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CNN Headlines: President Trump Rallies With Ohio GOP Candidates Husted, Ramaswamy; New Study: 75 Percent Of Former NFL Players Who Died Between 2008-2023 Had CTE; Protests Erupt In Spain After Deadly Train Crash. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired October 29, 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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[05:30:35]

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

With the midterms just days away Democrats are competitive across an unusually broad Senate map. New CNN polling shows Democrats with an edge in Michigan and Texas while deep-red Kansas and blue-leaning Maine are too close to call. President Trump continues his campaign blitz today with a stop in North Carolina and Florida and Kansas and Iowa in the next several days here.

And Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth has pushed out the Pentagon's top planning officer as President Donald Trump weighs new strikes against Iran. No reason was given for Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia's dismissal, the latest in a long line of senior officers who have left the Pentagon under the Trump administration.

And the president has been hinting that he may resume strikes on Iran after the midterms but according to a U.S. official, diplomatic efforts are picking up. The official says Tehran is coming under pressure from mediators to cut a deal with Washington.

And it is history for the Milwaukee Brewers. They won their first World Series championship in franchise history. What a celebration as players poured onto the field after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in game five.

All right, now back to the midterms. President Trump was campaigning in battleground Ohio yesterday for the third time this month. CNN's Betsy Klein has more on his final pitch ahead of November 3.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, this was President Trump's third rally in Ohio this month, but the first appearance in the Buckeye State since the gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy issued that controversial ad featuring the estranged mother of his opponent, the Democrat Amy Acton. Even as many Republicans, including this state's Republican Governor Mike DeWine, have condemned that ad, President Trump showing no signs of contrition. In fact, he's actually referenced it unprompted at multiple rallies, including on Wednesday evening. The president called the situation very unfair but notably did not mention that it involved child sexual abuse -- listen.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If Mary MacLeod ever said "My son Donald is a liar, and he lied about his opponent and other things" I would say the press would be getting Pulitzer Prizes if they reported it. But with Vivek, how dare he put that information? What's to put out? There's nothing to put out. The mother said that Amy Acton, the daughter, is a liar, that she's no good, that she lied about the opponent. Well, how the hell is that his problem? Very unfair.

KLEIN: Ohio is a state that shifted from a swingy battleground to a reliable Republican stronghold in the time since President Trump entered the political arena. We are in a county that he won by a 39- point margin just two years ago in 2024. But this is now the site of two very competitive statewide races for governor and for Senate. Here in Ohio, early voting is up 36 percent compared to this time in 2022.

And I talked to a lot of folks who told me they had already early voted, and if they hadn't, they planned to do so on Election Day. Most of them said that they planned to vote a straight Republican ticket, but those who were undecided pointed to the economy -- issues like jobs, taxes, and data centers as the issues that were going to determine their decision.

Betsy Klein, CNN, traveling with the president in Chillicothe, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Thank you, Betsy.

A federal judge says the Justice Department cannot intervene in California's ongoing mail in ballot counting. The judge warns the request to segregate 20,000 ballots to verify citizenship violates California's right to run its own election, adding it would "wreak havoc" since voting has already started. The DOJ is likely to appeal, but a previous effort failed earlier this week.

[05:35:00]

Many voters are laser focused on the economy as they cast their ballots, and CNN's Manu Raju caught up with House Speaker Mike Johnson in Iowa to talk to him about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Speaker Johnson believes the polls are all wrong. In fact, he thinks that Republicans have been under sampled in poll after poll. And he says this election environment, in his view, is more like 2024 when Republicans held the House and they took the United States Senate. Trump, of course, won that election. He thinks a similar dynamic will happen here.

Now, I also asked him about whether Trump is a drag on the ticket, given his numbers, given the public opposition to the Iran war, concern over high gas prices, diesel prices. He downplayed all of that. In fact, he said Trump is not a drag on the ticket. Then I asked about gas prices in particular, and he promised that gas prices will come down soon after the election, even though he's been making that promise for months.

How much does that have to do with concerns about affordability, gas prices, and should your party have done more on issues of gas prices, in particular, given the voter blowback here?

