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What We Know with Max Foster

Researcher At Russian Plague Lab Dies Of "Unknown" Infection; U.S. Official: Bombers Pulled From U.K. Base After New Threat; Spanish PM Calls Snap Election Amid Housing Protests; Lula Da Silva And Flavio Bolsonaro Face A Runoff Vote; Trump Speaks Ahead Of Midterm Campaign Rally; Sources: Alleged FlyDubai Hijacker Likely Wanted To Target Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired October 05, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:28]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Concern after a Russian plague researcher dies.

This is WHAT WE KNOW.

U.S. and world health officials are keeping a close watch on a case involving a mystery illness which killed a Russian lab worker. Daria

Shipilova died last week in Siberia of what officials call an unknown infection. She was working at a laboratory that studies the plague.

Dozens of people from the lab and the nearby hospital are reportedly in isolation, but that figure could be as high as 200 under observation. A

Russian agency that handles infectious diseases is downplaying any link between her death and her work. The World Health Organization says it's in

constant contact with Russian officials and the public health risk is low.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he doesn't think it's a cause for alarm.

Fred Pleitgen joins us from Berlin.

I mean, just take us through exactly what we do know here, because there's so much reporting out there that suggests something very serious.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it could potentially be, and there certainly is a lot of varying information that is

coming out. One of the things that we obviously know, Max, is where all this is taking place in a place called Shelekhov, which is in the southeast

of Russia, near Lake Baikal, near the very large city of Irkutsk. And this lab that we're talking about was actually founded in the 1930s to combat

the plague, but is now also dealing with other infectious diseases as well.

Now, as you mentioned, Daria Shipilova was brought to a hospital and died of what the Russian authorities say was with an unknown cause. She was a

lab worker at that very lab. It's unclear whether or not she was dealing with any sort of plague at the point at that point in time. And you're also

right to point out, Max, that the Russian authorities, specifically the agency tasked with preventing infectious diseases is trying to downplay all

this.

I want to read a quote for you really quick from that agency. They say, quote, "No microorganisms associated with the employees professional duties

were detected in samples taken from the patient." At the same time, though, the head of that agency actually went down to that region very quickly, and

the governor of the neighboring region, which is called Buryatia, said that this patient possibly died of the plague.

And all the other thing that we're also seeing, Max, is these measures being put in place, these Of course, one of the things that the Russians

are trying to do is they're trying to isolate anyone who may have had contact with Daria Shipilova. And then also they're putting some of the

hospitals in that region, including the one where she died under quarantine as well, which means that the inpatient facilities of that hospital, for

instance. Patients are not allowed to go out, will not be discharged, and new patients are not being allowed in either.

So those measures, obviously very serious by the Russian authorities down there. And we've also been in contact with some of the residents of those

of that area. And they say there is some concern. They say things are going as normal. But of course, people are concerned about what's going on, Max.

FOSTER: Obviously, the country you know very well, it's the reaction, isn't it? Unsettling lots of people, when some of the language is

downplaying the concern, but the reaction to it in this, almost lockdown atmosphere, the two don't seem to match.

I mean, how do you read the reaction from the Russians? Would they normally respond in this way to something less serious?

PLEITGEN: Yeah, I mean, it certainly is a very serious reaction. One of the things that we're seeing is specifically those lockdowns, those

quarantines that are putting being put in place. The authorities are saying that is because of an abundance of caution. They obviously want to know

exactly in this situation what is going on. At the same time, they have also warned against what they call speculation.

And of course, on the one hand, we have heard from local Russian media that apparently 200 people currently are under quarantine. That, of course, is a

significant number at the same time the Kremlin has come out Max and they have warned against any sort of speculation themselves will not comment on

the situation, but they've warned against what they call believing, believing rumors and speculation and said that the agency has been tasked

with dealing with is a very professional one and very capable of doing this.

Of course, we also have the World Health Organization that is talking to the Russian authorities. They believe that the health risk at this point in

time, public safety is low and the U.S. also, Secretary of State Marco Rubio coming out and saying this is a cause for focus for the United States

but not yet of concern. So, it seems as though there is a wait and see mood of what's going on right now.

