CNN This Morning

Senate candidates in Michigan and Kansas go head to head in their final debates before Election Day ... JD Vance tells critics to “stop whining” over a GOP attack ad that dredges up a Democrat’s childhood trauma ... At least two Bush family members back James Talarico over Republican Ken Paxton in Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new CNN poll shows Democrats entering the final stretch of the midterm campaign with a 10-point advantage over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, with their lead growing to 15 points among independent voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump is using violent protests in France to argue for hard-line immigration policies and warn voters about what he says could happen in the US, just two weeks before the midterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump is back on the campaign trail with his approval rating hitting a new low. Can he still turn out voters in key Senate races? ... A grieving military husband confronts JD Vance over failures in leadership. Could the moment become a bigger problem for the Vice President? ... Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed pushes back after being questioned about his loyalty to America. Is his Muslim faith being used against him? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three children and a teacher are dead after a shooting at an Oregon elementary school. A community member intervened before police arrived. ... Abdul El-Sayed and JD Vance trade attacks in Michigan. Does the political sparring resonate with voters? ... Protesters interrupt the Maine Senate debate, confronting Susan Collins as questions grow about Troy Jackson's ability to energize Democrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump says the US is making a fortune from high oil prices, even as gas prices hit a grim milestone and voters give him low marks on inflation and the economy. ... James Talarico faces questions over his "God is non-binary" remarks. Can his brand of liberal Christianity win in Texas? ... The Trump administration investigates Rep. Ilhan Omar for immigration fraud. Could she be stripped of her citizenship? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Republican Senate candidates in key battleground states break with President Trump over the war in Iran as voters focus on the economy and cost of living. ... Trump travels to a state that hasn't elected a Democratic senator in nearly two decades. What does that say about Republicans' midterm prospects? ... Sources are already questioning how long new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia will last after her first briefing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With just three weeks until the midterm vote, Republicans are trying to shrink the map and pump out more cash. Can they save their Senate majority? ... Federal agents raid the home of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar just two days after Trump singled her out at a rally. Coincidence, or part of a pattern? ... The new White House press secretary gives her first briefing today. What could Katie Zakaria's past post tell us about her future at the podium? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A source tells CNN that President Trump is now weighing whether to fire his son's ex-fiancé Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US Ambassador to Greece, after a string of reports alleging misconduct ... Is Trump's diesel deal with Putin just weeks from the midterms a ploy to win the GOP some votes? ... The president wants people to watch a firing squad execution in the name of American values. Now the Pope is pushing back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As today's show begins we're tracking Hurricane Isaias, which has strengthened to Category 2 as it heads towards the Gulf, prompting a state of emergency in parts of Alabama and Florida ... The Pentagon is saying that the firing squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed for the public. Is that even legal? US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle is accused of asking a Trump donor to pay off her credit card bill. How will the president respond to the scandal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, now threatens the Gulf. Where will it make landfall and how powerful will it be when it does? ... Two Trump- backed Senate candidates buck the president. Is he costing them crucial votes? ... We reveal brand new CNN polling of a crucial midterm race in Iowa. Does either candidate have the upper hand? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The midterm Senate map is shifting toward Democrats. What does that mean for Republicans who are trying to keep control of government? ... Troy Jackson holds Susan Collins to account on Trump, abortion, and tariffs during a debate. Did it land with Maine voters? ... Three years after the October 7th attacks, we've got new details from the behind the scenes as President Biden tried to prevent an all-out regional war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"We're worried about Michigan. We're worried about Texas. We're worried about a few states." Those are the words of President Trump while campaigning for Republicans. Is he helping or hurting the GOP's chances in midterms? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With just a few weeks before the crucial midterms, President Trump is digging for votes in places you might not expect ... With the president placing big bets on data centers, can Democrats turn that into midterm votes? ... Latino voters helped Trump in the last election. But polls now show a swing back to Democrats. Is ICE to blame? ... Retailers are using AI and algorithms to charge different customers different prices. Has big tech reinvented the rip off? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This morning we begin by talking about the haunting case of a death row inmate who is still alive after two lethal injections. What happens now to the convicted killer in critical condition? ... Almost a month from the midterms, the president is campaigning in red states. So what does that say about GOP confidence and voters? ... AI doppelgangers are appearing in midterm attack ads. Are the candidates breaking any laws with these? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Passengers prevent disaster after the copilot stabbed the pilot. What we're learning about the alleged attacker ... Pete Hegseth says "the clowns are out and the cowboys are in" at the Pentagon. What could more leadership cuts mean for America's troops? ... California's Gavin Newsom reveals he's been getting advice from former President Bill Clinton. How will that shape a possible run for president in 2028? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As today's show begins we're following breaking news out of the Middle East, where a passenger jet headed for Israel was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Sources tell CNN a "violent incident between two pilots" is to blame. Our coverage begins with Joining me now with the latest is CNN correspondent Eleni Giokos in Dubai. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The biggest names in tech, several of whom have called for regulation of AI, are scheduled to meet today at the White House. The summit comes as OpenAI scraps yet another model over safety concerns ... Prosecutors reopen the case of an alleged gang rape at Cornell. What could they find now that they didn't before? ... Jack Smith, who oversaw criminal investigations of Donald Trump, will testify before the Senate today. Fireworks are expected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A two-year-old Trump campaign ad is back on TV, this time with a "paid for by the US government" disclaimer. Why are our tax dollars paying for propaganda? ... After calling warnings about AI a "hoax," the president has dinner with one of the biggest voices trumpeting AI's dangers ... Are red state farmers rethinking their loyalty to Trump. Can Democrats turn that into midterm votes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During his meeting with President Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping calls for keeping AI under human control. Why is he the one saying what a lot of people in the US want to hear right now? ... The White House blocks some journalists from the Trump-Xi state dinner, then falsely claims some media refused to cover it. Can they reasonably expect to have it both ways? ... Republicans in tough midterm races suddenly express concern about ICE tactics. Is it going to be too little, too late for upset voters? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A federal judge orders the Trump Administration to immediately reinstate CNN's access to the White House, along with the credentials for MS NOW and Politico. The judge found that revoking the reporters' press badges was done without adequate due process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New CNN polling shows some Republican voters plan to use the midterms to send a thumbs-down message to the president. Should more GOP candidates distance themselves from Trump? ...The president uses a UN speech to threaten Iran with "annihilation." Given that, could sideline meetings between the two countries really lead to a deal to end the war? ... Netanyahu slams New York's mayor just just days before he's due at the UN. Was the Israel's PM's message meant for Mamdani, or his own voters back home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A grand jury decides against bringing criminal charges in the death of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old who died on a Mississippi boating trip with friends on July 4th ... What's behind the budding bromance between Trump and Mamdani? ... Why are Texas heavyweights Bush and Cornyn raising money for every Republican except Ken Paxton? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CNN is one of the three national news outlets to file a First Amendment lawsuit today to restore their White House access after President Trump's ban. Reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were denied access to the White House Saturday morning. Our coverage begins with CNN's Brian Stelter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump was photographed sitting in Air Force One holding some sort of sign or placard reading "Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED." Is this just trolling or is the White House seriously considering it? ... Is the deadly measles outbreak confirming Democrats' worst fears about RFK Jr.'s anti-vax rhetoric? ... A Florida Republican turns on Trump with a new ad claiming Hispanic voters feel betrayed by him. Will her gamble pay off? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Following yet another incident of an AI model going rogue, will Washington start regulating the nascent technology? ... A Nebraska Senate candidate is caught on tape criticizing Trump voters. Is this a new "deplorables" moment? ... JD Vance issues a candid plea to voters to be patient and give the administration another chance. Will he/they get it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump issues an ultimatum: Put his name back on the Kennedy Center or it won't be renovated and reopened. Is this a political shakedown? ... A GOP senator calls for impeaching Pete Hegseth. What will his fellow Republicans say when forced to go on the record? ... Kash Patel defends a bizarre bestiality policy in front of Senators at a public hearing. Is this your tax dollars at work? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump tried to change the rules for mail-in voting before the midterms. But the Supreme Court ruled against him ... Kash Patel faces the Senate Judiciary Committee today. Will there actually be substantive Q&A or a performance for an audience of one? ... The president calls growing AI concerns a "hoax." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big tech wants to pump the brakes on AI, while President Trump is full-steam ahead. Do Republicans risk being on the wrong side of this issue? ... House Speaker Johnson says Congress needs to approve the president's proposed $5,000 checks. Would Trump let Republican lawmakers take the fall for an impossible pledge? ... A woman dies of measles in Pennsylvania. Is the conflicting public health messaging a concern? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We begin today's show by marking the 25-year anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Democratic Senator John Fetterman surprises everyone at Trump's midterm Republican national convention, fueling rumors that he's switching sides. Are Dems better without him? ... Texas Senate candidate James Talarico flip flops on transgender athletes in sports. We ask whether the voters can believe what he's saying now ... 9/11 started America's war on terror. 25 years on, is it a success or failure? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The foreperson from the Lindsay Clancy mistrial claims the lone holdout juror admitted he had reasonable doubt. Why didn't the judge remove him? ... The goal for Republicans at the first midterm convention is to raise money and praise Trump. Is that what the GOP really needs right now? ... The president is trying to clarify his 9/11 tale of being carried away by firefighters afraid of a building collapse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It looks like we've got a US-Canada trade war brewing before the midterms. Could it cost Republicans in battleground states like Michigan or Ohio? ... California's Gavin Newsom says there is overwhelming opposition among Democrats to the current regime in Israel. Is he describing the party's new position or positioning himself to lead? ... NYC Mayor Mamdani stands firm in the face of calls for him to skip Friday's 9/11 ceremony. Does he risk becoming a political distraction there? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Federal officials are trying to figure out how an Amazon cargo plane barreled off the runway in Miami, killing at least five people. We speak with an aviation safety expert about what investigators will be looking at first ... The White House is sounding more hopeful after meetings in Moscow and Kyiv. Could this four-year- war end before winter? ... Senator Bernie Sanders, who turns 85 tomorrow, spent years pulling the Democratic party to the left. Who will pick up the mantle of the movement he's built? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's show begins with a discussion of the lone holdout in the Lindsay Clancy courtroom. What could a judge say just hours from now to break their deadlock? ... Confronted with a question about how the war in Iran is going and when the fighting will end, the vice president responds, "I don't know. You would have to ask the Iranians" ... Elon Musk does what the president has yet to do in Texas. Can the world's richest man save Republicans from a midterm disaster? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Republican senator who voted to confirm Pete Hegseth now wants him fired for "inept management of the military." Could President Trump throw Hegseth under the bus? ... Senators are getting ready to return to DC. Will Mitch McConnell be one of them? Some of his closest confidants are now skeptical ... The president promises to hit the road to get Republicans elected. But wouldn't they rather have some of that campaign cash instead? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Popular talk show host Joe Rogan says President Trump's "Lake America" executive order is nothing but a "stunt" meant "to distract you from the fact that we're in a war that we can't win in Iran." Is he right? ... An old progressive incumbent trounces a younger centrist in Massachusetts. What does this say about Democrats' appetite for rebelling against the establishment? ... Republicans want to charge more than $88,000 for a photo with Trump at the midterm convention. Is this a tone deaf cash grab? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The head of the US Army just resigned while we're in the middle of a war. That prompts big questions this morning about leadership at the Pete Hegseth Pentagon ... The Trump Administration's voter-fraud surge starts today. Is this a legitimate crackdown or another attempt to undermine election integrity? ... A jury just reached a guilty verdict in the murder of Tupac Shakur. Does this finally put a 30-year-old mystery to rest? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The deportation cheerleader Milo Yiannopoulos finds himself deported. Did a bitter far-right feud with Laura Loomer have anything to do with it? ... President Trump wants to punish NBC's Kristen Welker over two words. Will the FCC now turn that threat into action? ... Texas Republicans are waiting for the cavalry as James Talarico floods the airwaves. Team Paxton is wondering where all that MAGA ad money is? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump orders Lake Ontario to be renamed Lake America. Is this the ultimate power move or a powerless gesture? ... Plus, Republicans push state laws to restrict the rights of naturalized and dual citizens. Should there be any such thing as “not American enough?” ... Lindsay Clancy’s fate is now in the jury's hands. Will they see murder? Or a mother who was too mentally ill to be held criminally responsible? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump reportedly plans to spend MAGA campaign money on ads about himself. Do Republicans trying to win midterm races even want that? ... Meta's massive court deal promises two-hour limits for teens on Instagram. What about TikTok or YouTube? ... Did Pete Hegseth want a top general to bend the rules for a rich rock star? New questions emerge about discipline and the warrior ethos at the Pentagon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump's endorsement was all it took to elect Lindsey Graham's sister. Are GOP primaries essentially loyalty tests? ... The president's plan to bring down the price of beef runs afoul of cattle ranchers, who are calling it a raw deal. Could cheaper imports come at their expense? ... True crime obsession surrounds the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, with amateur sleuths raising all kinds of conspiracies. Has the internet gone too far? ... In a nation divided, Dolly Parton was loved on both sides of the aisle. Was she America's last cultural common ground? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We begin today's show with a look at South Carolina's critical runoff between Darline Graham, the political newcomer and sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, and Ralph Norman, the ultra-conservative congressman who backed President Trump's agenda but did not earn his endorsement ... Michigan's Abdul el-Sayed is still trying to distance himself from Hasan Piker. Was it worth the political risk to pal around with him in the first place? ... AI threatens to disrupt Texas politics. Could the rural revolt over data centers turn parts of the Lone Star State blue? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The buzz continues this morning after we learned about a secret, face-to-face meeting between Jared Kushner and Hakeem Jeffries. So, who should be more concerned, Democrats or Republicans? ... The White House says today is economic D-day for Iran. But haven't years of sanctions and isolation already failed? The father of a sailor serving an extended deployment aboard the USS Lincoln has been detained by ICE for deportation. We discuss how voters are responding to that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have Donald Trump and his former fixer Michael Cohen reunited? Or is the renewed flattery just a very public push for a pardon? ... The Navy may strip a Black war hero's name from an aircraft carrier and replace it with Donald Trump. What's behind the latest vanity project? ... Key midterm races in Texas and Iowa are now considered tossups. Is the GOP in real danger of losing the Senate this fall? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The national debt is soaring, while the war in the Middle East keeps raging. Yet at the White House it was show and tell day for a new driveway. Are the president's priorities in need of an upgrade? ... Georgia Senator John Ossoff's quip about one of Trump's most trusted aides is still making headlines days later. Is it prompting a strategy shift for Democrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not even a Trump endorsement could save scandal-plagued Florida Congressman Cory Mills, who lost his House primary race last night to former local TV news anchor Ryan Elijah. Mills has been facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations including sexual misconduct, campaign finance violations, and misuse of congressional resources, all of which he has denied. Also: A Democratic Socialist upset the Florida establishment. Are Republicans the real winners here? .... A debate stage blunder for political newbie Darline Graham ...Trump aide Natalie Harp's brother talks to CNN about his sister and the president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jon Ossoff slams the president, and Trump predictably fires right back. Did the Georgia senator cross the line or just hit a nerve? ... Primary voters head to the polls today in Florida. Can a scandal-plagued congressman ride a Trump endorsement to victory? ... Pete Hegseth talks politics in the all-important primary state of Iowa. Could he be thinking of running for the White House in 2028? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Asked yesterday if he could promise to be independent from the White House, new US Attorney General Todd Blanche said, "No." Was it naive to think he would? ... Democrats finalize their 2028 calendar, scheduling racially diverse states first. How does that help the party find its strongest candidate? ... Looking for a deal for Gaza, Trump son-in-law says he's got Hamas on board. But what about Israel? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a Russian-born American citizen named Ilya Beloozerov is gunned down by the FBI in 2024, the authorities refuse to say why they’d killed him. CNN’s Isabelle Chapman embarks on a sprawling investigation that takes her from the Mississippi parking lot where he died to Washington, D.C. to unravel the mystery: Why did Ilya abruptly leave his family and his job and head for the border with laptops and cash? Why is there still no official explanation of his death? And maybe most importantly: Was Ilya a spy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices