palisades and Eton fires broke out nearly two years ago and are among the most destructive wildfires in California history. This face-off is the final debate ahead of the Los Angeles mayoral election on November 3.
Well, back to the heartbreaking story out of Georgia. We are learning more details about the man who died after falling from a roller coaster at Six Flags. His name was Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, and you can see a picture of him here. He was a cherished member of an Atlanta charter school where he served as a technology teacher, robotics coach, and IT manager. The school district says he will be deeply missed.
And CNN's Isabel Rosales has more.
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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have a name, and now also we have a face, 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem. Cobb County Police found him just under the ride here, Goliath, unresponsive and not breathing. They said that Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other riders before falling.
CNN spoke with one witness, CiCi Nelson, who said her stomach dropped when she saw the car returning back onto the platform with an empty seat and riders in hysterics. A different witness told WXIA, a CNN affiliate, that Kariem hit the car three different times before then falling onto the roof of one of these haunted houses. A different witness also telling our affiliates that the picture posted up on the roller coaster actually captured Kariem's last moments.
Here's what a mom who saw the chaotic aftermath witnessed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two of my children had just been on that ride maybe 20 minutes before. Whenever you go to amusement parks, whenever you get in a car, whenever you live your life, it's always subject to risk. So you just never know when something's going to happen.
ROSALES: And CNN heard back from the Swiss roller coaster manufacturer behind Goliath, Bolliger and Mabillard, who say that they are investigating the incident. We had a roller coaster safety expert also weigh in saying that this company has a stellar safety record, but notably this ride, Goliath, does not have a secondary restraint system if the first one fails.
Again, we don't know what was behind Kariem's death -- if this was mechanical, human error, why it is that he came out of his restraint and fell to his death. We know that the insurance commissioner's office here in Georgia is investigating, the Cobb County police, and also the maker of Goliath.
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SMITH: Just a tragic event. Our own Isabel Rosales continuing to report on that for us. Thank you.
And while investigators work to really determine what went wrong, what happened, Six Flags has closed several of its similar style roller coasters at parks across the country.
Well, developing this morning, Cornell University is suspending all fraternity social events for the rest of the academic school year. The suspension was announced in a letter from Cornell's president. It also outlines steps that the school plans to take to strengthen campus safety and better support survivors of sexual violence. The announcement comes as the university and county district attorney face growing scrutiny over their handling of an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in 2024.
And happening today, a Cornell faculty Senate meeting. The Cornell president and provost expected to address the faculty and discuss a proposed no confidence vote.
If you or anyone you know is struggling after a sexual assault, you are not alone. Free, confidential, 24/7 support is available online at RAINN.org. That's RAINN with two Ns. Or you can call 1-800-656-HOPE.
This morning, Kimberly Guilfoyle is still sticking by Trump, even after being forced out. Guilfoyle resigning as ambassador to Greece after growing scandals, writing, "My time as ambassador may be coming to an end. My commitment to President Trump will never end." But it appears that feeling is not mutual.
CNN's Kylie Atwood has the details.
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KATIE ZACHARIA, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We have asked Ambassador Guilfoyle to resign. She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well.
[05:40:00]
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia breaking news at her first briefing. The departure of the U.S. ambassador to Greece coming after a series of damaging reports, including Kimberly Guilfoyle asking a longtime Trump donor to pay off her $100,000 credit card bill in exchange for access to Trump administration officials.
Guilfoyle was engaged to Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., for four years, but the president downplayed her ties to his family.
TRUMP: She wasn't a member of my family. She, I guess, dated my son a long time ago, but she wasn't. No. She went to Greece and she was doing a good job, but we didn't like what we were reading.
ATWOOD: Guilfoyle and Don Jr. broke off their engagement in December 2024. She was nominated as U.S. Ambassador to Greece that same month, a plum post for someone who had become a high profile fixture of the MAGA movement.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GREECE: We will continue to stand for President Trump. Stand with him and for this country.