[15:05:00]

Nevertheless, the measures that are being taken on the ground do seem quite serious, Max.

FOSTER: Yeah. OK, Fred, thank you so much.

Let's go to the U.S. The vice president, J.D. Vance, says Washington has now removed all long-range bombers from a British air base out of an

abundance of caution, too. A U.S. official says it's because of unspecified new threat. The base has been the focus of an investigation after five men

were arrested about a week ago in connection with an alleged Iranian plot. They were later released, as was a sixth man, who was detained.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio seems to suggest the removal of the bombers is not directly tied to the arrests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We have confidence in the security of all of our bases, because all of our bases theoretically can be

threatened at any moment, and that's why there's so much security built around them. And with the Brits, we've worked very closely for a very long

time, including on this investigation, and they couldn't be more cooperative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let me bring in CNN's Brian Todd.

It does raise the question, Brian, why are they being moved now then if they're not linked to this case?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question, Max, and I don't think they're really answering that in a way that satisfies anyone.

Secretary Rubio also told reporters that it's not an unusual move. that these bombers are -- these kinds of bombers are often rotated out of these

bases. But according to our sources and our analysts, it is in fact an unusual move to do this. And the timing is seemingly really not

coincidental.

This is new reporting from our colleagues, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Zachary Cohen, citing a U.S. official who says the U.S. has in fact moved

long range bombers back to their home stations in the United States after an unspecified new threat, which this official called, quote, "a real world

incident". Now, the official said this, quote, "We can acknowledge now that all U.S. bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford, Royal Air Force Base

Fairford, have redeployed to their home stations in the United States," end quote.

Now, the statement did not include details as to why the planes were moved, but of course this comes just days after the British government arrested a

number of individuals in connection with an alleged Iranian plot to target that base, RAF Fairford, in Great U.S. official said it is unusual that the

U.S. military would move bombers back to their home stations in the United States instead of redeploying them to another air base in the region.

Vice President J.D. Vance had this to say about the caution being exercised here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that we're going to be as careful as we possibly can be. Obviously, doing these missions is

sometimes inherently risky, even flying a training mission as we sometimes find out. Unfortunately, a training mission in the United States of America

can be risky because these are very powerful, very next generation pieces of technology.

So, what you saw there is the secretary of war out of an abundance of caution trying to protect our guys. We do feel with some confidence that

the Iranians are, you know, they're trying to do what the Iranian state has done for 49 years, which is engaged in acts of terrorism against the United

States and against a lot of other people as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The British Ministry of Defense has not commented on the moving of these bombers. Fairford has been used to deploy U.S. B-1 bombers during the

war with Iran and also to coordinate long-range airstrikes.

CNN national security analyst Alex Plitza says it is likely that several dozen B-1 bombers were deployed at Fairford. And again, he says this is an

unusual move. Iran has, of course, denied any involvement in the incident at Fairford, describing the accusations as, quote, "baseless" -- Max.

FOSTER: Brian, appreciate it. Thank you.

Now, after weeks of angry protests, Spain's prime minister calls a snap election. Pedro Sanchez today announced a general election will take place

at the end of November. Mr. Sanchez has been dealing with street protests for weeks and calls for more affordable housing in Spain. The snap election

is being seen as risky for the socialist Sanchez and his minority government, as right-wing and far-right parties have been surging in Spain

and across Europe.

Pau Mosquera breaks it down for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After two days of deliberation, the much-anticipated outcome.

PEDRO SANCHEZ, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I have decided to convene an extraordinary cabinet meeting this very morning to dissolve

the Spanish parliament and call a general election to be held on Sunday, November 29.

MOSQUERA (voice-over): Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez cornered, forced into the decision after right-wing parties in parliament struck down

a last-ditch effort on Friday to tackle the country's housing emergency. The face of that crisis is Maria del Carmen Abascal, or just Maricarmen, as

she's known across Spain. An investment fund both her flat, more than quadrupled her rent, and at 87, Maricarmen was kicked out from the place

she called home for more than 70 years.

