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CNN Headlines: Trump FCC Chair Warns Stations About "Fake Polls"; Amy Acton Speaks With CNN As Backlash Grows Over Ad Featuring Her Mother; DHS Denies Man's Claims That ICE Vehicle Hit Him. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired October 22, 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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[05:31:10]

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

The American freed after four years in a Russian prison is headed to a specialized facility in Texas now. Stephen Hubbard was reunited with his family on Wednesday for the first time since his arrest in 2022. President Trump posted this picture online. The facility where he's going to is meant to help Americans reacclimate to life after detention.

And officials in Toledo, Ohio -- they say that a tank that leaked a hazardous chemical has cooled down. Shelter-in-place and evacuation orders have been reduced after the leak had forced hundreds of residents to get out on Wednesday. Health officials say that about 30 people were treated for symptoms potentially related to the leak, like a burning sensation in the eyes, nose, mouth and on the skin. Officials initially worried that the tank could explode. The incident is being investigated.

And President Trump's campaign blitz continues today as he's heading to Iowa to rally his supporters, urging them to vote as if he was on the ballot. In the days to come, he'll stump in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and now Mississippi. That last one, a state that he has consistently won by double digits.

And last night, he was in South Carolina supporting Darline Graham in the surprisingly close Senate race there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Darline -- you're going to win big, Darline. You're going to win big. Darline, I saw some good numbers for you. And as you'll see, you're going to see some very good numbers for me, too. I get good numbers; I get good polls. But I'm not running, but I am running, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: Nearly a dozen people were escorted out of that rally in South Carolina, and punches were even thrown. The protesters started yelling out just a few minutes after Trump took the podium.

Meanwhile, President Trump's tanking approval ratings are blamed on a variety of issues. Of note, economic concerns, and the president scores very poorly on that. In a new CNN poll, only 27 percent approve of Trump's policies. Seventy-three percent disapprove.

Numerous polls show Democrats poised to make big gains in the midterm elections, but the Republican chair of the FCC is advising local broadcasters that some of those polls could be fake, even threatening to penalize stations for distortion and hoaxes. CNN's Brian Stelter explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Hey there. Yeah, this is a story with a lot of layers.

President Trump and his top media regulator are targeting so-called fake polls. At the same time, highly respected pollsters are seeing data showing Democrats poised to make big gains in the midterm election.

So you have First Amendment groups saying that Trump and SEC chairman Brendan Carr are trying to chill news coverage about these polls, discouraging news coverage about bad polls for Republicans. But at the same time, there are some actually made-up polls that are floating around out there. There's a scandal in the news this week about a totally fictional polling firm.

So you have many reputable, highly respected polling groups finding Trump with record low approval ratings, finding Democrats ahead in key Senate races, but there is a concern about polls that's legit.

So here's what Brendan Carr said that caused so much criticism on Wednesday. He wrote on X, "During this election season, there has been a significant surge in

entirely fake polls and suppression polls." He went on, "Many journalists and broadcasters have been amplifying or airing these polls without regard to basic journalistic ethics". Then he said, "Broadcasters are advised to avoid engaging in news distortions or running broadcast hoaxes by airing polls that would violate their regulatory obligations."

So which polls was Carr talking about? Well, he didn't say, and he didn't respond to my request for comment. But some of Carr's predecessors, former SEC chairs from both parties, say that Carr is engaging in inappropriate, outrageous threats, trying to intimidate the news media.

[05:35:08]

This is a statement from a coalition of former FCC leaders saying that what Carr is doing is part of "accelerating White House strategy to tilt the electoral playing field in the president's favor and deny election results that don't go his way." The former officials also noted that the SEC has zero authority to dictate editorial decisions. But because Carr's agency does license local TV and radio stations, station owners do have to pay some attention. And Carr has used that limited power to pressure broadcasters.

Brian Stelter, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: All right, Brian, thank you.

