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Now: Senators In Rare Saturday Session As Shutdown Drags On; U.S. Has Launched 17 Strikes Against Alleged Drug Boats; Actor Robert De Niro Visits Pope Leo At The Vatican. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired November 08, 2025 - 12:00   ET

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

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN HOST: Now, that is love, and it is also commitment.

And that is all that we have time for, for this program from Rio, from the Copacabana beach. But as you know, you can see us all over on our podcast, on social media, wherever you look, CNN.com/audio, and as I say on our social media.

And we'll be back with you from somewhere else next week for another edition of the Amanpour Hour.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOSt: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right, happening right now, U.S. senators are on Capitol Hill for a rare Saturday session as the U.S. government shutdown enters its 39th day. But the path forward remains unclear as millions of Americans go without paychecks and critical food assistance.

On Friday, senators failed to pass a bill to pay federal workers during the shutdown. Democrats refusing to yield to GOP attempts to fund any parts of the government without significant concessions for their party. It's the latest setback in this political standoff, and that is now causing major delays and frustrations at airports across the country.

On Friday, the Trump administration ordered airlines to cut 4 percent of their flights to ease the pressure on shutdown-stressed air traffic controllers.

We've got a team of reporters covering all of today's developments. Kevin Liptak is with the President in Florida. But let's get started on Capitol Hill with Annie Grayer. Annie, what are we expecting to happen today with the Senate in session?

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, this is a rare Saturday session, but senators are coming in again at a standstill. We are unclear if there's going to be any bipartisan movement or any votes to reopen the government today. And that is not how the Senate started the week.

On Monday, there were some real efforts of bipartisanship, some glimmers of hope that maybe senators were getting closer to a deal. But Tuesday night, when Democrats had a major sweep in elections, that really reaffirmed for Democratic senators that they were not going to give up in their position, that they were going to hold out until Republicans made major concessions on those expiring Obamacare health care subsidies that Democrats have made the fixture of their entire shutdown argument.

So then on Friday, Chuck Schumer comes forward with a new deal with the support of the Democratic caucus, which is, Democrats will vote to reopen the government if Republicans vote with them to extend those expiring credits by one year. Now, Republicans immediately rejected that offer because, as they've said for this entire process, they will not negotiate on those expiring subsidies that are causing people's health care prices to rise until Democrats vote with them to reopen the government.

So, instead, on Friday, the Senate voted on a bill to pay federal workers. But because these bipartisan negotiations are falling apart, Democrats did not deliver the votes there. Only three Democrats voted on that bill.

I want to play for you some sound from some Democrat and Republican senators to just give you a glimpse of where each side is right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: We retain health care. That's been the essential condition all along. We retain affordability and health care insurance as American families in real time, real people right now at their kitchen tables trying to decide whether they can afford insurance. That's been the essential condition all along.

SEN. KATIE BRITT (R), ALABAMA: I think Democrats have taken this too far. They have put politics ahead of the people that they serve. At the end of the day, people know what's happening with flights. They know what's happening with FAA.

People not getting paid. It's time to be the adults in the room. It's time to open the government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYER: So both sides extremely dug in there. We'll see if there's any bipartisan negotiations, any movement on the Senate floor today. But in the meantime, the pain of this shutdown, the longest in history, continues to worsen.

WHITFIELD: Annie Grayer, thanks so much.

All right, let's go to Kevin Liptak in Florida, where the President is spending the weekend. So, Kevin, you know, what is the President doing or even saying about trying to end this government shutdown?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, it's clear the President is clinging to this strategy of encouraging Republicans to get rid of the filibuster, the 60-vote threshold in the Senate that's required to pass virtually any legislation. You know, the President raised this last week. He castigated Republicans in person the day after those off-year elections on Wednesday.

And now the President clearly digging into it. Over the last 24 hours, he's written on Truth Social seven times encouraging them to get rid of the filibuster. The only problem here is that Republicans are just not on board. They're worried that if Democrats regain the majority in the Senate, that this could essentially just come back to haunt them.

So, this is, in a lot of ways, a futile effort by the President. But it's clear that, in his mind, this is providing him some leverage, essentially trying to scare Democrats into coming to the table and passing that clean extension.

[12:05:08]

We did hear earlier today from JD Vance, who himself served a period of time in the Senate. He said that many of his friends and former colleagues referring to Republicans are against eliminating the filibuster because think that the Democrats -- because they don't think that the Democrats will do it. And he says that that's just obviously wrong, sort of backing up the President in his viewpoint there.

