Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Headlines: A Mom Accused of Driving Her Truck onto a Soccer Field Released from Custody; A Deadly Fire Engulfs a Canadian Military Base in the Middle of Training; Researchers Hit a Major Setback in Amelia Earhart's Disappearance and Lost Lockheed Plane. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired October 19, 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]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT GAZA, WITNESSED A TRUCK VEERED ONTO A SOCCER FIELD: Just ran out the way, hoping he didn't follow me. Hoping I didn't get hit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD SMITH, ANCHOR, CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS: Tragedy on the soccer field. A mom accused of driving her truck onto that field, she's been released from custody. More on that developing story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like I said, it was just a scene from a war movie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Just like a war movie. A deadly fire at a military base in the middle of training with one major general saying that he's never seen anything like it. We've got that coming your way. Plus, a car payment is going to set you back even more.
Those numbers hitting a new record high. We'll get into all that plus more. Good morning, everyone, I'm Brad Smith, this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, glad that you're with us this morning. We'll get to all those stories in a moment.
But first, we have to talk about this. President Donald Trump back at the White House this morning, but he won't be staying there for long. As this afternoon he's scheduled to leave for a campaign stop in Kansas.
You're looking at all the states that he's visited in the last week, and that's marked in red, plus the ones that he's going to in the days ahead in yellow. The President plans to headline Midterm rallies every day as part of the get-out-the-vote push.
So, what has President Trump on the move right now? Well, CNN's Julia Benbrook is in Florida with more and that explanation. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Of course, right now, Republicans have control of the White House, the Senate and the House. Any change in that dynamic would have a big impact on Trump's next two years.
And an RNC official tells me that the strategy for the rally that he had this weekend in Kentucky, as well as the other rallies that he's had throughout the month, has been to encourage turnout, to get Republicans to go to the polls.
And the message that we've heard over and over from him is that voters should pretend that he is on the ballot. Now, he continued to say that when he made this stop just yesterday. Take a listen.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If we don't win, this is the most important Midterm in the history of our country because we've gotten more things done and they can undo them if we start losing an election and especially this one.
So, pretend I'm on the ballot, go out and vote. You've got to do it. Raise your right hand. Will everybody vote? Yes, right.
BENBROOK: So, there he's kind of giving his own pull to that crowd of supporters. But here's what the polls we're tracking are showing. A CNN poll of polls, which is an accumulation of several key national polls, it shows that his approval rating right now is at just 34 percent.
And then you have that new poll from "Washington Post", "ABC" and Ipsos that asked voters specifically about some key issues, like which political party do they trust more when it comes to the economy? And that found that 37 percent said Democrats, compared to just 28 percent that said, Republicans.
Other key areas where polling shows that Democrats have an edge right now is health care, as well as inflation and the cost of living. So, in the coming days, Trump is going to continue to be out there, encouraging Republicans to get out and on his schedule.
We expect him this week to be in Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, and then ending the week back here in the state of Florida with a rally in Fort Myers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: I thank you, Julia. Police have released the woman accused of driving onto a soccer field during a youth game in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday. Two people were killed, including a six-year-old boy, and ten others were wounded.
Police say that they are still waiting for toxicology results and further examination of the woman's truck. CNN obtained video that appears to capture the moment the truck entered the field. A warning the audio on this clip is very disturbing. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got to -- we've got to --
(WOMAN SCREAMING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No!!!
[05:05:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My dad went to the truck, took the person out the truck so they don't hit any more people. Shocked he did that because if he didn't do that, maybe the car would have stopped and more people could have gotten hit.
GAZA: I was mainly just shocked. You know, when you see a car driving over a bunch of people, you're just like -- you're just in shock. I was scared, obviously. I didn't know what to think. I just ran out of the way, hoping it didn't follow me, hoping I didn't get hit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Police say the two of the women's children were in the truck with her, and another was playing on a different field at the time of the incident. No charges have been filed at this time, but police say their investigation is ongoing.
Well, to Long Beach, California, where new video shows a man lying in the street and begging for help while being detained by ICE agents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's broken -- what the -- help me, help me, man! My arm is broken! My arm is broken!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: This happened Saturday morning and the mayor identifies the detained man as Ricardo Gonzalez, who told him that he is a U.S. citizen. The mayor says Gonzalez and other community members called 9- 1-1 after spotting unmarked vehicles in the area.