[15:10:10]

For many, after years of price hikes and rent rises, that was the final straw. Sanchez is hoping to capitalize on the anger and frustration over a

housing crisis, the measures he tried to pass, and the economy where his party has done well. That would shift the gaze away from the corruption

scandals that have plagued some of his close allies. And migration, which exploded this summer when thousands streamed across the border in Spain's

northern Africa exclave of Celta.

But it's still a gamble. He trails the center-right popular party in opinion polls.

ALBERTO NUNEZ FEIJOO, LEADER, PEOPLE'S PARTY (through translator): Finally, Spain will speak its mind.

MOSQUERA (voice-over): And one crisis after another has left the far-right Vox Party as potential kingmakers.

SANTIAGO ABASCAL, LEADER, VOX PARTY (through translator): We must reverse the migrant influx, which is having so many negative consequences for

Spaniards' pockets.

MOSQUERA: But for those who have been camping here at the heart of Madrid, it's been a bit of a mixed feeling. Some would like Sanchez. Others would

prefer a new leadership. But what everyone really wants is a quick solution to housing emergency. And with this election, that feels a long way off.

Paul Mosquera, CNN, Madrid.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Meanwhile, Brazil is heading for a presidential runoff that could reshape Latin America as a right-wing ally of U.S. President Donald Trump

battles to unseat one of the continent's most prominent left-wing leaders.

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face incumbent President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva head-to-head after neither secured more than 50 percent of the vote

in Sunday's elections. Bolsonaro's son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro scored a surprise come from behind rally to finish ahead of Lula

by several points.

Here's what they both said after the results came in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is time for us to show the true picture of Brazil today and the Brazil we

want. So, starting tomorrow, we are beginning a new campaign, a campaign in which, with only two candidates, we will be able to show the difference

between the proposals that exist for Brazil.

FLAVIO BOLSONARO, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): I'm very happy about the real possibility that, three weeks from now,

Brazil will give a definitive answer that it wants a modern government, a government with fewer ministries, a government that will restore democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: We're joined now by Americo Martins, a senior correspondent, of course, for CNN Brazil.

Thank you for joining us.

I mean, it is such a crucial election, isn't it, to the whole region, not just Brazil. Take us through what the atmosphere has been like with this

surprisingly tight race.

AMERICO MARTINS, CNN BRASIL INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks for having me.

Yes, it was very tight. Most of the opinion polls were showing that President Lula will be leading in the first round, but that did not happen.

And now Flavio Bolsonaro is leading. We're going to have the second round in three weeks.

You mentioned how important this election is for the region. That's because the size of Brazil and the size of its economy. The region has been seeing

a huge right-wing wave in recent years and months, with elections, for example, in Chile and Colombia, electing right-wing presidents. And now the

same seems to be happening in Brazil. We still have the second round of the elections, as I mentioned, but the right wing already controls the new

Congress in Brazil, the Senate, and also the Chamber of Deputies, both houses in Congress.

If Flavio Bolsonaro is elected, he's going to appoint at least four new Supreme Court justices. So, he's going to have most of the levers of power

if he's elected. That will definitely put Brazil on the right spectrum in Latin America, which is going to be important for the U.S. as well, Max.

FOSTER: How much do you think President Trump had a role in this, in the way that he obviously supports one over the other.

MARTINS: The government of President Lula complained a lot about what it saw as an intervention in Brazilian politics in terms of the tariffs that

were applied against Brazilian exports, in terms of some visa restrictions against some of the Brazilian authorities. But on the election day, there

was no mention of that. There was no evidence whatsoever of any kind of American influence on the elections. But going forward, both candidates in

the second round have very different views of how Brazil should interact with the U.S.

[15:15:04]

President Lula wants to be much more independent from the U.S., wants to keep the course of an independent foreign policy, and Flavio Bolsonaro is

much closer to Donald Trump. He says very clearly that he wants to align Brazil much more closely with the White House and President Donald Trump.

So in terms of the foreign policy, they have very different views, and that will have implications for the whole region, again, because of the size of

Brazil and the importance of Brazil has in the region, including for the foreign policy of the United States.

FOSTER: Americo, appreciate it. Fascinating race.

