Hurricane Prompts Mass Evacuations

0:00This briefing is brought to you by Easter Seals Disability Services. Real belonging begins with all of us. Breaking news this morning, we are tracking this hurricane as it heads towards the Gulf. Mass executions are, evacuations are underway. We want to know how bad the storm could get. It's we're hoping for the best for preparing for the worst, just in case. Plus, the Pentagon is saying that the firing squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter will be live streamed for the public. We're going to talk about whether that's even legal. Also, a U.S. ambassador, Kimberly Gilfoyle accused of asking a Trump donor to pay off her credit card bill. How will President Trump respond to the scandal? And a midterm debate so heated and personal, the pair kept bickering during the commercial breaks. Mike Rogers and Abdel El Sayed head to head. He's kind of like a glitchy AI chatbot is say the same thing over and over and over again.

1:01He says I like to say the same thing. He's done the same thing over and over and over again. This is CNN Breaking News. All right, welcome back. I'm Audit Cornish. I want to start with this breaking news on this hurricane. Yes, it is gaining strength that is it surges through the Gulf Coast. It's now a category two storm getting stronger at this hour, bringing with it plenty of high winds and heavy rain when it makes landfall later tonight. Now, there's a state of emergency issued in parts of Alabama and Florida where people spent yesterday filling up sandbags, boarding homes and stocking up on supplies, preparing for a potentially dangerous flood. When Sally came through, we weren't prepared for it. So now it's just a matter of making sure that we're prepared. My first time being in a hurricane, so I'm not too nervous, but I do worry about the flooding.

2:07It's not just a coastal event. There will be major impacts on the interior, particularly with flooding and with rising water. It will deteriorate closer to midnight. It will get worse and worse. We don't want to see anybody on the roadway unless it is absolutely necessary. CNN meteorologist Chris Warren is tracking it all for us and we just heard the governor they're saying it's not just a coastal event. So where is the storm headed to in this hour? Multistates, Audit, and with multiple impacts as well. A lot of threats to deal with this. When we're looking at this, it is heading right to the Northern Gulf Coast. Winds at 110 miles an hour. This is a category two hurricane, a mile an hour away from becoming a major hurricane, a category three hurricane. But also remember, category is only talking about wind, which you see people boarding up for. That's what you do for a wind. You prepare for power outages. You protect your home with a potential hurricane landfall.

3:10Now it will be coming down somewhat in terms of wind speed from a three to a one. That's the forecast right now. So it still could be a two. Can't expect to go up to three. Still could be a two. That's just the wind. But as it the storm starts to unwind, starts to weaken a little bit. It'll get bigger pushing more water. That's the other threat. You go from wind to water, more surge, more rain. In fact, tropical storm watches extend all the way up north of Birmingham. So wind 39 to 57 miles an hour. Still ongoing during the day on Saturday, but initially hurricane force winds with Gus getting up close to category three strength. So we are looking at a high impact event. Here is that surge. Remember now it's the wind that's pushing this Gulf water on shore five to seven feet above normally. Dry ground and then the tornado threat. The spin with the hurricane as it's making landfall.

4:10Some of the outer bands have a little bit extra spin that can turn into tornado. So very heavy rain and thunderstorms tornadoes tonight and into Saturday possible. That goes all the way into South Carolina. You can see this category to this is now after lunch now dinner time hour after hour of pounding driving rain. And this is through the day on Saturday. Here's one o'clock on Saturday. So all of this rain, oddie falling from as far away as North Carolina in the outer banks, parts of Mississippi up to Tennessee flash flooding what you do with that. You stay off the roads, avoid flooded areas. Is it looking at all like there could be any changes before it makes landfall gaining or weakening in strength? Well, so as far as the storm itself, these are the flood watches. A lot of things are locked in place here. So we know that the impacts are going to be there with the wind with the surge with the tornadoes and then the flooding as far as movement goes. The skinnier this area is right here, this shaded area. That's basically where you can see the center of the storm goes. So if the center is can we can go just outside of it here or here. There's not going to be much difference.