It remains unclear what led to the arrest. A GoFundMe posted by Gonzalez's daughter alleges ICE agents struck him with a vehicle while he was riding his bike. Four Canadian service members are dead after a massive fire broke out at one of Canada's busiest military bases on Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've seen a guy run by me that had his pants blown off. All he was in his blue underwear. You know, I've seen burns. I've seen people that were getting unloaded out of the back of that military vehicle.
They were wrapped in pretty much tinfoil. I heard people screaming inside of those vehicles, you know, that will never end up being out of my mind. Like I said, it was just a scene from a war movie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Just a distressful and scary experience that's being described by that man. This happened in the Alberta Province, and officials there say that the cause of the fire is still being investigated. Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, said that the fire stemmed from a, quote, "serious incident", but did not provide details on that incident.
Over the weekend, Pope Leo made his first major public appearance since undergoing lung cancer surgery. He led prayers Sunday, just one day after being discharged from the hospital and thanked well-wishers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT PREVOST, POPE, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): I would like to thank all those who, in these days who have prayed for me. I would like to thank you for your support. Thank you. I thank you. Particular gratitude must be conveyed to the doctors, the nurses and all the staff of the Gemelli Hospital where I was being treated. This experience made me experience nearness of all those who suffer from this condition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The 71-year-old pope walked out of the hospital and greeted the waiting crowd on Saturday. He had surgery last week to remove what the Vatican says turned out to be a cancerous lung nodule. Continue and speedy recovery to the pope.
Lots more to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Take a look at this. This is the scene around Paris today after a violent weekend of protests over education and the high cost of living. The latest ahead after thousands were arrested and at least two are dead.
Plus, the latest on a mission to solve the 89-year-old mystery of famed missing aviator Amelia Earhart. What rescuers are telling us now. Keep it right here on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:10:00]
SMITH: France is reeling from its worst rioting in years after nationwide protests over education and the cost of living spiraled into a wave of violence across the country. More than half a million people participated in the anti-government protests on Saturday, most of them peacefully, but later on, rioters took to the streets, looting and burning businesses and public buildings.
Officials said more than 2,000 people were arrested over the weekend. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to the nation and said legitimate grievances will be addressed. But he says seditious elements from far-left factions must be held accountable for the violence.
Now, the violence wasn't only confined to Paris. In Limoges, protesters cheered as the historic city hall collapsed after being set on fire by rioters. Here's what the city's mayor had to say in response to the fire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR GUILLAUME GUERIN, LIMOGES, FRANCE (through translator): What I want today is for the government to realize that the reason city hall burned down is that we were unable to keep the rioters contained to the boulevards, simply because we lacked the means to do so.
That is unacceptable. I expect a firm response from the government, a shift in policy, and above all, a specific plan for Limoges along with the millions in funding that will be required to rebuild city hall and restore public services.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Now protests have begun to spread across Europe. This was the scene in Milan, Italy, yesterday. Police arrested more than 70 people there. The Italian Prime Minister condemned the looting. Well, the Midterms aren't the only election on President Trump's mind this week.
[05:15:00]
Trump has finally endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with just over a week until Israeli voters go to the polls. The President telling journalist Barak Ravid in a phone call and a phone interview, quote, "I was always going to do that. I just didn't want to do it too soon." CNN's Kevin Liptak has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER (on camera): President Trump is throwing his support behind Benjamin Netanyahu as the Israeli Prime Minister is battling for his political survival. For months, President Trump had stopped short of providing his endorsement.
And even when he was asked by reporters whether he wanted Netanyahu to remain as Prime Minister, he never quite said. He said, he wasn't involved in that election. But now, just days before Israelis head to the polls, President Trump is offering his full-throated support.
He says that, quote, "Bibi Netanyahu has been strong, brave and brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel itself. Despite all of that, he has endured, and in fact, he has thrived."
Now, it used to be kind of taboo for an American President to endorse in a foreign election. President Trump has sort of blown past that tradition for a long time now. But it is an open question of just how much effect this endorsement will have.
