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CNN Headlines: Talarico Tackles Abortion, Faith And "Conspiracy Theories" At CNN Town Hall; Pope Leo XIV Shares First Message To Catholic Faithful After Lung Cancer Diagnosis; Confrontation Between Maryland Congressman And Student Journalist Goes Viral. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired October 15, 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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[05:30:22]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are expected in court today to face accusations that they tortured political opponents and U.S. citizens. They were already indicted on drug trafficking charges. U.S. forces captured them in their home in Venezuela back in January. They've pleaded not guilty and Maduro's attorney says that the former leader is looking forward to his day in court.
CNN has learned the Trump administration pushed for an unusually aggressive search of Congresswoman Ilham Omar's home as part of an immigration fraud investigation, including possible false statements and conspiracy. Prosecutors faced a prolonged back-and-forth with a federal magistrate judge.
And Texas Democrat James Talarico met with voters at a CNN town hall last night hoping to win over supporter from those who are still undecided. He tackled a wide range of issues.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: James Tallarico made a direct appeal to supporters and skeptics alike, pledging that he would put the needs of Texas above his own party, as he is asking voters to do something they have not done in 38 years, that's elect a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.
JAMES TALARICO, (D) TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: I have no problem sharing hard truths with my party if it's what's best for Texas.
ZELENY: Now, in the final days of his hard-fought race with Republican rival Ken Paxton, who has spent millions trying to brand Talarico as too liberal for Texas, Talarico sought to present himself as a moderate, and he pushed back against the border policies of the Biden administration and said he does not support abolishing ICE.
TALARICO: No, and I never have. We need Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this country, but that's not what we're seeing. What we've seen over the last year is a secret police force. And that's what we don't want in this country.
ZELENY: In a remarkable exchange face-to-face with a voter, he invoked humility as he talked about abortion.
TALARICO: We're both Christians, and the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion. It means you and I both have to look at different scriptures to try to come to a conclusion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to add that the Bible is not silent on abortion. There is the Ten Commandments -- thou shall not kill.
TALARICO: If I believed if -- that abortion was murder, that it violated the Ten Commandments, then I wouldn't support it. And so it's okay that you and I come to different conclusions about that.
ZELENY: But he also sought to move beyond the divisive cultural issues in this race back to more of a populist message saying that he is a champion for the working class.
TALARICO: The only minority destroying America is the billionaires. They are constantly trying to divide us.
ZELENY: Now, early voting starts here in Texas on Monday. This is the final stretch of a consequential campaign that could hold the balance of power for the Senate in its hands.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Fort Worth, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Jeff.
And now to a CNN exclusive. The United States is considering using the so-called mother of all bombs as part of a new strike plan in the war with Iran. Military sources are telling CNN that plans are in place in case President Trump decides to resume combat operations either before or after the midterm elections.
It is the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal. Using it for the first time in the conflict with Iran would be a notable escalation. It has the capability of destroying an area equal to nine city blocks.
When asked about possible military plans, a White House official told CNN the president is keeping all options on the table.
Well, President Trump is once again urging voters to pretend that his name is on the ballot in November's midterm elections.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So we're going to elect a strong Republican majority in the House and Senate, and I think we have a really good chance. And to be honest with you, you know, I'm not on the ballot. And they say if I'm on the ballot, we get 49 percent more votes. So I'm here to say, please pretend I'm on the ballot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: He campaigned Wednesday in Republican stronghold districts in Arizona and Montana.
Some GOP candidates are faced with the dilemma of appearing with the unpopular president or alienating the MAGA base.
More now from CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak.
[05:35:00]
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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Trump wrapped up a two-day swing through the American West here in Montana. And the goal in all of these stops was the same, to try and get rural voters, these people who voted for the president overwhelmingly during his own contest, to turn out to vote in this year's midterm elections.
And when you talk to Republicans, that is a big concern -- that these voters will just not go out to the polls in an election where the president is not up himself. And you hear him repeat that at his rallies over and over to pretend -- he said I'm on the ballot. He said it in Alaska. He said it in Arizona, and he repeated it again here in Montana.
Now here, the really marquee race is for the House. This pits conservative radio host Aaron Flint against a firefighter and a union leader, Sam Forstag. He's the Democrat. Flint is the Republican.