5:23Things now are pretty much locked in place. You need to have things done. If you're at the Gulf Coast out of there, you get away from the storm surge. You hide from the wind. You need to be out of there by lunchtime today is what I would say. Things are going to be going downhill and then throughout the day tomorrow. I think, I think, here's the big wild card with all of this. How are these storms going to play out? What's the flooding going to be like? Where's the tornado threat going to be? And I'm talking daylight hours on Saturday. This is going to be a long duration multi state storm. Alright, that's Chris Warren. We'll be checking back with him throughout the day and our coverage of this hurricane continues on CNN this morning. In the meantime, after losing more than 5,000 workers is FEMA ready for what's coming. But first, there is brand new leaked audio again of Texas Senate, Canada, Ken Paxson. And this time he's talking about Senator John Cornett. You're going to hear it for the first time after this. I'm Adi Cornish. I'm Ari Shapiro and it's engagement party. And we get to talk about what we're obsessed with, what we're engaged with, what we need to process with a friend.

6:31And one of the things that is everywhere in pop culture right now that I feel like we've been circling around for a while. So I'm glad we're finally doing an episode about it is sobriety recovery. Drinking less. These are all related and overlapping things getting louder and louder and louder. And we're going to have a guest, AJ Delario. He was a one time super editor of Gawker Media, which all came tumbling down in the midst of his addiction sobriety for me is a complete psychic change as they called in 12 step. I have to figure out how to treat myself better and all aspects of my life. And that takes a lot more work than just stopping drinking. And follow engagement party wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Ben Maccawicz and this one's special Stanley Kubrick was a hero to so many filmmakers and artists. It's tough to overstate his influence. We're thrilled to go behind the camera with some of his closest friends and collaborators to examine his legacy. TCM and criterion present the plot thickens Stanley hosted by me Ben Maccawicz featuring an exclusive newly released audio interview with Stanley available now wherever you get your podcasts.

7:42Everything is bigger in Texas, even hurt feelings over campaigning and just into CNN. We have a new leaked piece of audio of Republican Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton complaining about his campaign. CNN obtained more than a minute and a half of audio where you hear Paxton privately lashing out at a fundraiser last month. He believes current Texas senator John Cornyn is not only refusing to support his campaign but actively wants Paxton to lose. In a statement to CNN a spokesman for Senator Cornyn says quote if Senator Cornyn wanted Ken to lose, I can assure you he'd be more active in the campaign joining me now in the group chat to discuss Sabrina Rodriguez politics reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

8:43Corbin, Transformer Communications Director for Alexandria, Casio Cortez and Jonah Goldberg CNN political commentator and editor in chief of the dispatch. I have to say we're very lucky Sabrina because you have been to Texas recently. So as people like to joke about the girls fighting, I don't understand why every week is a steady drip drip piece of audio from this fundraiser what's going on with this campaign. I mean the leaks keep coming what is what is next in the audio that we're going to hear but I think it's interesting this one that comes out today about Cornyn specifically because this is the concern that Republicans had when they had the messy primary and then went off into a runoff. You know Republican and groups aligned with John Cornyn spent roughly 90 million dollars in ads in the primary and runoff to make the point that Cornyn was the right choice and to really point out that Paxton would not be the best choice for the Republican party heading into a midterm.

9:44So it's not surprising to now see that Cornyn has not been out and about campaign. So he's also been in a corner publicly called Paxton lazy and a bad campaigner like this is not subtle this dislike and to be honest he was mentioning Jasmine Crockett there and passing at the start of that clip. And I think that may be because on that side of things there are still maybe some hurt feelings coming out of the Democratic primary. Cornyn has gone out of his I mean Cornyn has been out campaigning for other Republicans. He had a fundraiser with former president Bush last month where he was fundraising for other Republican Senate candidates and Paxton was not included in that. And then Crockett also had a super PAC release a list of endorsements tell Rico not on it although she replied to this and I think it's worth mentioning. She says y'all are Corny I keep receipts I'll be happy when people either give a damn about the facts or news media goes back to the news and said he's deciding to ride the tabloid lane. She also points out do you know the five other 103 races in the Harris County ballot she's basically saying it doesn't matter whether or not I'm going after this guy that you love are you guys paying attention up and down.