President Trump used to be enormously popular in Israel. During an election in 2019, there were billboards that lined highways there, showing Netanyahu and Trump together. Those billboards are not there now. And many Israelis have soured on President Trump, including because of the war in Iran.
They think he's just dropped the ball there. Now, in his endorsement, President Trump did mention Iran. Now, this is an issue that has put him at odds with Netanyahu in a lot of ways. It's become clear now for months that the U.S. and Israel have divergent interests in that conflict.
President Trump and his endorsement said that the U.S. and Israel would, quote, "finish the job soon in Iran." But he also offered something of a warning. He said that if Israel, quote, "has the wrong leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves."
And he says, he was not inclined to do that. Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Kevin. Well, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order today creating a women's health division within the National Institutes of Health. The goal is to expand research on women's health issues and turn that research into treatments and cures.
It's an initiative championed by first lady Melania Trump. Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, family and friends prepare to say goodbye to the victim in the deadly Six Flags roller-coaster incident. Where the investigation stands now, the latest coming your way.
And could the Ukraine-Russia war be nearing an end? It's been a years' long question. What the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is saying about the possibility of a meeting between top leaders to bring a conflict there to a close.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:20:00]
SMITH: A funeral is scheduled today for the man who fell to his death from a roller coaster at Six Flags over Georgia last week. Hassan Kariem died one week ago after he was flung from the Goliath roller coaster while riding with his niece.
He was a robotics coach and I.T. Manager at an Atlanta area school. An investigation into what happened here is still underway, as Six Flags is also temporarily shut down. Nine rides across six parks that are similar to Goliath, those rides, which used this lap restraint.
Now back to the Midterms and to the highly contentious Senate race in Michigan. The war of words between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and his rival, Republican Mike Rogers, amped up even more over the weekend.
And each of the two candidates took sharp jabs at each other. Rogers on the right there attempting to tie his opponent to an Islamist political movement and El-Sayed on the left, implying his opponent doesn't think for himself. CNN's Jeff Zeleny breaks down where the two opponents stand.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): With two weeks left in the Midterm election campaign, the Michigan Senate race, which is at the center of the fight for control of the Senate, is taking on a decidedly negative and dark turn.
Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate, spent the weekend criticizing his Democratic rival, Abdul El-Sayed, for not fully disavowing, in his view, the El-Sayed comments about the Muslim Brotherhood. But we caught up with El-Sayed in Flint on Sunday, he said he clearly condemns them. He is not a part of them, and he turned the conversation back to the economy.
ABDUL EL-SAYED, MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR U.S. SENATE: My name and my faith are not the reason you can't afford your gas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
EL-SAYED: My name and my faith are not the reason you can't afford your groceries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
EL-SAYED: My name and my faith are not the reason you can't see a doctor. I mean, chances are if you're seeing a doctor, they might actually have my name and my faith.
ZELENY: There's no question that Michigan is at the center of this fight for control of the Senate, because Democrats must hold on to their current seats, including the open seat here in Michigan, as well as pick up four additional seats.
Now, Abdul El-Sayed would be the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. He is not focusing on that. He is focusing on the economy. He said that is what voters here are concerned about and care about. Mike Rogers, of course, a former member of Congress, has been trying to distance himself from the President and the President's policies.
President Trump has pledged to visit Michigan before the campaign is over. Abdul El-Sayed said he welcomes that visit. He thinks it shines a light on the Trump policies. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Detroit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[05:25:00]
SMITH: Thank you, Jeff. There was an expedition that we told you about last week. Researchers went to a remote island in the South Pacific to try to find Amelia Earhart's missing plane. And they just provided an update. Researchers revealed that they found no conclusive evidence in the
missing pilot landed her aircraft on the island. Their search focused around a plane-shaped object seen on satellite images that they believed could have been plane wreckage.
It turns out, it was most likely just debris and trees. So, the 89- year mystery continues. However, some researchers still believe that Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, did end up landing their plane on or near that remote island when they went missing in 1937 and became castaways until they likely died from hunger or thirst. The search continues there.
Straight ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. There's this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Things, we heard gunshots multiple times.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: An elementary school student recounting the harrowing events and moments when gunshots rang out at her school. What we know about the investigation into the incident that took the lives of a teacher and three students.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