Now, earlier this morning, we did get a new proposal from President Trump when it comes to health care. It is a little bit convoluted. It's not precisely clear how it all would work. But I'll just read you a little bit of what he wrote on Truth Social.

He says, "I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the hundreds of billions of dollars currently being sent to money-sucking insurance companies in order to save the bad health care provided by Obamacare be sent directly to the people so that they can purchase their own much better health care."

So the President's suggesting that the new proposal would take money that is being sent to insurance companies and send it to individual Americans. The President, in his plan, would terminate what he calls the worst health care anywhere in the world, Obamacare.

So how exactly all of that would work, entirely unclear at the moment. And of course, terminating Obamacare is going to be a nonstarter with Democrats. That's just not something that they're ever going to vote for. And, in fact, I think a lot of Republicans who, as a party, have been trying to get rid of Obamacare for the better part of 15 years might see some issues with going down this road again, particularly when there isn't kind of a concrete alternative that anyone is suggesting.

Now, the President, for his part, encouraged Republicans to stay in Washington and keep working on this for the weekend. Obviously, they've done just that. But the President, of course, is down here where I am in Florida, South Florida.

The President spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate. He arrived to his golf course down here at a quarter of 9:00 this morning. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Kevin Liptak, keep us posted, from Florida. Thanks so much.

All right, meantime, full SNAP payments are in limbo once again. Late Friday, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused a lower court order requiring the Trump administration to restore benefits to millions of Americans. And now people who rely on the program to feed themselves and their families are wondering when they will get their next meal.

Rafael Romo is with me right now. So, Rafael, what are you learning about how people are trying to make ends meet when they ordinarily would be relying on these SNAP benefits?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a very difficult situation for millions of people around the country. But the beautiful thing is that a lot of their neighbors are really coming through in this crisis. And let me first tell you about what's been happening at the federal level.

The decision by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily pauses a lower court ruling that required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to transfer $4 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. The Trump administration had announced Friday that it was working to fully fund food stamp benefits for the month of November to comply with the earlier federal court order.

But Jackson's stay gives the administration appeal more time putting benefits on hold. While the legal battle plays out, Fred, food banks, community organizations, and even neighbors are doing everything and anything they can to help families who would otherwise receive food through SNAP. Some states, like Kansas, are using their own funding to provide food assistance.

Reacting to Friday's Supreme Court order, Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly said in a statement that, "Today, in accordance with the court's order and after receiving guidance from the USDA, Kansas sent full November SNAP benefits to all eligible Kansans." "These Kansans," she said, "most of them children, seniors or people with disabilities, were struggling to put food on their plates."

Something that is also happening across the country is that people are taking action to help their neighbors in need. CNN affiliate WWJ is reporting that in the community of Ferndale, Michigan, a social worker converted what had been a community little free library into what is now called a Little Free Pantry, which is accepting food and hygiene items for their less fortunate neighbors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANN MARIE YOUNG, CREATOR, "LITTLE FREE PANTRY": I'm a social worker, so I work with a lot of people in applying for those benefits and maintaining those benefits. So I know a lot of folks that are feeling scared. Take what you need and leave what you can.

KATIE GREEN, "LITTLE FREE PANTRY" DONOR: I'm just dropping off some toothpaste, a toothbrush, floss. I had done some Thai wheat noodles, just staples for the community.

I'm in a fortunate place right now where I can absolutely go out and give more. And I know that if I can just even search in my house and see what things I have that people would be desperately needing, that I can take a half an hour out of my day and make a difference hopefully for somebody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:10:17]

ROMO: Young told CNN affiliate WWJ in Michigan that she plans to keep this pantry going until SNAP benefits are fully restored. And this is but one example of what many people are doing across the country to make sure that nobody goes hungry during this record long government shutdown. But again, this would not be happening if Democrats and Republicans would be able to work together.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it's nice that a lot of neighbors are trying to help neighbors. And that's cute to see how a little library is turned into more like a little pantry.

ROMO: Right.

WHITFIELD: All right, bring us more later. Thanks so much, Rafael.

And next hour, in fact, we're going to be talking to a Pennsylvania father who opened up a food pantry right in his front yard. Stick around for that.

All right, new today, UPS and FedEx say they are immediately grounding their fleet of MD-11 aircraft, quote, "out of an abundance of caution" following this week's deadly aircraft crash in Louisville, Kentucky. A warning that the footage of the crash we're about to show you may be upsetting to some viewers.