10:56Yeah I mean the I mean the schism between Crockett and telleriko is basically more or less personal right it's not a bit it's the the schism in the Texas GOP is is soony versus shea at this point it is like there is remember they impeached Paxton. Republican dominated legislator we all remember it's taxed in Trump who didn't remember this is the thing we're trying to figure out is how do they end up here but my point is is that there are basically two Republican parties in Texas and they hate each other and Paxton represents the sort of the the Maga wildly corrupt wing of the Republican party in Texas and the other wing doesn't like it and it doesn't mean that the girl going to go out and say terrible things about Paxton. Although Carl Rove is doing yeoman work undermining the Paxton. Yeah it's a road up and criticizing other candidates in the state but it's basically saying I'm not voting Republican here.

11:57And he's always crazy. He's criticized Paxton pretty directly and it's because like there's an establishment GOP the sort of Bush wing of the Texas GOP and then there's this sort of poppy of thing. I didn't know that Bush wing was still alive. Both parties are kind of seeing that though like in the Democratic party you see a much more muted version of that with candidates like I'm going to say Angie Nixon my vang you know Justin Pearson and Tennessee nine where you're not seeing a full rally of the party behind folks you're seeing more and more of them coming to terms with their candidates and who they are getting behind them but I think both parties are kind of struggle. Violence is an option right like you can and I wonder why neither why no one's taking that here. There is a struggle for who's going to be in control of each of these parties that struggle happened in the you know the Maga wing won in the Republican party for a long time now they're going to be post Trump and there's this idea of can the older older guard Republicans become and certain you know resurgent again and I think that is happening right now in the Democratic party. So our version of you know the rebranded mag of the one that's actually looking for solutions looking for transformative change will they come to power or will it be sort of the old guard the standard you know the Schumers and the Jeffries.

13:08Well we're going to have more on this particular race on Wednesday Aaron Bernad CNN here actually moderating a new Jubilee town hall Senate candidate James tell Rico will come face to face with Texas voters. So can the Democrat help turn the red state blue you can watch all that on CNN streaming live with an all access subscription and our coverage of the Senate races continues this time we're going to talk about the Michigan debate because things got breeded between mic Rogers and Abdul Elsie Ed fact they're still arguing when the cameras stopped rolling. But first that hurricane has already shut down more than half of the golf areas oil production so how much more could this storm cost you at the pump. So right now hurricane E.C.S. is a category two storm it's on the brink of becoming a category three and it's already disrupting oil and gas production in the golf and that could result in even higher gas prices.

14:14So to be clear nearly two thirds of the goals daily oil production has been temporarily shut down as more than 100 offshore platforms had to be evacuated ahead of landfall that's according to federal regulators and lines have been at gas stations in Florida and Alabama since Wednesday as people rush to fill up and get out of town. I've been in line about 10 minutes and from what I see maybe another 20 minutes here. So I was running out of gas and realizing that the storm was coming up in a couple days so I just really wanted to be prepared and fill up. Joining me now will Kaczynski and oil products reporter with Bloomberg news good morning. I know oil markets are already under pressure but talk about the role of these refineries in the golf if you take one offline what kind of ripple effects can that have. Yeah good morning so in normal times if you take a refinery offline the impact is marginal but right now the U.S. is operating with its lowest gasoline stockpiles for this time of year since 2012 diesel we've actually never gone into the fall which is peak diesel demand season with this little fuel on hand.

15:25So really any loss of production capacity could really cause a sharp spike in prices the risk is just much higher when the market is this tight. The national average for a price of gas as of right now I think is 437 last year it was around $3.11. Obviously there's a lot going on with the war and around and other things could this actually make a difference or even possibly push it up in the weeks to come. Yeah if you get a major refining facility hit Chevron has one Mississippi although it looks like the storm has sort of tacked a little bit east of that but if one of those refineries is hit then that could absolutely raise the price of gasoline because the price in local markets and the Gulf Coast goes up the Gulf Coast exports a lot of fuel to the east coast of the west coast so yeah you could definitely see prices rise with that said this is going to miss the major clusters of refining facilities in Louisiana and Texas so certainly could be worse for gas prices. How unusual is this I mean we haven't had very many storms this year.

