Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Event/Special

CNN Headlines: Russian State Media: American Prisoner Stephen Hubbard Released From Detention; Abdul El-Sayed Hoping To Win Over Black Voters In Michigan; Who's Accountable For Deadly Bend, Oregon School Shooting? Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired October 21, 2026 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:30:50]

BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we're tracking breaking news out of Russia this morning. Russian state media reports that 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard has been released after being detained for four years. This comes after a visit from American foreign envoy Steve Witkoff.

Let's go to CNN's chief global affairs correspondent Matthew Chance tracking this story. Matthew, what can you tell us?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, hey. This is an important prisoner release -- a huge relief obviously for the family of 74-year-old Stephen Hubbard who is originally from Michigan. He was detained by Russian forces in Ukraine early on in the full-scale invasion -- I think it was in April 2022 -- as Russian forces pushed into the country towards the Ukrainian capital.

They captured Mr. Hubbard and took him into detention. They then accused him of having joined the Ukrainian security forces and fighting in the self-defense forces there, something he pleaded guilty to in court, but which his family has categorically denied and said he would never do that sort of thing. That he was more of a pacifist than a war fighter. Nevertheless, he was sentenced to a pretty lengthy prison sentence, and he was designated as, you know, somebody in the United States as somebody who was held. I forget the phrase right now, but somebody was, you know, held without proper justification.

And so all of that has resulted in a series of negotiations, which has led now to today Stephen Hubbard finally being released from his detention. He was being held a long distance from Moscow in Mordovia, in fact, where -- you know, out in the provinces of Russia, where he's been suffering, apparently, some very bad health problems. And so that may have played a part in the release as well.

What we do know right now is that Steve Witkoff, who's in the same room right now as Vladimir Putin, meeting him, I think, for the eighth time, has thanked Putin for that release and that Stephen Hubbard has been -- is said to be at the airport in St. Petersburg. Presumably, he'll fly back, if not with Steve Witkoff, then sort of on a plane shortly before or shortly afterwards.

It seems to have been, you know, the highlight so far of this meeting between Steve Witkoff, the chief or one of the top U.S. negotiators, and the Russian President Vladimir Putin. There was nothing more substantial than that, though, at the moment in the -- in these first moments that have come out.

Witkoff went in saying he's got new proposals to present to President Putin about the possibility of ending the war in Ukraine. Putin essentially sidestepped talking about any of that. Instead, he emphasized the economic deals between the United States and Russia, praising the recent diesel deal, which was agreed with President Trump to provide the U.S. or provide the international markets with, you know, large amounts of diesel from Russian refineries. He talked about how in the future Russia could provide and supply fertilizers to the United States as well. And generally said he was looking forward to restoring economic cooperation between Russia and the United States.

And so, you know, a real sign of how Putin sees this kind of meeting with that U.S. negotiator not as an opportunity necessarily to make concessions on the Ukraine war, but more to offer what one European official told me earlier today were baubles to dazzle and distract the White House so it didn't have to make the kind of hard concessions on the Ukraine war that the White House is looking for.

SMITH: A long-awaited prisoner release, no doubt, and we'll see what more comes from these talks. Matthew Chance in Moscow, thank you so much. We'll continue to follow the latest.

Turning now to Washington, President Trump's approval has fallen to a new low. CNN polling out this morning shows only 32 percent approve of his handling of the job. That is down one point from last month and down seven points from the 2018 blue wave midterms.

[05:35:00]

The spending on this year's midterms is projected to top $11 billion by Election Day, with billionaire mega donors fueling the surge. Elon Musk spending at least $276 million for Republicans. Michael Bloomberg shelling out $80 million to help Democrats. And more than three- fourths of voters see these midterms as their chance to change things up in Washington.

The president will take his campaign boots to South Carolina today. That's where he's expected to appear with Republican Senator Darline Graham.

Last night, it was a stop in North Carolina to rally Republicans, and CNN's Kristen Holmes was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: With just exactly two weeks until those midterm elections, President Trump continued his red state blitz in North Carolina, a state he won back in 2024, but now seems unlikely to have a Republican go to the Senate. Michael Whatley, his handpicked candidate and somebody who ran the RNC

for him and who was also part of the campaign in 2024, someone who is a loyalist to Donald Trump has really been written off by Republicans. Most of these major super PACs stopped spending money here, and Michael Whatley's campaign itself actually went dark. Yet President Trump was here trying to court these very red MAGA voters.