The NTSB said the engine and the pylon, which supports the engine, fell off the left wing of that UPS Flight 2976 during takeoff on Tuesday, which you can see when the video slows down right there and then in the still images as well. Crash investigators say it reached a speed of 210 miles per hour when it plunged to the ground. The McDonnell Douglas aircraft make up about 9 percent of UPS's fleet.

Tuesday's disaster killed at least 14 people and destroyed nearby businesses and buildings, leaving a fiery trail of destruction about a half mile long.

All right, coming up, the growing number of deadly U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats is raising questions, including what's next as the Trump administration says it's now in an armed conflict with drug cartels.

Plus, more than 800 flights already canceled today as the FAA tells airlines to cut back on flights more than a month into the U.S. government shutdown. We'll take you live to Newark International Airport with a look at just how bad things could get with the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We always worry about the safety and with the air traffic control situation, it gave us pause. It's absurd. I think it's a complete failure of government. And there's the government serving itself and not the people. It's driving me nuts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's terrible. It's just terrible. I feel like the American people are being held hostage right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:17:33]

WHITFIELD: All right, right now, travel disruptions are plaguing airports as the government shutdown now drags into day 39. More than 900 flights are canceled and more than 2,000 are delayed nationwide, according to FlightAware. The FAA cut back on flights at 40 airports to ease pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay.

Some have called out, worsening the staffing shortages. It's a similar scene at security checkpoints as well. A TSA employee told my colleague Victor Blackwell this morning why he considers this crisis mode.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AARON BARKER, AFGE Y.O.U.N.G. NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIR: What we're going through as federal workers is traumatic for a lot of people. And we know that traumatic experiences have effects on your mental. This is affecting officers mentally.

And if this continues to go on there, there -- I hope that it doesn't happen. But there needs to be some recourse that happens immediately to take care of these officers so they can get the stress of not knowing what's going to happen with their homes, their children, their families every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And he explained earlier, I mean, some TSA workers not going to work not because they just don't want to because they're not getting paychecks, but they don't have money for gas in order to get to work.

CNN Correspondent Leigh Waldman is at Newark Liberty International Airport. So, Leigh, what are you seeing there in terms of the impact of this government shutdown?

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, the lines at the security checkpoint that's behind us, they're not very long at this point, but there hasn't been a lot of traffic here at this point because we keep watching the number of delays and cancellations on that big board behind us keep increasing, increasing. The longer that we stay here, I'm checking that website, FlightAware, delays at Newark Liberty International, 242 flights delayed today, cancellations, 44.

How long are people waiting? I'm checking it right now. People are being delayed leaving Newark from 46 minutes to an hour long. They're being held at their original locations trying to get here. More than two hours at this point. All of this is because of these 4 percent in flight cancellations, flight reductions from airlines.

Let's take a look at how many flights are being cancelled today. Over 600, about 220 from American Airlines, 168 from United, 158 from Delta and Southwest, just under 100 flights being cancelled from that airline there. All of this is to increase safety throughout the country, according to Secretary Sean Duffy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: It is not a science, it is a art that we're trying to deploy to keep people safe in the airspace. And we're trying to be -- we're trying to prevent the pressure that we now see building in the system. There's a very easy solution. Let's open the government up. Let's pay our controllers and reduce the pressure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:20:33]

WALDMAN: Now, if you're trying to come into the New York area, there is ground delays being reported at all three major airports here at Newark, at LaGuardia, at JFK. But it's not just the reduction in flights that's being impacted here, Fred. We know that there are 13 reports of staffing issues at FAA air traffic control facilities across the country, including one of the ones that handles traffic here, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then, Leigh, if the shutdown continues, not just past this weekend, but into the next week, is there anything to anticipate as to what these airports might be looking like?

WALDMAN: Absolutely. You can expect the situation that we're seeing here, all of the cancellations, delays, that to keep increasing throughout the week. If we look at Tuesday, there's going to be a 6 percent in-flight reduction. Thursday, an 8 percent. By the next day on Friday, November 14th, Sean Duffy says that they are expecting to be 10 percent of flight reductions.

If we continue on with this government shutdown past this next week, the Transportation Secretary says that we can see the number of flights being reduced, increased to 15 to 20 percent. So this travel headache, as we look to the holiday season, is going to continue to get worse and worse here, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, people better start thinking now about other options in which to get to, you know, point B from their point A.

All right, Leigh Waldman in Newark, thanks so much.