16:25It's pretty unusual you know I think there's some discussion about super alineo I would defer to my colleagues on the weather team at Bloomberg to get into that further but yeah we normally are looking at more storms the Atlantic at this time of year. Our refineries are certainly used to having more activity batting down the hatches more often than they are right now. Okay that's Wilkins and ski thank you so much. Straight ahead on CNN this morning the Pentagon wants you to watch an execution he'd head said says he plans to live stream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter so why does the government want you to see this and later on CNN and ice agent reportedly shot a man in New York while a five year old child was nearby and the next hour when I tell you what happened. To that led federal agents to open fire. So the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is bringing back the firing squad to execute the Fort Hood shooter but here's the thing he's

17:28going to do is he's going to live stream that execution so the nation can watch. Army major betrays his country radical Islamist kills a bunch of Americans at Fort Hood of course we're going to do it at Fort Hood. We're going to do it on a Thursday we're going to do it at one o'clock which is when he did it and it's going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad. He hadn't been since World War II since we've done that well I kind of like the mentality we had in World War II which was win. Fort Hood shooter Nidalassan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3rd. He was convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 shooting CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliott Williams joins the group chat. So first help me understand the legal of this because all of this is within the military right we're not dealing with a random state and a federal trial. Right this is fascinating. It's under the uniform code of military justice not state or federal law and the UCMJ actually bars cruel or unusual punishment that's actually different than the Constitution and there's a broader range of things that might raise flags under the UCMJ.

18:35This idea of a live streaming actually can happen the secretary can call for it they can lift the rules but the question is would has on actually try to challenge it. He may just wish to accept martyrdom and say that I want to die because we should say I think in that case of the woman who was injected and that failed she had asked for the firing squad and they didn't do it. But so there is some world where they have a say in the meantime a lot of people online are wondering why this is happening in particular the live stream. I just want to play some of them for you. Why would anybody want to live in a society that allows this? Hegseth needs to be impeached 1000% they want to have a holy war happen it serves his goals it serves Trump's goals it serves a heritage foundation's goals and that's all this is but it's also insane like can we just have like a note.

19:40Thanks be normal. These are the same people who think that watching a drag queen read to children will turn the kids gay. So I don't know what they think watching someone get shot to death will do. So it's a lot of progressive voices there but I want to lean into what they're implying about the symbolism because I think legally there's an aspect to that as well. Yes so look whether you should do something and whether you can do something or two different questions and these people are focused on the short right now. The idea of deterring people from committing crimes is itself an entirely valid penological reason for for executing or for any sort of punishment is one of the first things you learn in law school now that actually cuts both ways here because of the fact that secretary hegseth wants to make an example of out of this defendant or this this this inmate. He can make the argument that this is adding on to the punishment I'm getting and is an effect trying to embarrass or shame or compound the sentence in some way it's just a legal argument he can make but yes but it's the weird execution or punishment that that deterrence question cuts both ways actually.

20:52So that point here's what hegseth was asked about why he's doing it this way. He's going to get a firing squad of soldiers as it should be and we'll make sure that people are able to watch it that is public because people need to understand that this is a serious consequence for these types of things. I couldn't agree more with that I think absolutely it needs to be I was listening to the people responded to this saying what do you want to live in a country that does this. I mean I think we need to come to terms with what it is that we do I mean whether or not there's cameras there we're still going to shoot that guy to death with guns right that's going to happen just like we took the woman in Tennessee and injected her our multiple times with drugs that eventually didn't even kill her we did it twice the execution before that in Tennessee didn't go well I think if we had to watch that if we had to see that process that painful process that ultimately didn't result in her death then I think it would be something that we're less comfortable doing that you know I it's just that it's not going to be a good thing to do. I know I'm supporting the death penalty. Definitely and doing that at all. I think you're done. What are you thinking?

21:54Yeah I mean I have very complicated views on this because I think the anti death penalty lobby is one of the parties that is responsible for why like Christopheikes execution went so badly. I know people who are very much who are very much opposed to capital punishment who in favor of public executions and I know people very much against capital punishment. I think they're good arguments on both sides. I'm in favor of capital punishment when it's justified my problem with this is that you know secretary Chester McBrosive is just trying to show off how macho he is. Did you say Chester McBrosive? Yes he is very online I would say. He's very you know rush chairman Dan Glad to meet you for you know kind of guy and- Do you think it's just a max T thing? I think it's a max T thing. I think this is signaling and I think it is feeding a constituency that he's competing with vans for of the extremely online. Extremely male.