ATWOOD: But her downfall began when reports of her misconduct emerged less than a month ago. First, a Wall Street Journal report about a lobbyist for a Greek construction company joining her in many official meetings. Then a report of Eric Deters, a major Trump donor, alleging a pay for play scheme.
ERIC DETERS, TRUMP SUPPORTER: She told me and it's in the text messages, "I'll be your ride or die forever in the Trump administration. I won't keep track of how many favors, how big the favors." So that's why she asked for it. There was no question it was a quid pro quo.
ATWOOD: Guilfoyle's lawyer said those claims are false. Deters owed her for previous speaking engagements, they said, calling him "a delinquent client being asked to pay an overdue bill."
Guilfoyle acknowledged her time as ambassador was winding down in a tweet and submitted her formal resignation. A White House official tells CNN she denied the allegations against her, writing, "I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity."
Guilfoyle has not always been an ardent Republican. She was married to Gavin Newsom when he was the mayor of San Francisco. They divorced in 2006. That same year, she started working at Fox News full-time.
Newsom, on a CNN podcast, said this.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM, (D) CALIFORNIA: She's whip smart and she fell prey to I think the culture at Fox and in a deep way she would disagree with that assessment. ATWOOD: Guilfoyle abruptly left her post at Fox in 2018, and she started dating Don Jr. that same year. She became an ever present partner, a senior adviser to Trump's 2020 campaign and key surrogate speaking at the Republican convention that year.
GUILFOYLE: The best is yet to come.
ATWOOD: Four years later, she was on stage again, remaining keenly involved even while her engagement to Don Jr. was nearing its end.
GUILFOYLE: This is our last chance to make America great again.
ATWOOD: And now, after being asked to resign, Guilfoyle says that she remains committed to Trump and his America First movement.
Kylie Atwood, CNN, Washington.
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SMITH: Thank you, Kylie.
And next up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, check this out. A man on the run from police tries to bust out through a closed window. You'll want to see how that all ends.
And the Vatican confirms the Pope's cancer diagnosis. We have more on his condition after having part of his right lung removed. That is next. Stay with us.
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[05:47:52]
SMITH: The Vatican says Pope Leo is recovering after successful surgery to remove a cancerous growth in his lung. The 71-year-old pontiff had the lower lobe of his right lung removed during a 90- minute procedure on Tuesday. All his public events have been canceled for the next week as he recovers.
CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb has the latest on the Pope's diagnosis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's obviously alarming news that Pope Leo has been diagnosed with this form of cancer, you know. Initially, the Vatican said on Tuesday that the surgery that Pope Leo had been admitted to undergo had been a success. And then we were told in a follow-up statement by the doctors at the Gemelli Hospital that the Pope had part of his right lung removed and that it had showed with subsequent tests that he had this cancer. Now, the statement also said that it was suspected that he might have cancer and that this simply confirmed what had been suspected initially.
Now, Pope Leo is in the Gemelli Hospital recovering following the surgery that lasted around 90 minutes. He's in the 10th floor of this hospital, which has been visited by a number of popes over the years. It's expected that he'll take about a week to recover, but then it's unclear what happens next. There will be further tests that will be undertaken on the pope.
He does have a planned trip to Latin America in early November. There's obviously a question mark over that. His audiences have been cancelled until the 20th of October.
This news, of course, causing a lot of anxiety and alarm in the Vatican and across the Catholic Church. Pope Leo only elected in May 2025. He's 71 years old. He had been seen to be in reasonably good health, so this has been a shock. However, a lung expert I spoke to said that if this kind of cancer is detected early, then the outcomes are looking quite positive.
[05:50:08]
But obviously a lot of uncertainty on Tuesday night here at the Gemelli Hospital following the news that Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.
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SMITH: Let's go around the globe to see what else is making headlines today.
We are following new developments out of Ukraine. That's where authorities say Russian missiles have hit energy facilities, including in the capital city. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the massive attack has left more than 600,000 people without power. This was the scene in Kyiv just a day earlier in what Zelenskyy called a "particularly vile attack on civilian infrastructure." Air raid sirens sounded in the capital only after several explosions had already ripped through the city. Zelenskyy says that he had not received any notice from allies warning of impending Russian attacks.