Now, before the president arrived, I spoke to Flint and he was frank. He acknowledged that they have identified thousands and thousands of voters in this district who vote during presidential elections but don't turn out during the midterms. And he said that the goal in accompanying President Trump and in appearing with him here was to try and get those people to vote.
But of course, the real risk for any Republican appearing alongside the president is that he's very unpopular and that could potentially be a liability for them. Now, Flint kind of that question when I asked him about it.
But certainly, President Trump is unpopular in Montana. His approval rating has slipped. That's in part due to the Iran war. It's in part due to the economy. And Democrats are really trying to seize on that. The big issue here is housing. You know, out-of-staters have moved to Montana and that has had the effect of driving up housing prices. I talked to the Democrat in this race, Sam Forstag, and he
acknowledges that the Democratic brand in Montana has slipped. He says that people are pissed off at the Democratic Party. That was the word that he used. But he said that he did not think that President Trump coming here would necessarily help Republicans.
Now In his speech, President Trump said that his only job here was to get good candidates across the finish line. And he said that he would be out for the next several weeks trying to get Republicans elected into the House and Senate.
Kevin Liptak, CNN, Kalispell, Montana.
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SMITH: Thank you, Kevin.
Catholics worldwide are praying for Pope Leo's recovery following his surgery and lung cancer diagnosis. The pontiff is responding from his hospital quarters in Rome. His doctors say that they're confident that the cancer has been removed, but they're waiting for more test results to determine whether it had spread.
Sherrell Hubbard has the latest on Leo's recovery.
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SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Pope Leo XIV is sharing his first message since he underwent surgery for lung cancer in Rome Tuesday. In a message to Catholic's Wednesday, he said, "As you know, I've been unable to be among you during these days. I thank you warmly for your prayers." He went on to say, "I ask you to please pray for me as I pray for you." Some of the faithful are doing just that.
CHICAGO STUDENT: Dear Pope Leo, the whole school hopes you get better. We're all praying for you and the doctors that are helping you.
HUBBARD (voiceover): Students from the Pope's birthplace, Chicago, sending care packages and love to the pontiff. They wrote letters hoping to boost his spirits.
LUCAS KNUDSEN, 8TH GRADE STUDENT: I was a little bit nervous for Pope Leo because I've met him and he has a big role. I want him to stay healthy.
HUBBARD (voiceover): The pope underwent a surgical removal of a cancerous nodule, a pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer. According to the Vatican, the Pope's recovery Is "proceeding as expected" after what's been described as a successful surgery.
DR. STEPHEN LIU, MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST: We don't know yet is the stage -- the extent of spread. Was it just that one nodule in the right lower lobe of the lung? Were there multiple nodules after they removed it?
HUBBARD (voiceover): The Vatican says blood tests and a chest X-ray show his recovery is progressing normally.
Wednesday, a Vatican spokesperson said Leo jointly conducted mass with other priests in a room specially set up on his floor, and he's been able to walk around his quarters in the hospital.
I'm Sherrell Hubbard reporting.
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SMITH: Thank you, Sherrell.
We take you now to this CNN exclusive, new details in the DOJ's investigation of Ilhan Omar. Sources say that the Trump administration pushed for an unusually aggressive search of Ilhan Omar's house Monday as part of an immigration fraud investigation. The move follows years of criminal scrutiny as investigators examine whether Omar made false statements on government forms.
Here's Katelyn Polantz with more.
[05:40:00]
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KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: A federal criminal search of Representative Ilhan Omar's home in the D.C. area on Monday -- a really unusual step taken by both the Justice Department and the Homeland Security Department so soon before an election less than a couple weeks until Rep. Omar tries to maintain her seat in Congress out of Minnesota, where she is running. She has been in Congress since 2018. She's a Somali immigrant to the United States and now a U.S. citizen.
This particular investigation -- we know so far from a Justice Department spokesperson that it's part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. And on top of that, it is very likely an immigration- related investigation. We've heard that both by the evidence of these Homeland Security investigators on scene as well as from the White House border czar Tom Homan. He also has acknowledged that there's an immigration investigation that's been ongoing for a while here.
Other details -- we don't have them, but as source has told us the top Justice Department leadership would have signed off on this. And because this is a search of a home during a criminal probe, the Justice Department would have had to have gone to a federal court and asked for a judge's approval and gotten a judge's approval to be able to enter that home and remove boxes, other documents and other things they may find that could potentially build case around or against Rep. Omar.