22:55Male. Look at what an alpha I am and there's a difference between a public execution and a live streamed execution. Right right exactly. What's going to be doing and he's going to draw from the what soldiers are going to be signed up for this. It would be whoever would carry out an execution anyway that that's not alarming. I just think all of these points that Joan is making about how the secretary wishes to make an example of the defendant are the kinds of thing that were he to try to file a habeasuit to challenge the execution. These are all things he can put in the secretaries out you know beating his chest about how great this isn't how you know. And it goes beyond are we simply punishing this person for the act that he committed right. We are adding on or compounding what it against not my words with the wild say humiliation which technically isn't part of why you would. But to your point legally some of these symbolism questions have been adjudicated so to speak. Well not a lot of us. Judicate because we don't we don't do this.

23:55We don't do this. We haven't done this type of execution since since 1942 I believe. And so a lot of this is new. These are just the arguments that were this person to try to challenge he could probably bring up. The last public execution was 36 and it was well attended with 10 to 20,000 people in attendance. So they will have their ratings. I wonder if the ban on CNN and NBC would stay in place for this. Well there's all kinds of questions like you know where would you lie to would just be the defensive parts website or would you have to get a Netflix subscription. There is always Trump TV. There is only that is exactly something they're holding up. Yeah, Gilleteen was in the 1970s. This is the most depressing conversation I'll have today and we're talking about a hurricane. So next on CNN FEMA has lost more than 5,000 workers just as a major hurricane threatens the Gulf. And we're going to ask a former administrator if the agency is ready for the storm. Plus there's this. He says to me, I need a hundred thousand dollars to pay off my American press card. President Trump's ambassador to Greece allegedly asked a donor to pay her credit card bill will the president stand by her.

25:06So federal agencies are preparing to assist with response efforts as hurricane EC is moves its way through the Gulf Coast. Reminder it's now a category two storm that is strengthening by the hour. The Department of Homeland Security and the federal emergency management agencies say they are closely monitoring the storm ahead of expected landfall. They're also warning residents to take it seriously and to prepare and yes people are listening. Part of it right best place ever to live but with that comes with a few storms every now and again. We really don't know and it could all change and I don't I don't want to sit here on Friday night going. We should have we should have went. But is Feeba ready the agency has lost more than 4,000 staffers since last year joining me now former FEMA administration Craig Fuget and bottom line is the agency prepared. I mean after all this is the first storm over this long hurricane season. Yeah I'm not worried about it.

26:07People always focus on how many people FEMA's got it's really more of the states and local governments they're going to handle this response. FEMA's going to play basically a supporting role and if there's any shortfalls it will show up in recovery. What's most important right now is that people focus on taking immediate action this storm's getting close it's going to worsen today. Time's running out so really the message today is evacuate shelter be ready for this don't focus on where the storms coming short is going to have impacts well away from the center of circulation. And then as far as FEMA goes what I ran FEMA in the Obama administration we didn't have that much that many more people than they do today. It's really about relocating resources and personnel from other parts of the country. Kind of fortunate right now we haven't had any major big disasters that have pulled in a lot of FEMA resources so I don't see any impacts to the response. I think the real question is going to be is the lack of experience and numbers when it comes to some of the recovery efforts and that's going to be mainly financial impacts to states and local governments trying to get reimbursed from this disaster.

27:16Can I talk to you about that for a second though again I'm biased you know for those of us who covered the aftermath of hurricane Katrina where it did matter what FEMA was able to do or not do does this new reformed FEMA feel like it's better positioned in the aftermath because you're giving me two answers here may not make a difference but in the recovery it might so what in the recovery where it make will it make a difference. I think we're going to talk about the money it's about reimbursing the cost of the response I think we got to distinguish between the rescue search and rescue the immediate response operations and again this is not Katrina it's not hitting Louisiana and losing as much better prepared today than it was during Katrina Alabama for him and through this this storm tracks not much different than hurricane I'm in 2004 not quite as strong yet. I think that's what people forget everybody talks about FEMA look I was at FEMA but I was also state director for the primary response is going to be local state governments with the federal government supporting it that's going to be urban search rescue teams commodity supplies.