Still to come, new information tonight on the attempted terror attack aboard a Fly Dubai plane. Sources tell CNN the suspect had an intended

target for the plane full of passengers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Let's take you straight to the White House. President Trump speaking now.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In the back? We're opening it very soon.

REPORTER: Why are you telling your supporters to vote by mail if you think it's fraud?

TRUMP: No, vote by mail or vote in person. I'd rather have them vote in person, but they can vote by mail if they want because we seem to have no

choice because a lot of people want to vote by mail, but a lot of very good people also want to vote in person. You can do either.

What we're concerned about is there seems to be a lot of -- not seems to be, there is a lot of cheating in vote by mail. A lot of cheating all over.

I'll tell you what. Start off by taking a look at California. Take a look at -- take a look at -- no evidence with millions and millions of ballots.

You are fake news.

(CROSSTALK)

REPORTER: Republic of Serbia, the United States launched a strategic dialogue three months ago. What do you think about the cooperation and how

do you see --

TRUMP: Well, we have a very good relationship with Serbia.

REPORTER: Will you resume trade talks with Canada before the midterm?

TRUMP: I don't know. Canada behaves very badly with the United States, and I don't know. We've caught them in the act. They charged us a lot of

tariffs that nobody knew about except me, and it'll work out eventually, but I don't know about -- I'm in no rush.

You know, Canada does all their business with us. We do very little business with them. And all we ask of one thing in Canada, they have to be

honest. They are not honest with the United States. They've been ripping us off for years.

Yeah.

REPORTER: -- specific threat that led you to pull those bombers back from the U.K.?

TRUMP: Yeah. I think we can say that. I mean, they didn't fly out by accident. Yeah, no, but there were some threats. And rather than tempting

the enemy, we'll capture the enemy and beat the enemy. But why should we leave him there? So, we moved him around a little bit, not very far.

(CROSSTALK)

REPORTER: Do you ease limits on red dye diesel? And if so, for how long?

TRUMP: For what?

REPORTER: For red dye diesel, for American farmers. Are you considering easing limits on red dye diesel?

TRUMP: We are -- we are doing a lot for the farmers. The farmers have been with me from day one. I've made the farmers a lot of money. We've given

them a lot, and we help them a lot.

And the farmers are with me all the way. In fact, I'll be going to Iowa very soon. And today, I'm going to Nebraska for our farmers.

REPORTER: Mr. President --

TRUMP: I'll be helping them with diesel, yes.

REPORTER: Mr. President, are you open for direct talks with Iranians?

TRUMP: Yeah, always.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: With regard to who?

REPORTER: Mutual defense agreement.

TRUMP: We're always diplomatic.

REPORTER: What's your view about the Saudis and Yemenis counterattack and offensive against the Houthis?

TRUMP: It'll all work out very well. It's going to work out very well.

(CROSSTALK)

REPORTER: -- Republican candidates in the swing states by traveling there.

TRUMP: I do. I think when I travel there, the numbers go way up. We have massive crowds. We have another sold-out crowd today. We went to Ohio. We

went to Texas. We went to Oklahoma. We're going to Michigan. We're going all over the country.

And we have another massive sold out. They say the lines are -- it's already sold out. So, you know, when I go there, they pick up a lot of

steam. When I go there, they win. And that's what I'm doing.

REPORTER: How do you see the numbers that came yesterday from Brazil? Last week, you told me that you were following the elections very closely.

TRUMP: You're talking about in Brazil?

REPORTER: Yes. How do you see the numbers?

TRUMP: I think it's going to be a very close election. And that'll be a very close -- I think Brazil will be a very close one.

REPORTER: Maria Corina Machado wrote a notepad today in "The New York Post" saying that she should go back to Venezuela. Do you support her?

TRUMP: Well, I say one thing. She's a very fine woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize because she knew I earned it. And she's a very fine woman, and

it's all going to work out.

(CROSSTALK)

(INAUDIBLE)

FOSTER: President Trump taking a variety of questions there. Two of the things that popped out where he was being asked why he's asking people to

vote by mail whilst trying to get rid of vote by mail. And he just explained that he would ideally not have that system, but whilst it's

there, people should use it.