Now she has not been charged at this time and denies any wrongdoing, including related to immigration. She also has said in a statement today that this is an "escalation in a campaign of political intimidation."
And make no mistake, it is -- she is someone that the president, President Donald Trump, has called a disgrace, has attacked repeatedly, and that people on the right have long wanted to see criminally investigated for immigration and other reasons.
Now, there are just from policies to stop some sort of overstep in investigation so close to an election, but those can easily be overcome. And that federal judge signing off on this also is a signal that the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security are taking this very seriously, whatever they may be investigating here related to Rep. Omar.
Back to you.
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SMITH: All right, Katelyn Polantz. Thank you.
Next up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, there's this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAT MURPHY, STUDENT JOURNALIST: I'm sorry, no, I will continue then.
REP. ANDY HARRIS (R-MD): I'm not going to answer it.
MURPHY: All right, I'm going to continue. So, all of your questions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: A confrontation caught on camera between a lawmaker and a student journalist. More from this video coming up.
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[05:47:05]
SMITH: A confrontation between a Maryland Republican congressman and a student journalist is going viral. During the confrontation, Congressman Andy Harris threatened to have Kat Murphy arrested.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Uh, we're not answering your question either. Go on.
MURPHY: I'm sorry. No, I will continue then.
HARRIS: I'm not going to answer it. You can continue.
MURPHY: All right, I'm going to continue. So all of your --
HARRIS: You cannot -- you cannot -- you cannot film me. You cannot film me.
MURPHY: Yes, I can.
HARRIS: No, you can't.
MURPHY: Yes, I can.
HARRIS: This is a two-party state. I am not giving you authority to film me. This is private.
MURPHY: You invited the press --
HARRIS: No. Well, I'm disinviting you.
MURPHY: No, you're not.
HARRIS: You're gone. You do not have my permission to record. If you record, we will refer you to the prosecutor:
MURPHY: Everyone in here is recording.
HARRIS: But you are not allowed to. We are in a two-party state. You are not allowed to record.
MURPHY: Why am I not allowed to?
HARRIS: What -- excuse me?
MURPHY: Why am I not allowed to?
HARRIS: Because I refuse to. I'll give you permission to do a recording.
MURPHY: If everyone else in this room --
HARRIS: It doesn't make it --
MURPHY: Can you please hold my phone?
HARRIS: Do you know the law?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With due respect, this is a public forum.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a public forum.
HARRIS: This is -- do you know the law?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you a lawyer?
HARRIS: Yeah, actually, I'm a legislator. Yeah, I actually-- I actually know the law well because we have to prosecute --
MURPHY: You said that you wanted the -- you wanted the war in Iran. You said that it could have gone smoother and it could have gone better. What did you mean by that?
HARRIS: You're going to take her camera. You're going to take her camera. She is violating the law. In fact, get an officer in here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: A few things to break down here. Jake Tapper first spoke to that student journalist, Cat Murphy, about the incident and here's what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: First of all, a lot of journalists might make it all the way to retirement and not have a confrontation like that with a member of Congress, not to mention one that goes viral. It's been about a day now. How you taking it all in?
MURPHY: It's been a lot, I won't lie. It has been a lot. But I was focused on doing my job and asking my questions that I wanted answers to, and I think I did that.
TAPPER: You did. We heard you at the end try to get in your question on the issues and his stance on Iran. What did you want to know?
MURPHY: Absolutely. So he -- during the candidates' forum, he had said that his response to his stance on the war in Iran, on Trump's handling of the war in Iran, was that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
TAPPER: Sure. That's what all the Republicans say whenever you ask about the war.
MURPHY: Right. And so he led with that. But then at the end, he kind of threw in a line about, do I think it could have gone smoother? Do I think it could have gone faster? Yes. And I wanted to know what he meant by that. I wanted to know what he -- what he disputed about what happened that he believed could have gone better or faster.
TAPPER: So he threatened to have your phone taken away. He threatened to be -- that you would be prosecuted. He threatened to have an officer come over.
Have you heard from his office at all? I mean, like, everything he was saying was completely contrary to the First Amendment and to the law in Maryland. Have you heard anything from his office? Did they ever apologize or anything?