28:26FEMA's already got teams in these state emergency operations centers are working side by side that's what we do and that's how FEMA responds the challenge usually comes in is not in the days to weeks after the disaster these days it's in the months later when you're trying to recover from this and you don't have the experience staff and FEMA's having the full people from other disasters to come into these areas to help them with recovery that's where I think that may be seen but for the public itself. The initial response you don't see FEMA on the beach this time you'll see me at the state you'll see the search rescue teams you'll see the local fire department sheriff's office that's the response FEMA's a support to the governors. And for now from what you're seeing from governors how are you feeling about how they're positioning themselves ahead of the storm. They're doing what needs to be done I mean the governors have cleared emergencies those emergency operations centers the state are fully activated the local counties and cities are fully activated they're doing everything to get ready here's the problem no matter what they do no matter what FEMA does this will all come down to people evacuating moving the higher ground and staying safe.

29:36We're not going to be able to prevent the damages but we hopefully will keep the loss of life down if people he does local officials and move the higher ground don't wait don't delay this storm is going to be getting in there and you're already seeing the out of hands getting all the coast waves are up it's going to get worse as the day goes and time's running out. Okay that's Craig fugate thank you so much for being with us now I want to turn to this it is yet another corruption scandal hanging over the White House here's what happened this time a donor to President Trump accusing Kimberly Gilfoil the US ambassador to Greece of offering access to top Trump officials in exchange for cash so you have this former lawyer conservative media personality who is saying that Gilfoil asked him to pay for the money. He paid off her hundred thousand dollar credit card bill in July 2025 and this was days before her Senate confirmation hearing in a text to him Gilfoil writes honey please I need you to get this done for me today.

30:39Right before her Senate confirmation she says to me I need a hundred thousand dollars to pay off my American express card or I'm not going to become Greek ambassador as the Kimberly why should I do this for you and she told me into the text message. I'll be your right or die forever to drop administration there was no question it was a quid pro quo. Group chat is back Jonah why are we hearing about this now because it's awesome and we deserve some fun. Thank you for that but I mean he's he's talking as though he's outraged but like he paid this bill a long time ago someone helped me understand. He threatened last week as I understand it the White House give me some help with this thing he represents some horrible Pakistan allegedly horrible Pakistani doctor who have led the country that he wants to sue because he represents some clients and he says you need to help me out with this you also need to get my lyrics to kid rock. And a bunch of requests he is a laundry list of things and he's paid a lot of money and he wants some ROI and so he threatened apparently last week he sent an email saying deliver on my deliverables or I'm going to do something you don't like and you threaten to do this and then he did it and now he's explaining it and it's it's awesome.

31:57Well let me pause one of the little mention a lawyer I think for gil for gilfoil is disputing the kind of the text I guess the authenticity of the text. Here's JD dance responding to a question about this. Do you have any reaction to a US government official in this case a US ambassador asking someone to pay off debt in exchange to access to other government officials. Well so with with that hypothetical gin obviously I don't love that but I you know I don't know who exactly you're talking about I don't know the full details of course I don't like anybody selling access to another government official. Certainly a high level government official. This is also not the only unfavorable story that has come out for gilfoil in recent weeks for gilfoil specific for her specifically just a few weeks ago the Wall Street Journal also reported about how she had been taking this at Greek energy lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings and you already had Senate and House Democrats asking for Secretary of State Mark Rubio in the state department to look into those allegations in question of misconduct and I'm going to ask you.

33:20I'm just surprised to see so much coming out about this administration having open corruption I really never expected this. I've seen this headline group back so we put together then. What do you want? I mean here's the thing we're laughing but it's not funny because sadly the share of people polling Gallup poll showing the share of people who basically believe that corruption is widespread in US government it's spiked. It's always been high but look at that little spike at the end going up at 2024 so even though it feels like a vague issue to voters corruption capital see it feels like they're having a clearer picture. They are and I think this is exactly what the world hates about Washington this idea that it is right with these people who might or might not be hot messes wiring hundred thousands of dollars hundreds of thousands of dollars to each other to pay off their business.

34:27In 26 days I think before the midterms and at the main topic is affordability having your shaking down a donor for paying off your hundred thousand dollar amics bill is not perfect messaging. It's generally not good. So let's see what the candidates are talking about. I would love to have somebody to hear what the candidates are talking about on the debate stages personal insults flying late last night in the Senate debates across the country. So we're going to start with Michigan the moderator says the Democrat Abdul El Sayed and Republican microadgers basically kept arguing during commercial breaks. The reason he's flip-flopping has nothing to do with policy has nothing to do with your cost has everything to do with his sagging poll numbers. Beak cowardly won't stand up until his poll numbers drop your bought off by Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda those people who are supporting you pour that money into your campaign. That's what you're not supposed to do. I'll get her now. I'll tell you what my mother did she was a small. You go after my mom.

35:27I'm not going after your mom. What would your mom was working at? Okay. So you talk about my mother? Well, you know, we've reached the mom jokes era your mom jokes. It's fair to say it wasn't a joke. He was accusing his mother of being connected to terrorists. So, I'll reach the mom comments discourse in American politics and I think it's a dark place for us to be right now. What are you guys hearing out of these debates that you find fascinating? I mean, for one of the good thing for me that really is sort of grading and irritating is how much Islamophobia is taking over the Republican party cycle right now. And how much of a focus it is for them? They seem to really be dedicated to vilifying anybody who's Muslim in this country whether it's Mamdani, Abdul El Sayed, you know. And using that and I guess Hassan Piker occasionally as their way to distract people from the fact that they've got a war that's driving up prices that nobody wanted, that they've got food that's basically getting inaccessible. But that's not a surprise when you get close. I mean, not to be a cynic, although I'm definitely born a cynic.

36:28The closer you get to a campaign the nastier it gets for more mud slinging there is. And we are close and these races are close. I just want to show the most recent poll for Michigan choice for Senate among likely voters and it's 50 to 49%. Yeah, we should also say. I mean, I agree with you. There's a problem on the right with Islamophobia and a lot of other problems like Abdul Sayed, Hassan Piker and Zoram Mamdani. They have some agency here. They say things that are worthy of criticism and disagreement that are not Islamophobia if you disagree with them. And, you know, Abdul Sayed's inability to explain his relationship to Hassan Piker is absolutely fair game. If a Republican had a relationship with David Duke and I don't think the comparison is unfair. Yeah, yeah. Well, there's neck fountains now if you want to do it. Yeah, right. You like fun. Any politics with neck fountains should be condemned and not be a good one. You have to agree with a lot of people.

37:30What do you think I do on air all the time? Nick Fuentes is actually sympathetic of like, you know, racial disparities in Hitler. Nick Fuentes has a terrible need of being. He's a guard loyal. And so is Hassan Piker, who's a flavor of man. Is it power you guys thinkin' it? Who's in favor of Hamas? Who has said America deserved 9-11? I mean, like Hassan Piker. Hassan Piker. Let me let my reporter in. Hold on. Let me let. Let me let my reporter in. Because despite what you two are saying again, let me put up those poll numbers. 50% to 49%. Okay. So arguing at the tables in Washington is not adjusting things, the reality for voters on the ground. Well, I will say one of the things that surprised me in hearing the two of you talk about it now is the fact that Hassan Piker was actually not mentioned last night. Weirdly. Like for as much of the coverage that there has been around him, he was actually not asked about him in the debate last night. Which means the Republican didn't bring it up as well, right? And he didn't bring it up as well. I mean, he certainly talked about sort of ties to terrorist groups and tried to make that connection, but did not by name mention Hassan Piker.

38:36But I think what's interesting here is the framing in Michigan and in the other Senate debates that took place last night is really this framing against Republicans having to sort of explain their relationship to Trump, their relationship to the Trump administration. And I'm sort of having to answer for are you going to put distance between yourself or are you going to stand close? Or are you going to stand close? I'm going to say that is what you're saying. The debate between Hassan and his Republican opponent Mike Collins where he was linked to white nationalist figures like Collins's son-in-law. Hassan Piker also said this. If John Lewis were marching today from Selma to Montgomery, Mike Collins would be grabbing a Billy Club. His office has been in cohorts with some of the most notorious white supremacists on the country. He himself has amplified neo-Nazi propaganda. He's never apologized for it and he should tonight. Congressman Collins, you have 60 seconds. Yeah, you know, I'll say this voters need confidence.