And then he talked about the U.S. bombers that were being repositioned of RAF effort following that potential threat on the base. He simply said that

there were some threats. He's been around a little bit, but not very far.

He also did mention how close the Brazil election was that we were talking about earlier, but he didn't go out of his way to endorse Bolsonaro in that

moment, just saying it's going to be close.

Meanwhile, two sources tell CNN the man accused of trying to hijack a FlyDubai flight last week was likely targeting Israel's main international

gateway, Ben-Gurion Airport. Copilot Hammam Al-Hammami allegedly attacked the captain whilst the plane was over Saudi airspace.

Investigators believe that Al-Hammami acted alone, they add. He has not been linked to any terrorist group for training or funding of the attack.

Jeremy Diamond has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: This is obviously still a developing investigation and we are seeing that the twists and turns happen

in real time. But the latest information that we have, according to an Israeli official and an Israeli source familiar with the matter, is that it

appears that this suspect, the copilot of the Omani copilot on this flight, likely wanted to target Israel's Ben-Gurion airport.

And so, while initially clearly the plane was starting to go down, there were questions about whether or not he wanted to simply crash the plane

where he was at the moment, which was over the Arabian desert.

Now investigators are now indicating that it was likely he wanted to take that plane further and cause more casualties beyond simply the 170-plus

passengers who were on that flight.

Now, we know that Israeli officials are receiving regular updates from Emirati investigators. He is, of course, still in Emirati custody, but

there is a close security partnership between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. And so, Israel does have some window into how this investigation

is proceeding.

We also know that the Australian Federal Police and New Zealand Police have also been looking into this suspect in this case because apparently, he had

spent some time in both Australia and New Zealand.

Here in Israel, the questions are really turning not just to, you know, the suspect and how he got on this plane, but also to the security failures

that led to this situation. Last week we had a lot of focus on the heroic passengers on this plane who prevented an absolute catastrophe from taking

place, a catastrophe that we're still starting to grasp the potential scale of.

But now the questions are really turning to the failures internally in Israel as well, including at the Ministry of Transportation, which would

have been responsible for vetting the pilots on these planes from foreign aircraft flying into Israel. Apparently, the Israel Tax Authority would

have received the names of these pilots, but the Ministry of Transportation said its procedures did not include checking the names of flight crew

members, which is obviously a glaring oversight here. So, a lot of questions being asked here in Israel about this Israeli government, the

Ministry of Transportation, and these clear warning signs across the board that were missed were simply procedures that were not abided by.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Coming up, a Russian researcher dies from a mystery illness. Why world health officials keep a close watch on the fatal case in Siberia that

could be linked to the plague. We'll talk with an infectious disease expert, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:31:28]

FOSTER: Let's return to our top story, a mystery illness that's caused the death of a plague researcher in Russia. The 28-year-old woman died last

week in Siberia from what officials called an unknown infection. She was working as a lab tech at an institute dedicated to plague research.

Dozens of people at the laboratory and the nearby hospital are now in quarantine. So what we want to know is how worried should we be about this

Russian plague scare.

Joining us now, Dr. Aileen Marty, a distinguished university professor and expert in infectious diseases at Florida International University.

Thank you for joining us, professor.

I know we're dealing with limited information here, but we were talking to our Moscow correspondent earlier on who pointed out a contradiction, the

way the authorities appear to be playing this down, but at the same time, or the actions on the ground seem to reflect a much more serious situation.

I mean, what's your read on this?

DR. AILEEN MARTY, PROFESSOR, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: So we do have contradictory information from the Russian government versus some of

the free news outlets. And you're absolutely correct. The -- what's being said by the Russian news does not match the response on the ground. The

response on the ground matches what is quite likely, which is she works at an institute that has for many decades worked with a bacterium called

Yersinia pestis, which was the bacteria that caused the horrible plagues of the Middle Ages, right?

So, it was also part of the feeder network for Biopreparat, which was the massive biowarfare system that the old Soviet Union had. And they had

routinely picked up many different strains of Yersinia pestis bacterium. looking for the ones that were most likely to cause worse disease.

So, was her pneumonia and her death the result of something that happened in that lab? It certainly could be. Is it also possible that she contracted

plague somewhere else or a different type of pneumonia? We don't have enough information either way to say what happened.

But based on their actions on the ground, it is quite likely that it is in fact the pneumonic form of the disease that people get from getting

infected with Yersinia pestis. So, if she did in fact contract it from the lab, and if it is a strain that is more virulent, so more dangerous,

perhaps even having been changed so that it's more resistant to some antibiotics, then their response on the ground would make a lot of sense.

But is that something we in the rest of the world away from Siberia need to worry about right now? No, because this is only going to be a localized

incident if they manage it properly. And they seem to be doing that in Siberia.

So, if they can do contact tracing, treat all the individuals involved, appropriately. And also, they have to make sure that they do animal studies

in case she exposed any animals in the area because that, you know, you can have an endemic kind of problem for now on in that area from rodents that

can get infected.

FOSTER: Just take us through what this plague is.

[15:35:01]

I mean, the reality is people in the back of their mind are thinking COVID, aren't they? Even to the point that you're making, saying we shouldn't

worry about it. It's a localized problem.

But just explain the difference between a virus like COVID and what we've got here.

MARTY: Right. So, Yersinia pestis is a bacteria. It's a form -- it's a bacterial infection that can be extraordinarily serious. And when somebody

gets infected by inhaling the bacteria, if they are not promptly given appropriate antibiotics, they have almost 100 percent chance of dying.

However, we do have antibiotics that work against this bacterium and have had them for many decades now. So we know how to treat natural Yersinia

pestis or this particular bacterium. And they know how to do it in Russia as well.

In the United States and most places, there is no vaccine against this bacterium right now that's licensed. There are three candidate vaccines

that we do have. Russia does have a vaccine that they may wish to give some of the people who were exposed. But most importantly, they have to treat

any exposed person with appropriate antibiotics.

Now, if it is a lab version of this bacterium that is resistant to normal antibiotics, then we still can treat it with antibiotics. We just have to

be much more aggressive, use different classes of antibiotics simultaneously to overcome resistance that might be in that particular

Yersinia pestis.

They are absolutely right to take it very seriously there, but this is not the type of pathogen that is going to go undetected. And one of the things

you have to consider is the incubation period. So, the incubation period for say Ebola can be 21 days. For this, if it's inhalational, it's one to

two days usually, sometimes as much as four, but that's it.

You're not going to be seeing people getting on airplanes asymptomatic and showing up in England or in the U.S. or anywhere else and not manifesting

illness. So, it would be very much of a contained situation.

So, I'm not really worried about this spreading around the world. I am, however, extraordinarily concerned about the people in the town.

FOSTER: Yeah, absolutely. Thoughts very much with them. They're clearly very concerned, according to all the reports we've had from them.

Thank you so much indeed, Dr. Aileen Marty, for explaining that.

Now, the final moments of trade on Wall Street. Stocks turning pretty positive, actually. The Dow has rallied into the green whilst the Nasdaq is

up around 1 percent.

This is our Business Breakout.

New reports are coming to light of commercial ships being hit by unidentified projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. British authorities said

today three tankers have reported coming under fire. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.

David Ellison has unveiled the new leadership team for Skydance, the merged company made-up of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company

of CNN. Among the executive team is Mark Thompson, who is remaining in post as CNN's chairman and editor in chief. The merge is due to complete on

Tuesday.

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments over whether oil companies can be held liable for damages caused by climate change. Several U.S. cities

and states have argued that oil companies have misled the public. Oil companies say that litigation could ultimately make the energy sector go

bankrupt.

It's supposed to be the technology that will change our lives forever, but six out of 10 workers in the tech industry say they try to avoid using A.I.

That's according to a new survey from Stack Overflow, a website for programmers. They spoke to 30,000 software developers across the world and

found that whilst most tech workers do use A.I. assistants, many of them don't find it very useful or truly useful.

Lisa Adedicio joins us from New York.

Are we wrong to be using it? The rest of us feel like idiots now, Lisa.

LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECH EDITOR: Yeah, Max, what I think is really interesting here about this survey in particular and about software

engineers is that this was really one of the first industries where the day-to-day work that these people are experiencing has been changed because

of A.I., which is why I think this is a really fascinating thing to be following because it could perhaps maybe be a sign of some of the

challenges and obstacles that other fields might face as they adopt A.I.

And now this is just one survey, of course, it doesn't represent the entire industry, but it is interesting here to see that there are a bunch of

software developers out there that kind of feel mixed about this. Of course, it doesn't represent the entire industry, but it is interesting

here to see that there are a bunch of software developers out there that kind of feel mixed about this.

On one hand, it's being widely adopted for coding and fixing bugs.

[15:40:03]

But on the other hand, you have six in 10 developers who answered this survey that said they tried to avoid it. And at the same time, some of

these respondents, about a third of these respondents have also said that they're unhappy in their job, which is slightly higher than last year's

number.

So, I think there's a couple of factors really happening here. I spoke to the CEO of Stack Overflow and he told me that some of these pain points

here are caused by things that would exist whether A.I. was around or not, things like economic uncertainty, burnout, tech fatigue, uncertainty about

upward mobility.

But a lot of those anxieties are being kind of amplified by A.I. And I think there are a couple of different pressures that people in this field

are really feeling right now, specifically in software development. One is that if you're a senior level engineer, you're facing a lot of pressure to

really incorporate the technology into your job and stay up on the latest and greatest coding tools, even if that means doing that in your own time.

And if you're an entry level worker, you're facing pressure to perform as if you already have three years of experience because A.I. raised the bar.

So, I think that's, you know, part of what we're seeing here. And then on top of that, a lot of the people I've or some of the people I've spoken to

said that they don't find the technology always as useful as it should be.

FOSTER: Yeah. Lisa, appreciate it. Fascinating study, that one.

Coming up, U.S. President Donald Trump heading to a red state rally just weeks before the midterms. We'll see why. He's trying to shore up his base

in areas Republicans once never even considered at risk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: U.S. President Donald Trump is on a campaign blitz as the midterm election approaches, looking for friendly faces in deep red states, as

multiple polls show potential trouble ahead. He is heading to Nebraska today as he rallies the Republican base.

[15:45:02]

Mr. Trump is trying to make sure that supporters show up to vote by making the message about himself, asking them to pretend he's on the ballot. But

many Americans aren't buying his economic agenda.

In the new CBS poll, 70 percent say they believe his policies have led to higher grocery prices. A separate poll finds shrinking support in a key

demographic, that's Latino voters. The NBC Telemundo poll found 69 percent of registered Latino voters disapprove of Mr. Trump's job performance.

Latinos played a critical role in President Trump's victory in 2024.

So, what we don't know is can Republicans find a way to hold onto Latino voters?

Joining us now, CNN's Stephen Collinson.

I'm just wondering, Stephen, if they, you know, you can't really predict what happens until the last moment. I mean, what's the format usually with

a Latino vote?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, there's a great deal of alarm among Republicans because generally this is a community that

has voted for Democrats for many years, although there are, of course, you know, exceptions to that in certain key areas of the country. But

generally, they've voted Democrat.

In 2024, President Trump got historic turnout and support from Latino voters. That really did help him get back to the White House and win those

seven key battleground states that paved his way to a second term. All of these polls now show that that community is starting to drift away from the

president, and that is why some Republican strategists are so alarmed, because if he loses that community, he loses the edge in some of these key

states, and that has Democrats quite keen that they can get this community back.

The big problems are not just the enforcement of President Trump's deportation agenda of undocumented migrants, which you might expect and

which has caused, you know, anger and upset in the community.

The numbers for Latino voters very much mirror what's going on elsewhere in the country. They're worried about inflation and high prices, and they

believe that President Trump's economic agenda is making their lives worse.

FOSTER: So when he's going out there and saying, imagine I'm on the ballot, obviously, they're not voting for the president in these elections,

how are Republican candidates who are up for election feeling about that?

COLLINSON: Most of them not great. It's certainly playing into the Democrats' hands because the Democrats want this to be an election that is

a referendum on Donald Trump, his policies, his unpopularity, and not really focused on their own troubles with the electorate. Although polls

show people don't like Trump, they've not won back much trust in the Democrats either.