This is what he said about all of his travels.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A good president tends not to win. I don't -- there's no reason for it, you know, people have said deep down psychologically. So we're going to try and change it. Now I'm doing something different. I'm working like a dog, and I love being with you.

HOLMES: Now, President Trump was interrupted a number of times by protesters. He continued to brush it off, although he did attack them as losers, saying they were going back to their mom.

Now, this is just one of a multitude of stops. He has stops every single day this week. We're talking about Iowa, Florida -- again, all states he won by huge margins. They are just trying to drive out that base to try and make -- do anything they can and try and get Republicans to hold on to at least one of the chambers of Congress they are hoping for the Senate.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, Greenville, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Thank you, Kristen.

Democratic heavyweights are turning out to galvanize Black voters for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. He's been campaigning with former Vice President Kamala Harris and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock. Even former President Barack Obama plans to join El-Sayed on the campaign trail this weekend.

And as CNN's Jeff Zeleny explains, this seat is crucial if Democrats want to win control of the Senate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABDUL EL-SAYED, (D) MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: Friends, my name is Abdul El-Sayed. I hope I can earn your support. Let's go fight and win.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): In the home stretch of the Michigan Senate race, Abdul El-Sayed talks about building a new coalition. The question is whether he can keep the old Democratic coalition intact, starting with Black voters, a pivotal group his Republican rival Mike Rogers has spent months working to win over.

CHARITY DEAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MICHIGAN BUSINESS ALLIANCE, EL-SAYED SUPPORTER: Detroit is more conservative than folks would think. ZELENY (voiceover): Charity Dean leads the Michigan Black Business Alliance and is supporting El-Sayed but keeping a wary eye on Rogers.

ZELENY: How important are Black voters to a winning coalition here?

DEAN: Black voters are -- oh, you know, underestimated, but super critical.

ZELENY: Mike Rogers is clearly trying to make some inroads.

DEAN: Yes.

ZELENY: Do you think his outreach to Black voters is serious? I mean, should it be taken seriously by El-Sayed supporters?

DEAN: Everything should be taken seriously. This is not a campaign -- this is not a year where we need to take anything for granted. He seriously tried to campaign. He seriously wants to win their vote. He seriously doesn't want to make life better for Black people.

ZELENY (voiceover): That's not how Naura Evans sees it.

ZELENY: Do you think the Democrats have taken the Black vote for granted over the years.

NAURA EVANS, TEACHER, ROGERS SUPPORTER: Absolutely, yes.

ZELENY (voiceover): Evans, a teacher and mother of two, is supporting Rogers and appears in this TV ad.

EVANS: I voted for Barack Obama, but this year I'm voting for Mike Rogers.

ZELENY (voiceover): When we caught up with her, she said she's gradually become more conservative and is drawn to Rogers' message to improve literacy in schools and safety overall.

EVANS: The outcome of the election will send a loud message that the Black vote is just not up for grabs. Like, you have to earn it. We are no longer just voting according to parties, but we are voting according to policy and plans.

ZELENY (voiceover): Last weekend, Rogers opened a storefront campaign office in Detroit.

MIKE ROGERS, (R) MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: Our votes are not guaranteed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.

ROGERS: This is the chance

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

ROGERS -- to say we're going to do something new -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

ROGERS: -- to try to revitalize our community, and we're going to do it --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

ROGERS: -- together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amen.

ZELENY (voiceover): When we stopped by two days later, Democrats for Rogers signs were on display, but it was otherwise empty. El-Sayed was dismissive when we asked about it as he ended a bus tour in Flint.

EL-SAYED: I saw he had opened a cute little office in Detroit where he brought all his friends from the suburbs to come clap him in. It was nice, yeah.

[05:40:00]

ZELENY (voiceover): As fall settles in and the campaign's end draws near, more than $280 million has been spent on the Michigan Senate race this year. It's critical to the balance of power in Washington, but Rev. Charles Williams II wonders if the enthusiasm matches the moment.

REV. CHARLES WILLIAMS II, SENIOR PASTOR, HISTORIC KING SOLOMON BAPTIST CHURCH: It only takes this much of Detroit to defect. It only takes this much of Flint to defect. It only takes this much of Saginaw or Inkster to defect. And that could be enough --

ZELENY: Right.

WILLIAMS: -- to put us under.

ZELENY (voiceover): Williams, who leads the historic King Solomon Baptist Church, is supporting El-Sayed, but taking seriously Rogers' outreach.