39:36They need to know. We live in the best country in the world. Okay. No response. No, look back. I don't know. I think Collins is a Gibroni and I got no use for him. It's just a Gibroni? Yeah, I did. But at the same time, I don't know the specific allegations that Hassan has received for it, but I believe them. Like staff. Yeah, I think there's a totally fair game. If you play footsie with Nazi, it's totally fair game to say, like you didn't denounce it and bring the resistance. I think the voters are finally going to have a say on that, even though candidates clearly have not figured out. Your point is we'll take in that. This might be, these questions about Hassan Piker might be debated at the cocktail parties in Washington, D.C. I will say that that 50-year-old guy. Again, he didn't come up, but he's been-

40:36But I just can't just come up in town at all. But I just mean that I mean the voters who actually came up. I mean the whole question we're having, I were it not for these associations, that would not be a 50-49 race. It would be the Democrat. It would be running away with that race and it's the baggage that Abdul Al-Sahead has that is drinking his- If his primary opponent had won, she would be winning right away with that. Okay, what's your excuse for Al-Sahead then? What's going on in Georgia then? My soft would be the position he's in. He's a really good politician and his opponent sucks. Okay, I want to talk group chats Corbin, you're new. What did you bring us? Yeah, so basically I'm waiting now after seeing the debate performances in the last couple days. I'm assuming that the next ban we get from President Trump is going to be on debates. I think he'll just want to stop the flow of any debates. His Republicans are not performing well on those debates. Or his bias. It's not too, maybe. We do know there is a state where that's not happening. Is it Texas? Texas does not have any- Tell Rico is like, come at me, bro, and no one's notakers.

41:38Okay, Jonah, what's in your group chat? Yesterday, JD Vance said that he doesn't know what socialism means anymore. And he thinks it only means in America wanting foreign workers to take American jobs and letting boys play in girls' sports. So he said a true fact that he doesn't know what socialism means anymore? Well, sort of, in the so far as he favors a kind of economic policy that if it came out of the mouth of a Democrat, Republicans and conservatives would call it socialism. And he wants to take the sting out of socialism as an economic doctrine because he wants to embrace it himself. So all the people who are in your group chats who argue about whether or not the economic capitalism of the right in socialism are lit. It's like fire emojis. I have a lot of that in my group chat. I believe it, Jonah, that's why I'm saying that. Okay, Sabrina, what's in your group chat? In my group chat, I have to say some levity to this conversation. Fantasy football, guys. I never participated in a league that had never happened.

42:38I got roped into it this year. And now I'm the person that's obsessively like looking to see, wait, my player might be out this week. I got to check who, so- And I got the bug. And I got the first draft pick, so I have Jameer Gibbs on my team. So I'm really hopeful that I do well this year. Last word. A guy who was adopted, found out this week, made a, I kind of look like Michael McDonald and turns out Michael McDonald from the Doobie boys was his dad as you can see right here. Now, it's actually a very poignant story in that Michael McDonald had gotten someone pregnant when he was in eighth grade and had been pressured to give the baby up. Well, ultimately they found each other. How is it a shock to anyone that this man was like, Oh, come on, that's like, you listen to Yacht Rock. You're not like, is that my dad? Yeah, it sounds a little cool. Well, I think the summer be Yacht Moe, your dad. So. Why did I put you in the group chat? This is the person in the group chat where you just leave like three dots. Yeah, what a full believe. So what an alien it's going to say on air.

43:39Thank you for waking up with us being with us on a Friday. You can be anywhere and you chose to be with us. I'm Adi Cornish and CNN News Central has the headlines next. Get ready for election night. CNN is available to stream live now with an all access subscription. Plus get exclusive content and interactive Q&As with CNN's journalists. Subscribe now. Visit CNN.com slash all access. The news is better. We are in the toilet. Together. Hey, how do you think, guys, real? See, have I got news for you, crew is back to keep you sane. Do you think anyone here knows what you're talking about? Nope. Have I got news for you now streaming on the CNN app?