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: No. Listen, every election is about the economy. It's always about kitchen table issues, as we say. We have done what we said we're going to do. We gave the largest tax cut in history.

RAJU: But gas prices though?

JOHNSON: In Iowa right now, the average Iowan has $3,100 in their pocket that they didn't have to send to Washington because of our bill.

Hi.

But it's a very important distinction. They're too high right now because of the yet unresolved conflict in Iran. We think that turns a corner right after the election.

RAJU: The president said it would drop off --

JOHNSON: Let me finish, Manu. If you put Democrats back in charge, they're going to try to ban fossil fuels. What's that going to do for your gas prices? Gas prices will come down when the Strait of Hormuz is reopened. It's going to happen soon after the election. Iran is back --

RAJU: Why hasn't it happened yet?

JOHNSON: Iran is on their back heels.

RAJU: Now, Jake, I did ask the speaker back in March at the onset of the Iran war when gas prices would come down. He said back then it was a "temporary blip," making a similar projection now right before the midterm elections.

Now, another big question for Johnson is what he will do if Republicans do lose the majority. Will he run for the top House GOP job in a House Republican minority? He would not go anywhere near this and said that the speaker job is the one he intends to have in the next Congress. I asked him if Trump would support him, though, if he ran for minority leader in a Republican minority. He said, "Trump will support me in whatever I do."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Thank you, Manu. This morning, new developments on the report of a spoiler candidate in

the Alaska Senate race. The New York Times reports aides aligned with Democratic Party candidates Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent months recruiting candidates to siphon votes from Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan. Daniel J. Sullivan was one of those candidates.

The Times reports Peltola's former campaign manager says she was not directly involved in the project but was definitely aware. The Peltola campaign and the DSCC deny any involvement with Daniel J. Sullivan's campaign, with Peltola calling the report just another distraction.

Attorney General Todd Blanche had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I expect you're going to hear more from the Department of Justice this week as we -- as we learn more information.

WILL CAIN, FOX NEWS HOST, "THE WIL CAIN SHOW": Is it illegal?

BLANCHE: Right, absolutely. Well, think about what you just had to ask, Will. If it's cheating, if it's fraud, is it illegal?

CAIN: Yes.

BLANCHE: And the answer is it certainly should be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Here's defense attorney and former federal prosecutor Shan Wu talking with CNN on why the recruitment of a spoiler candidate isn't necessarily illegal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAN WU, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There just isn't any evidence of a crime actually being committed. And Blanche can say what he wants about, should or maybe, but the fact is he can't point to anything right now that says that. And the idea of trying to go after the candidate himself, whichever Dan Sullivan it is, is just completely rife with problems. I mean, that's not going to go anyplace from the get-go because of First Amendment concerns.

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Because he's able legally to run for office, no matter what his motivation was?

WU: Right. It might be one thing if that's not really his name, but his motivation completely out of bounds.

COATES: How about the idea of the certification efforts that the DOJ wants to freeze? Does this reporting impact that to you?

WU: No. If anything, if you want to give them a lot of credit, it's a bit nuanced. Maybe they want to use the civil suit to get some discovery -- to maybe discover something more that could lead to a criminal case.

To me, the biggest problem with their civil suit is it's completely outcome determinative, which is they only want it to be stopped if their guy loses. That does not make any sense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Alaska's Republican governor, Mike Dunleavy, says that he's ordering an investigation into whether alleged Democratic efforts to confuse voters could lead to criminal charges or civil action.

In Massachusetts, Patrick Clancy's civil lawsuit against medical providers is underway in Plymouth. Clancy is the ex-husband of Lindsay Clancy, the mother accused of killing their three children in 2023. He's accusing South Shore Health and other providers who treated his former wife of negligence. The lawsuit claims that the medical providers failed to monitor Lindsay's condition and prescribed her the wrong medication.

[05:40:08]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD COOPER, ATTORNEY FOR PATRICK CLANCY: As alleged here in this complaint, it is not a duty to warn. What is alleged is negligence. There are at least eight different allegations as to why the defendant's conduct fell below the standard of care and was grossly negligent. It ultimately became a substantial cause. The complete mismanagement of Lindsay Clancy's mental health care became the substantial cause of her murdering her three children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Patrick Clancy's lawsuit is seeking $1 million.