Well, the fallout continues over that highly controversial ad in the race for Ohio governor. The ad was produced by Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign. It features the estranged mother of Democratic Candidate Amy Acton urging voters not to support her daughter. But Acton says she hasn't spoken to her mother since she was 12 years old. That's when her mom's husband sexually abused her and faced criminal charges.

CNN's Lauren Fox spoke to Acton at an event in Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: She essentially talked at length about this ad and was very forthcoming about the fact that she hopes that the story of her childhood, some of the abuse that she suffered, will actually be inspiring to people here in Ohio. That she has already been hearing from a lot of voters that they are appalled by this ad. That she believes that this is going to backfire for the Ramaswamy campaign. Here's what else she told me.

AMY ACTON, (D) OHIO GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not stunned in the era we live in. And that said, you know, what has also been remarkable to see, Lauren, is how many people are outraged by this, because so many people have experienced some sort of trauma or abuse in their lives. And so I'm much more focused on a message that reaches them than on the antics of an out-of-touch billionaire who would be a danger to my state.

FOX: And Acton was here in Ohio for this event of a farm tour, essentially. She was talking about ag prices, commodity prices. She was talking about what was affecting people in this local community. Obviously, she did not expect, probably last weekend, that when this event was scheduled, she was going to be talking about the abuse from her childhood, but it did come up. About three-quarters of the way through, a very small group was questioning her, asking her advice on different programs in the state.

And one woman who hadn't spoken yet she called on and said is there anything you want to say, you know, thinking she might want to talk about, you know, libraries or hospitals in the area that other people had asked about, and instead this woman said I just want to give you a hug and essentially stood up, gave her a hug. And at that point Acton said I think it's probably time we address the elephant in the room and she talked at length about the ad, about her childhood, about some of the memories that she had at that time, and really talked about the fact that there were a lot of people who stepped up and helped her and her brother at that time and that's something that she's carrying with her and it's something that she hopes is going to motivate and inspire people in this stage.

She said, you know, she's not ashamed to talk about it. She's talked about it in the past. Now she is certainly feeling like it is something that is part of her story and she says she is not going to shy away from it. In fact, she argued she just really felt like the Ramaswamy campaign was taking advantage of her mother, someone who she said was not well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: The University of Chicago held a public safety meeting last night after two women separately reported that they had been sexually assaulted this year at fraternity houses near campus. The incidents come as colleges face heightened security scrutiny and scrutiny just over their handling of sexual assault claims, spurred in part by Cornell University's handling of an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house there.

CNN's Whitney Wild has more from Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a growing trend here of more women coming forward to say this happened to me too.

Here's what we know about the most recent allegation that also happened at the University of Chicago. This allegation coming about 10 days after another woman said she was sexually assaulted at a fraternity -- at an off-campus fraternity there. What we know is that a woman is suing the Alpha Delta Phi chapter at the University of Chicago. She says that she was raped at a party in February. She says at the time she reported it to police. In the lawsuit, this woman who is identified as Jane Doe, again, is alleging that she was sexually assaulted.

We did ask the Chicago Police Department about this incident. They did not name the fraternity. They didn't provide, you know, exact details surrounding this incident, but did say that they're investigating a sexual assault that occurred on that same day in February on the same block as where that fraternity house is located.

[05:40:10]

Here is what the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity is saying, because she's suing not just the local chapter, but the national the national chapter. Here is their statement. "The conduct described is deeply troubling and inconsistent with our values. We are committed to the safety and well-being of our members and communities and will cooperate with law enforcement as appropriate."

There's another case that has just emerged, this time at the University of Arizona, where a sorority -- a sorority member says that she was sexually assaulted by two men at a fraternity house after a night of drinking very late in August. At the time, the student told university police that she had consensually kissed one man at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house on August 26 but says that she doesn't remember agreeing to sex. And further, in speaking with an investigator, this sorority member alleged that she said she was drinking tequila. She was drinking out of the same cup as some of her friends.

She witnessed the two men sexually assaulting her and she even felt one of those men breathing on her face. She woke up the next morning, she says, without pants or underwear on and she had trouble swallowing -- which, according to court records obtained in this case, you know, the difficulty swallowing can be a sign of strangulation.

