there is a clear path to dictatorship in the united states and it is getting shorter every day. new warnings including from former republican officials about the risks of a second donald trump presidency. in gaza the death toll is surging as israel expands its military operations against hamas. palestinian civilians and more than 130 hostages caught in the middle. an urgent push is under way to get israel and hamas back to the bargaining table. exhausted and demoralized. the new report on the stress air traffic controllers are under and the risk that it carries for air travel. i m kate bolduan with sara sidner and john berman. this is cnn news central. new this morning with donald trump surging in the polls, fresh sounds of alarm about what a second trump presidency might mean. and some of the warnings are coming from one-time republicans. quote, let s stop the wishful thinking and face the stark reality there is a clear path to dictatorship in the united states and