Lindsay Clancy's criminal trial ended with a hung jury in September. Her attorneys argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis. Her next hearing is Monday.

Police in South Carolina now closing the investigation into actress Hayden Panettiere's death. The Greenville coroner had already determined the 36-year-old died of an accidental drug overdose last month after police say that she took a toxic mix of fentanyl and other drugs back in August. But before concluding their investigation, officials had been looking into whether she got illicit and possibly counterfeit drugs from a dealer in Southern California. Panettiere, who starred in the TV shows "HEROES" and "NASHVILLE" had been open about her struggles with addiction in the past.

Next on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, Spain still reeling from that horrific crash between two high-speed trains that killed at least 68 people. The latest on the investigation into that deadly collision.

And still no clear winner for either party in Israel's crucial elections. What's next in what appears to be a deadlock?

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[05:46:15]

SMITH: A new study suggests the neurodegenerative disease, CTE, may even be more widespread among former NFL players than previously thought. Research from Boston University estimates three in four professional football players and former professional players who died between 2008 and 2023 had the brain disorder. That is an even higher level than identified in another recent study of former players. So the study looked at a broader group of players and also involved those whose families donated their loved ones' brains to research.

For more details, CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard picks up from there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Previous research suggested that one in four former players had CTE. So we have now gone from an estimate of about a quarter of players to 75 percent, to three in four. That is a much higher prevalence than identified in previous research.

But what scientists did differently this time to come to that estimate is they analyzed brains from more than 2,000 former players who sadly passed away between 2008 and 2023. Some of those brains came from players whose families donated their brains for research because perhaps they were showing symptoms of CTE, as well as some of the brains that were not donated for research. So some of them included former players who may not have had symptoms. And by doing this broad analysis, that's how scientists came to this new estimate of three and four.

Now I will say again, this estimate is based on former players, and we know that since some of those players have died, the NFL has made some adjustments in how the game is played, like there are padded helmet covers now, for instance. So it will be interesting to see if in the future we see a reduction possibly in the prevalence because of those steps that have been taken.

The NFL told CNN in a statement, "The NFL continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts. The NFL remains committed to ensuring that the NFL community has access to a robust and expanding set of resources." But the statement also goes on to say that the league encourages players to "utilize those resources." So that's what the NFL says at the moment.

But like I said, as research continues, I'm sure the NFL will continue to follow new studies and to see where the new data takes us in the future as well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SMITH: Let's go around the globe to see what else is making headlines today. And in Madrid, anger over Wednesday's deadly train crash spilled out

into the streets. Protesters clashed with police overnight while calling on Spanish officials to resign. At least 68 people were killed when two trains collided. The Spanish transportation minister blamed the crash on what he called an inexplicable order from a train controller. A major Spanish rail union is now calling for that minister to step down.

Listen to how one survivor described the aftermath.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDUARDA CONTRERAS, ONBOARD TRAIN WHEN IT CRASHED (through translator): At first, I thought it was a normal impact until, out of nowhere, I saw people bleeding with injuries. And once I got off, I saw people crying. We tried to get off as best we could. I tried to help with people's luggage and everything. But once we were down, I will always remember three cars that were in terrible shape. One was on fire.

[05:50:00]

In another, there were people trapped and crying, and I don't remember which one it was where they broke a window so people could get out. And then the main one, there were people buried under debris. People who were probably dead because they told us those people were already gone. And I tried to help. When I asked if they could help me, they said, "Stay with them. Don't let them fall asleep. They'll die. They're slipping away."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Wednesday's crash is now the third disaster in -- rail disaster in Spain this year. Forty-one people were killed in a major crash in January.

Serbia has raised its security threat level after what authorities are calling a terrorist attack as the Israeli embassy in Belgrade has incurred this. The Interior Ministry says an attacker armed with two knives wounded a policeman guarding the embassy. That officer shot and killed the assailant. Officials say it is the second such attack at the Israeli embassy in Belgrade in two years.