So the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity is also releasing a statement saying, "The fraternity has suspended those involved while the investigation proceeds. Any member found responsible will be expelled from Sigma Phi Epsilon and we will cooperate fully with law enforcement as it seeks accountability under the law."

But again, as you point out, this comes as the nation continues to grapple with these really horrific allegations at Cornell. Now more women are saying that the concept of a sexual assault at a fraternity is not an isolated thing. More women saying it happened to them as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: All right. Thank you, Whitney.

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 N's, or you can call 1-800-656-HOPE.

In the Atlantic this morning, subtropical storm Josephine is churning off the East Coast, bringing possible coastal flooding to the mid- Atlantic up to Cape Cod today and tomorrow. Winds will stay well offshore but may approach hurricane force later today. We'll keep an eye on that path for you.

Straight up next on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, breaking overnight, Russia and Ukraine trade strikes just hours after the U.S. special envoys sat down for talks with Vladimir Putin. The latest straight ahead in Global Express.

And the sky-high electric bills forcing millions of American families to make some pretty tough decisions about how they'll pay them. We'll talk to Maribel Aber about it a little bit later on.

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[05:47:25]

SMITH: Well, the Department of Homeland Security is pushing back against criticism over several recent incidents involving ICE officers. In one, a man who says he is a U.S. citizen claims that he was injured while being detained by ICE in California. And in another, a pedestrian says he was struck by a federal immigration vehicle.

Reed Benyon reports with more.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me just say how grateful I am to see you standing here.

REED BENYON, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): A man in California receiving support at a city council meeting after he says he was hospitalized after being struck by a federal immigration vehicle.

ANTONIO MOREIDA, CLAIMS WAS STRUCK BY ICE VEHICLE: I'm the one that got hit earlier by ice.

BENYON (voiceover): The incident, part of which was captured on surveillance video, happened Tuesday in Woodland, California, just outside Sacramento. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement, "This is false. ICE did not hit a pedestrian." DHS stating the man jumped onto the vehicle's hood and the driver applied the brakes. Woodland police disputed the DHS account, but said the driver immediately notified dispatch and cooperated with investigators.

This comes amid controversy over a separate incident in California involving ICE on Saturday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Leave them alone!

BENYON (voiceover): According to Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, the man, Ricardo Gonzalez, told officials he was a U.S. citizen. In one video of the incident, Gonzalez can be heard saying he is injured.

RICARDO GONZALEZ, CLAIMS ICE HIT HIM WHILE RIDING E-BIKE: My arm is broken.

BENYON (voiceover): Surveillance video showed an unmarked SUV driving the wrong way down a one-way street as a man on an e-bike turns into the intersection down the same street. It's not clear from the video if the e-bike and SUV collided. An ICE spokesperson said agents didn't hit a bicyclist, instead claiming a man damaged the mirror of a government vehicle.

Congressman Robert Garcia commenting on the incident this week.

REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): The terror that happened in North Long Beach over the weekend is not welcome in our city or our community.

BENYON (voiceover): I'm Reed Benyon reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

We begin with Russia and Ukraine as they traded strikes just hours after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff sat down for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. At least one person was killed and 21 others wounded in Russian attacks. Ukraine launched hundreds of drones towards the Moscow region overnight.

In Saudi Arabia another airport has come under attack. Authorities say at least two people were killed and eight others wounded at King Fahd National -- International Airport -- excuse me, International Airport in Dammam. That is according to Saudi Arabia's Civil Aviation Authority. Damage assessments are still underway. No claim of responsibility yet but Yemen's Houthi rebels have vowed to keep striking prominent Saudi targets.

[05:50:07]

All right, now to exclusive reporting on conflicting claims coming from the State Department. According to internal documents, it's publicly warning Americans about violent crime in parts of Latin America, specifically in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. But privately, the department is telling asylum officers that the conditions in some of those countries are no more dangerous than in cities Baltimore, Houston, and Memphis. The goal is getting more asylum claims denied. Experts worry the new guidelines downplay the very real dangers that people face in some areas of Latin America.