WILLIAMS: Not only is he making these inroads, but there are people in these communities that are actually welcoming him in those communities.

ZELENY: As we near the end of the campaign, is it closer than you would like to see it?

WILLIAMS: It's too close. It's too close.

ZELENY: Now, former President Barack Obama is coming to Detroit this weekend to rally support for the Democratic ticket and try and draw some enthusiasm for El-Sayed in particular. Now, no one is predicting that Mike Rogers could win a majority of the Black vote, but it is that sliver of the vote that concerns so many Democratic leaders here.

Now, the reason Michigan is so important, of course, if Democrats want to win control of the Senate, they must net four seats. Without this one, they would have to pick up five seats. That, of course, makes it much more difficult because most of these races are playing out in Trump country.

As for Trump, he's coming here on Sunday to rally support for the Republican ticket, but Democrats think he drives out their supporters as well.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Detroit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Thank you so much, Jeff.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says a suspicious letter was sent to her district office in an attempt to intimidate elected officials ahead of the midterm elections. She says that New York police and the FBI are investigating. More than two dozen lawmakers from both parties have reported receiving suspicious letters in recent weeks. No injuries have been reported.

Well, students in Oregon -- they are heading back to class today. This is less than a week after a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon killed three students and a teacher. And as the investigation continues, some are now asking who should be held responsible.

Sherrell Hubbard has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EDNA IBARRA, MOTHER: As soon as, like, the first officer came out, he -- I saw him running out and carrying a little child, and it's just those images that no parent should ever have to witness.

SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A tearful mother recalls Thursday's horrific shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon that left three children and a teacher dead and two others hurt.

Police identified the shooter as 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, a former special needs student at that school. He was fatally shot by a father whose children attend the school. Now some are wondering if the teenage gunman's parents could be held criminally liable for the killings since it's illegal for anyone under 18 to possess a firearm in Oregon.

ELYSE HERSHON, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: How was that gun stored and secured? Did the parent have the gun stored correctly and safely legally in Oregon?

HUBBARD (voiceover): Other school shooting cases raise questions about whether one or both of the Oregon gunman's parents could face charges. In Michigan, the parents of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley were convicted of involuntary manslaughter. In Georgia, Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray's father was convicted of murder and manslaughter. HERSHON: In a horrific case like this, in a horrific event, people want someone to be responsible, and the parents or parent could be facing serious charges here.

HUBBARD (voiceover): A senior law enforcement official told CNN the gunman's pump-action 12-gauge shotgun was purchased by his mother. Investigators have not said how the shooter obtained access to the gun and the ammunition. His motive is still unknown.

I'm Sherrell Hubbard reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: A senior law enforcement official says that the gunman's parents have been interviewed and were cooperative. This is the 36th shooting on K-12 school grounds across the United States this year, according to CNN data analysis.

Newly obtained surveillance video appears to show the moment that an activist was hit by a vehicle driven by immigration authorities in Woodland, California. Antonio Moreida was responding to a report of ICE activity when he appeared to be hit by an SUV driven by ICE personnel conducting an operation in the area. This is just one of several videos of this incident. Moreida actually shot this video himself, and he told CNN he was later hospitalized with swollen knees, bruises, and cuts, and underwent X-rays for his injuries.

Woodland police said that on social media, the vehicle was driven by federal immigration authorities who cooperated with police after the collision and the incident remains under investigation. We'll continue to keep you apprised of any updates there.

[05:45:00]

Next up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, ready to reconcile. That is what Prince Harry is saying about his relationship with the royal family in a brand new interview. But what about the king and the future king? Are they? That story coming up.

(COMMERCIAL)

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

We begin in Italy. Authorities are cracking down on a wave of violent unrest. Five hundred soldiers are now patrolling the streets of Milan as part of new security measures targeting rioters. The Italian government signed off on it on Tuesday after cost of living protests devolved into chaos over the weekend.

[05:50:05]

Meanwhile, in France, a second night of curfews has just ended in some cities, including parts of Paris. The prime minister says that the measures have been helping to restore peace overnight following the nation's worst rioting in years. He acknowledged that the government failed to recognize just how severe the protest situation had become. But authorities are promising a massive police presence for more demonstrations planned for Saturday.

And Colombian authorities -- they seized about eight tons of cocaine in what's being called the country's biggest haul in a decade. It was in packages of powdered sugar, and they were found during an inspection at a port. Officials say that the drugs were headed to the Netherlands.