But this looks very much like one of those elections when the electorate wants to kick the party in power and may cause them some pain.

Look at where Trump is going. He was in Alabama on Friday night, a very conservative state. He was in Ohio, a state which he won by 11 points in

2024, but where there is now a very close Senate race between Republicans and Democrats. Nebraska, another heartland conservative state.

If Trump was popular, he'd be going to a lot of these swing state battles. There is one part of this, though, that is logical. If we assume that Trump

is so popular that he's not going to win over wavering voters and independents and moderates, they are at least sending him to places where

he does still have a base of strong popularity.

Perhaps the only thing standing between the Republican Party and a wipeout is Trump getting those utterly committed Trump voters who don't normally

vote in congressional midterm elections to the polls. He might be the person that could do that and perhaps stem some Republican losses, but it's

clear that in much of the country his travails are dragging the party down.

FOSTER: Stephen Collinson, appreciate it. Thank you.

COLLINSON: Thanks.

FOSTER: Still to come, tensions between the U.S. and an ally. I will tell you why Japanese police have arrested this U.S. Marine and the crime he's

accused of committing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:54]

FOSTER: An investigation is underway in Japan after an American Marine was arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman while stationed on Okinawa. The

Japanese government has filed a rare formal protest with the U.S. calling the death of a 39-year-old woman extremely brutal and heinous.

CNN's Hanako Montgomery has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're getting more details now about a gruesome murder in Okinawa. Police have arrested a suspect, 20-year-old

Lance Corporal Devin Jacob Ballard, a U.S. Marine stationed in the prefecture. He was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of killing 39-year-old

Anna Yagi.

Police say Anna was found collapsed inside a hotel room in the early hours of Saturday. And that she died from strangulation.

They're also investigating the case as a possible robbery, given that some of Anna's belongings were taken from the room and later found discarded

nearby.

Investigators have also told us that security camera footage shows a man believed to be a foreign national with a shaved head entering the hotel

room with Anna and later leaving with her belongings.

Now, Ballard, the suspect, has denied the allegations, according to the police. And the investigation is ongoing.

Now, separately, both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Embassy in Japan have expressed their condolences, with the embassy also adding that the

U.S. is cooperating with Japanese authorities over this investigation.

Now, this case has stirred up a lot of anger in Japan, where the Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, has lodged a rare protest against the United

States. She's also called for the, quote, fullest possible cooperation with the investigation, thorough discipline among U.S. military personnel and

measures to prevent the recurrence of crimes and accidents.

And for people in Okinawa, this stirs up painful memories of 2016 when similarly a woman in Okinawa was murdered. Now, this victim was also raped

and later a former U.S. Marine was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for those crimes.

And many in Okinawa point to the fact that they shoulder what they call an unfair burden, that a majority of U.S. military bases in Japan are

stationed in Okinawa. And they argue that, therefore, there are more violent crimes involving U.S. military personnel in the prefecture.

So, this case has added to these longstanding issues, longstanding friction between military bases belonging to the United States and Okinawans.

It's also added to the frustration that many locals feel over a number of issues involving sex crimes and U.S. military personnel. And they're also

calling for greater accountability over the murder of Anna Yagi.

Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[15:55:00]

FOSTER: Finally, tonight, three scientists who developed a tool for understanding how the brain works have been awarded the Nobel Prize in

medicine. They were honored for their work developing optogenetics. It's a revolutionary technique that uses light to study nerve cells and the

circuits in the brain that govern memory, emotion, and behavior.

One of the honorees described what it was like when he got the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. KARL DEISSEROTH, 2026 NOBEL PRIZE LAUREATE IN MEDICINE: I was very surprised and I found I had a hard time speaking. I sort of lost the

ability to form words for 30 seconds or so. But it was very, not for any lack of courtesy on the caller's part, it was a very warm and friendly

phone call, but it was very surprising and overwhelming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, the Medicine Prize marks the start of Nobel week with announcements coming every day leading up to Friday's big one, the

unveiling of the Nobel Peace Prize.

I'm Max Foster. That's WHAT WE KNOW. Do stay with CNN.

END

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