And in Israel, an historic election appears to be headed towards a deadlock. Most of the votes have now been counted, but there's still no clear win here. Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, are projected to have enough seats to form a governing majority of their own. Now, Eisenkot's party could have enough seats to reach a 61-seat majority if they get support from the Arab parties. Final results could come later today.

All right, and in Scotland, Chick-fil-A is opening a new restaurant, and people are really excited.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chick-Fil-A is opening for the very first time ever in Scotland. Let's go try it out. There it is over there. It's in Hamilton at the Palace Grounds Retail Park.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: All right, so that is a resident getting a preview of the store that's opening today. The chain says it will also be the first drive- thru in the U.K. using its system of employees with tablets taking the orders instead of drivers talking to a speaker. Chick-fil-A is planning to invest more than $100 million in its expansion in the U.K. over the next 10 years. All right, let us know what you think about it once you try it.

Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, an unusual theft as police say pallets and pallets of Red Bull was stolen. Details on the missing energy drink straight ahead.

And the housing market seems out of reach for a lot of young people, so they're looking to another group for help. We'll explain on the other side of the break.

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[05:56:50]

SMITH: In today's Money Express, holding steady. The Federal Reserve votes to keep interest rates where they are, but signals that could soon change.

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 Federal Reserve voted 10-2 to hold interest rates steady even as a rising inflation puts pressure on American households. The decision was widely expected, leaving the key benchmark interest rate between 3.75 percent and four percent. So what this means for you? Borrowing costs will remain steady on credit cards, mortgages and most auto loans, and inflation will likely remain elevated in the coming months and into the year.

With rising home prices and sky-high mortgage rates, young people are turning to their elders for help. According to a new Rocket Mortgage analysis, more young people are purchasing homes with a co-applicant aged 55 or older. The share of buyers under 35 with a co-applicant over 55 increased by 21 percent between 2018 and 2025. And the main reason, having an older co-applicant can help a borrower more easily qualify for a mortgage or a more expensive home.

Hey, "Avengers: Doomsday" will be taking over for theaters in December, but it's first taking over the fast-food industry. Jack in the Box is the latest to team up with the Marvel superheroes and villains for a special doomsday dipping box. The limited edition box will feature a lineup of themed sauces and special edition collectible magnets. The special collaboration will be available Thursday, November 5 at participating Jack in the Box locations nationwide. Brad, who's hungry now?

SMITH: I'm ready. I see a couple of curly fries in that box there --

ABER: Oh, yeah.

SMITH: -- so I'm officially hungry.

Maribel, thank you.

Let's get a check on some of the other stories making news across the country.

We start in New York. An overnight fire in a Bronx apartment building killed an 11-year-old boy and injured four others. And officials say an e-bike battery started the fire. They say it was parked between the kitchen and the front door, trapping the family inside. City fire officials say lithium-ion batteries have caused more than 400 fires this year.

And a bear trapped inside a Subaru in Juneau, Alaska -- Juneau, Alaska, was honking the horn and waking the homeowners. It got inside and somehow locked the doors. Police freed the bear, but it had already ripped out the wiring, shredded the interior, and even worse, the homeowner had borrowed the car from her brother. Sorry, bro. The family says it still drove great on the way to the dump.

In Illinois, the stolen Red Bull has been secured, at least part of it. The Cook County Sheriff's Office says it has found 11 pallets of Red Bull that were reported stolen earlier this month. That's 23,000 cans worth more than $100,000. Still missing, though, around $200,000 worth of Red Bull. Clearly, they saw the snow crab legs get stolen and said, hold my beer, we're getting Red Bull.

[06:00:00]

And New Yorkers know that blue line and what it means. Marathon day is almost here. Crews started painting lines for Sunday's race. Around 60,000 runners set to compete. Officials warn everybody else in the city have patience with street closures and security and try to use public transit. I definitely recommend that. And if you are competing in the New York City Marathon, number one, congratulations on even getting into the marathon, and good luck to you. Speedy feet.

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