President Trump was asked about that.
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REPORTER: Have we stopped sharing intel with Ukraine?
TRUMP: No, we haven't. We help them. But we're really helping them get to a final answer. We want the war ended, Peter. We are helping them, and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end. So we're working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Zelenskyy says Ukraine has not targeted Russian refineries since Donald Trump's surprise announcement of an energy ceasefire on Sunday. Now to a trial over one of the biggest acts of sabotage in decades. An
ex-Ukrainian soldier is standing trial in Germany, accused in the operation to blow up two Nord Stream gas pipelines. Those pipelines funneled Russian gas into Europe and have been controversial. This happened seven months after Russia invaded Ukraine. But the defendant denies any wrongdoing, and Ukraine has denied any involvement.
In France, students say the images of clashes with police, like the ones that you see here, do not define their protest movement. Now students -- they marched in cities across the country again on Tuesday, continuing their demands for better funded schools and more teachers. Most of the protests were peaceful, but some fringe protest groups lit fires, vandalized property, and clashed with police. Quite the situation that we're continuing to track there.
Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, watch this wild encounter with a whale on a fishing trip. What the boaters said about that close encounter, coming up next.
And Mercedes-Benz recalling more than 30,000 cars over an issue that could cause a crash. We got the details on the recall coming up.
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[05:57:05]
SMITH: In today's Money Express, Bank of America gets hit with a record fine by the federal government over anti-money laundering allegations.
Maribel Aber joins us from the NASDAQ MarketSite with more details on those allegations. Maribel, what do we know?
MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: OK, Brad.
Bank of America fined more than $1.2 billion on Tuesday for allegedly violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws. The Treasury Department said the nation's second largest bank admitted to willfully violating the Bank Secrecy Act and failed to file reports more than $5 billion in suspicious activity. The penalty is the third largest in the Treasury Department's history. Bank of America's stock was down by as much as three percent in afterhours trading following the announcement.
CVS has agreed to a massive $315 million settlement with the federal government. The agreement resolves allegations that the pharmacy chain illegally filled opioid prescriptions over the course of more than a decade. It was alleged that prescriptions were not valid or were filled despite red flags. Besides the fine, CVS must establish more safeguards, including a hotline to report any future suspected illegal drug dispensing. CVS said it disagreed with the claims and admits no wrongdoing.
Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 30,000 vehicles due to a brake line issue that could increase the risk of a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recalled vehicles front brake hose may rupture and leak brake fluid, making it harder to stop. The recall covers certain models of the luxury automaker sedans from years 2022 to 2025. Authorized dealers will replace the front brake hoses free of charge. For more information, visit NHTSA's website -- Brad.
SMITH: All right, Maribel Aber, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
Now to some other stories that we are tracking.
We've got to start in Oklahoma. That's where a man jumps through a glass window to escape deputies. Take a look at this.
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POLICE OFFICER: Get on your knees! Get on your knees! Oh, (bleep).
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SMITH: I'd have that same reaction.
Deputies got a call about a burglary at this vacant house. An officer confronted the man who say -- they say, was trying to steal copper, but the guy ignored commands and then, you saw, jumped through the window. Deputies chased him for a bit but lost him. However, he left his backpack and driver's license behind. That should help.
In California, crews rescued two women and four small dogs who got stranded by rising waters. Their encampment turned into an island when a river started to rise. Crews used an inflatable rescue float and boats to bring them to safety. Authorities say that the dogs were placed in a mesh bag because they were a little too excited for the ride.
And a man and his uncle have quite the story to tell after a whale crashed into their boat. Take a look at this.
[06:00:00]
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Whale crashes into side of boat.
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SMITH: I'm just trying to slide through real quick. This was off the coast of Long Island. The guy said that they saw the whale from a distance and decided to start recording, and then that happened. So just start thinking to yourself what would you even do? We'll follow up on that later.
That does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