Prince Harry reveals that he wants to reconcile with the royal family. In an interview with GQ, Harry says that he wants to make amends despite years of strain with his father, King Charles, and older brother, Prince William. Harry and his wife Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California, setting off a very public rift with his family. Now he says reconciliation matters, even as questions remain about whether both sides are ready.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: People maybe look at us and go, how are you going to work it out? And then maybe how I see you're going to work it out, maybe that will help me work my stuff out. And some people don't.

ZACH BARON, SENIOR EDITOR, GQ: How are you going to work it out? Well, some people don't want it to work out. I want it to work out.

BARON: You do?

PRINCE HARRY: Of course I do. There's no -- again, with everything else that's going on in the world, the most important thing is to -- you know, is to reconcile.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Harry's comments offer a rare public glimpse into the royal family. It's unclear if his father and brother are ready to rebuild those relationships. We'll see what is to come with that family.

Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a hiker broke his leg at 12,000 feet. What crews did to rescue him. That's coming up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.

And we have a recall to tell you about. This one, though, involving more than 100,000 Ford trucks. Details on the issue straight ahead. Stay with us. You're watching CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:56:30]

SMITH: In today's Money Express, the number of millionaires choosing to rent instead of buying a home is growing.

Maribel Aber joins us from the NASDAQ MarketSite with that and the rest of your top Money Express headlines. Hey, Maribel, what do we know here?

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

More Americans who are making at least $1,000,000 a year are choosing to rent instead of owning a home. According to a new RentCafe study, the number of millionaire renters has increased by 229 percent between 2020 and 2024. The online apartment research and management platform found the pandemic and remote work pushed many to relocate to areas with lower costs. Flexibility, lower taxes, and the ability to invest in the stock market rather than real estate were the main reasons for the change.

Ford is recalling more than 102,000 trucks because of a problem with the speedometer. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a defect may cause the speedometer to display the wrong speed, increasing the risk of a crash. The recall is for select 2025 and 2026 F-series pickup trucks. Authorized dealers will replace the instrument cluster module free of charge. Ford said it isn't aware of any incidents -- or excuse me, accidents, fires or injuries associated with the recall. For more information, visit NHTSA's website.

Popeyes famous Cajun-style turkey is returning for the holiday season. Customers can preorder the fully cooked marinated turkey online or through the app until Thursday, November 19. The Cajun-style turkey weighs about 11 to 13 pounds. It's intended to serve around eight to 12 people with sides. According to the fast food chain, the turkey simply needs to be thawed in a refrigerator for 72 hours before being heated in the oven and served.

Listen, Brad, I'm not against an easy Thanksgiving meal, especially like when we're on assignment or on the road.

SMITH: This is true, and anything to make sure that you can kind of expedite the process or at least --

ABER: Yes.

SMITH: -- take a little bit of the heavy lifting out of Thanksgiving dinner. I -- we'll see how many people bite into this one.

ABER: Yeah.

SMITH: All right. Maribel Aber, thank you so much.

ABER: You got it.

SMITH: Now to some other stories that we are following.

We start in Texas and you got to take a look at this video. Authorities in San Antonio say the driver took off after a traffic stop, sideswiped a car and ran a red light, and then collided with three other vehicles. The trooper then ordered him to get out of the car, which investigators say was stolen. He was arrested. Two women in one of the vehicles that he hit went to the hospital with non-life- threatening injuries. We take you now to California. That's where a climber is safe after

breaking his leg 12,000 feet high on Mount Shasta. The 39-year-old made it to the summit Sunday, but on the way back down, got lost and fell into a crevice. Bad weather grounded flights so Rangers had to climb up to reach him, and they brought him down safely on Tuesday.

A big ticket heist in Southern California as thieves made off with nearly $1 million in rare Pokemon and sports trading cards from a FedEx truck. Police say it happened last week outside a sports authenticator office in Santa Ana. The cards came from collectors across the country and were being sent to PSA to be authenticated and graded. So far, no arrests.

OK, and how about this? An L.A. Dodgers jersey worn by the superstar Shohei Ohtani -- you know them -- you know the man -- in 2025's MLB Tokyo Series opener is when he wore this, and it just broke a record at an auction, selling for more than $2 million. That happens to be the most ever for a 21st century baseball player. It features his autographed, handwritten inscriptions and the first gold MLB Logoman patch ever worn in an official game. Quite the win.

[06:00:18]

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