Immigration analyst and attorney Paul Reyes weighed in on the practical impact of this new guidance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL REYES, ATTORNEY AND CNN OPINION WRITER: This is very serious. It will make it much easier to deport people potentially who have asylum claims and -- which goes against the reason we have asylum in the first place. Congress created asylum to protect people who were in danger. It's a system that has existed for decades. And when I say danger, I'm talking about these countries in Central America, certain states of Mexico where we have transnational gangs, kidnapping, extortions, all types of horrendous conditions.

And so we are looking at potentially sending back -- sending people back to these places to harm -- placing them in harm's way, and really with grave consequences. It's -- we know that some people have been deported and have never been seen again, or their bodies were found in sugarcane fields. So we are talking grave consequences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: And take a look at this incredible video showing a TV reporter and a bystander rescuing a man from a sinking car in Australia. The reporter had been there covering the floods when the man drove his car into the water and it began to sink. Now, they pulled him out moments before that car was submerged. Nearly seven inches of rain had fallen in that area. Wow, what a rescue there.

Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, there's this.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, come on, let's go. All right, all right, let's go, let's go, let's go. Get away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: In this one, deputies raced to save a man from a burning car, and it's all caught on camera. What happened after they pulled him out? That's coming up.

And it's back. Jimmy John's Picklewich returns, and this time it's bringing pickle pals.

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[05:57:00]

SMITH: In today's Money Express, oil prices are ticking up after the State Department ordered embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia.

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

MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, MONEY MATTERS: OK, Brad, the order comes amid a surge of strikes on Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Global oil is hovering around $111 a barrel. U.S. crude is trading around $99 a barrel. According to AAA, the national average for unleaded is $4.27 a gallon, down six cents from last week.

Hey, nearly 75 percent of Americans say that rising electricity bills have put a strain on their household finances, forcing many to lower their thermostat or air conditioning to uncomfortable levels. A new survey from Consumer Reports shows that one in five Americans have cut back on their grocery bills to pay their electricity bills. Nearly half blame utility company profits for their rising electricity bills, while 38 percent blamed increased demand from data centers. Households making less than $85,000 a year were more than twice as likely to say that electricity prices are putting pressure on their household budget.

Hey, attention all pickle lovers. Jimmy John's has announced the return of its Picklewich sandwich. For those who don't know, it's a limited edition sandwich swapping out the bread for a hollowed out giant dill pickle. The sandwich has been such a hit in the past that this year it's coming with limited edition keychains called Pickle Pal Plushies. The Picklewich sandwich and pickle flavored chips will be available at participating Jimmy John's locations on October 26.

Brad, a lot of pickle.

SMITH: Yeah, I'm going to need it to come with some mints as well. Just a whole pack.

Maribel Aber, thank you so much.

Now to some other stories that we're tracking across the country. We start in Mississippi. That's where a massive fire tore through an

assisted living facility in Clinton. About 100 residents had to be evacuated. One witness said that people were running around yelling, "We need to get these people out." Some were hospitalized, with others taken to a nearby church. Crews have been trying to figure out how this started.

A big rig was left dangling off a freeway. This was after a crash involving a car in California. This shut down an interstate for a while earlier this week while crews cleared up everything. Authorities have not said what led to the accident, but multiple people were hurt.

And also in California, thousands of state workers walked off the job in a historic one-day strike over contract disputes. You're looking at the march in Sacramento, one of many sites across the state to join the demonstrations. Workers are calling for higher pay, lower healthcare costs, and changes to telework policies.

And now to Washington State. That's where deputies revived a man using CPR after rescuing him from a burning car. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go, let's go, let's go. Get away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[06:00:00]

SMITH: Authorities say that the guy crashed into a wooded area and the car caught fire. He stopped breathing after he was pulled out. They performed CPR to get him breathing again until medics. What a save and just an amazing rescue by the deputies there.

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