[05:50:00]
MURPHY: No, I have not heard from his office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: For the record, the congressman, the legislator, as he reminded, is wrong on the law. Two-party consent is relevant only to private oral conversations, and he had zero expectation of privacy in this instance. The First Amendment gives you the right to record public officials in public places as long as you're not interfering with their official duties.
Let's go around the globe to see what's making headlines today.
We start with major developments in the war with Iran. Two cargo ships have sunk near the Strait of Hormuz following separate strikes by Iran. A Singapore-flagged container ship was hit on Tuesday. All crew members were safely evacuated. A merchant vessel that was struck weeks ago also went down. One person was killed in that attack. Iran is ramping up its strikes as it tries to regain control over the critical waterway.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Ukraine plans to resume strikes on Russian oil refineries. In an interview with the Financial Times, he also warns the U.S. intelligence pullback is dangerous. The remarks come as tensions with President Trump escalate. Zelenskyy also says he felt betrayed by the U.S. deal to buy Russian diesel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Our country has to survive, and we count on our real partners, strategic partners, United States. And President Trump, they wanted us not to attack. This -- my opinion was it's not fair. Energy ceasefire is okay, it's understandable. They -- I mean, it's the worst version of peace, but anyway, it's some steps to the peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And a long-delayed bridge between China and North Korea opened Thursday. Chinese state media saying this as the four-lane span runs nearly two miles, linking the two countries. China finished its side in 2014, but North Korea left its end unfinished amid strained ties, nuclear tests, and UN sanctions.
Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a trip to the hospital could now cost you more than what some people make in months. We've got that coming up.
Plus, a car pulled up to a TV station and shots rang out, but it wasn't the first time that's happened here. Stay with us, we've got the details on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
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[05:56:47]
SMITH: In today's Money Express, a hospital stay can now cost as much as what the average American earns in 2 1/2 months of work. Make it make sense.
Maribel Aber from the NASDAQ MarketSite with more of those details.
MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: OK, Brad, a new report shows just how expensive a hospital stay can be for Americans. According to a LendingTree analysis, a five-day hospital stay cost $16,353, which would take the average American more than 2 1/2 months to pay off. Now, California is the most expensive at $23,530, nearly 44 percent more than the national average, as South Dakota is the least expensive at $10,188.
Heating oil prices are expected to soar this winter to an average of $5.26 a gallon. That's according to the latest government report, and it's up 34 percent more than last year. The average home that uses heating oil is expected to spend $2,115 from November through March, about 21 percent more than last year. And the good news, a warmer than average winter in the Northeast could help lower demand. Hey, Social Security is boosting monthly payments for its recipients by 3.6 percent next year. That's the biggest cost of living adjustment or COLA that Social Security has given since 2023. Last year, Social Security only raised payments by 2.8 percent. Social Security's COLA is calculated based on inflation for the third quarter of the prior year. All right, many recipients say that needs to be revised because it doesn't cover actual increases in the cost of living.
SMITH: All right, a really good note there. Maribel Aber, thank you so much.
Streaming giant Netflix is planning global job cuts. The reduction of its workforce will impact six percent of its staff, which equates to roughly 1,000 people. The executives laying out the product, tech, legal and HR teams would experience the greatest impact as detailed in an internal memo first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Speaking recently at a Bloomberg Screen Time event, co-CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged the business is not growing as fast as he wants. The last time the company announced job cuts of this magnitude was in 2022.
Now to some of the other stories that we are tracking across the country.
We start in New York. That's where police moved quickly to rescue a man from a burning car after a wrong-way crash. Take a look.
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Police rescuing a man from a burning car.
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SMITH: A stranger called 911 after this crash, and police say everyone rushed to pull the man from one of the wrecked cars. He was taken to the hospital. No word yet on how he's doing.
All right and take a look at this video out of California. The driver of an SUV opened fire at a TV station in Bakersfield on Tuesday. It is the second shooting there in less than a week. Investigators say the gunman fired 10 shots into a conference room and an office. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
[06:00:00]
And in Texas, several people are facing charges after allegedly stealing several thousand dollars' worth of watermelon. Officials say they were arrested during a multi-agency operation last week targeting individuals suspected to be stealing watermelons from local farms. Police used a thermal imaging drone to locate and arrest the four suspects. That is a very niche heist.
Well, that does it for CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