So with these worsening airport delays and no end in sight, passengers are feeling the impact. So how can travelers stay on top of these ongoing changes? Clint Henderson, the managing editor at The Points Guy, is joining me right now to help make some sense out of a whole lot of uncertainty.

Clint, great to see you.

CLINT HENDERSON, MANAGING EDITOR, THE POINTS GUY: Great to see you. I wish it was better circumstances.

WHITFIELD: I know. Well, maybe you can help folks navigate, which is a very, you know, a very, you know, tenuous, frustrating time right now. So, you know, not everybody is in a position of kind of scale backing their trip. Sometimes they've got to, you know, get going every week for family, you know, commitments or work commitments.

So what are you recommending right now about some of the first things people need to do if they're anticipating they have travel in the upcoming week, for example?

HENDERSON: So the first thing is knowledge is power. You really have to be an informed traveler right now. Know what's going on at your departure airport, your arrival airport. But also, if they're -- if you're tracking your plane, and you can do that with various apps, I like Flighty, but you can track where your plane is coming from.

Because sometimes, even if everything's fine at your departure and arrival airport, if your plane's coming from an airport like Charlotte today that's all messed up, then your plane's likely not going to make it. So you really have to be on top of the news, be monitoring social media. You know, that's how we found out about those huge lines for security at Houston last week.

So you just want to be really paying attention to news, watching CNN, making sure you're on top of the latest developments. Because we can't predict which air traffic control tower is going to be a mess, which airline airport security line is going to be a mess. So you really have to be, you know, monitoring it day by day.

WHITFIELD: Gosh.

HENDERSON: But there's lots of tool (ph) -- yes.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that sounds like a whole other layer of stress that you've just added on for a lot of travelers to try --

HENDERSON: Yes, (INAUDIBLE).

WHITFIELD: -- and anticipate what the airlines might tell you, or what they're concealing, or perhaps what the, you know, other airports are doing. This is while you're sitting in, you know, a concourse trying to find out whether they're going to be boarding your flight?

HENDERSON: Yes. And you want to have the airline app installed in your phone, because a lot of times you're going to be able to rebook yourself with that airline app. But also have the customer service number in your phone, so you're not scrambling to Google it and getting a scam phone number.

Follow them on social media. You can message them directly on social media sometimes to get a faster answer. If you've got a lounge membership, you may be spending a lot of time in that lounge these days. Sometimes they have customer service agents that can help you.

You've got to use all the tools in your toolbox right now in case things go sideways. Because remember, there's not a lot of flights they can put you on, so you want to be the first --

WHITFIELD: Right.

HENDERSON: -- to be rebooked in those situations, for example.

WHITFIELD: Well, that's true. So let's talk about, you know, passenger rights, so to speak, now. Because perhaps your flight is canceled, and maybe you are getting some assistance, but the next flight isn't out for another day or two. What are you, as a passenger under these circumstances, allowed to demand, whether it be from, you know, the carrier or what kind of accommodations might you, you know, be able to take advantage of?

[12:25:11]

HENDERSON: Yes, if you're looking at five, seven-hour delays or a whole airport being canceled, basically, you want to bag that trip. Know that you can get your money back in a timely manner, thanks to new rules from the Biden administration, that you're entitled to a timely refund for canceled flights.

If you decide to take rebooking, the airlines are being very flexible right now with letting you rebook your flights. But they're not required to pay for your hotels or your extra costs in situations like this, because it's not considered the airline's fault, necessarily.

So, you know, I would usually tell you to book with a credit card that has travel protections, but it sounds like most credit cards are not going to cover this stuff either. So make sure everything you're booking right now is fully refundable. Build in a little extra wiggle room on each side of the trip in case things go sideways.

And finally, if you're traveling hub to hub, so you're going JFK to Salt Lake City, for example, and then connecting onto a regional flight to a smaller city, say within Montana, like I'm going to do for Christmas to see my dad, then what you're going to want to do is rent a backup rental car in that hub airport.

So if that regional flight gets canceled, you have a backup plan. You can drive the rest of the way, because that's what we're going to be seeing here --

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh.

HENDERSON: -- with Thanksgiving travel, I think this drags on.

WHITFIELD: Right. And people are trying to make backup plans. Some people are actually buying more than one plane ticket, you know --

HENDERSON: That's right.

WHITFIELD: -- at different times of the day, just in case one is canceled. But not everyone can afford that. So then what are you suggesting as we get closer to the Thanksgiving holiday? Are you, you know, thinking to yourself that, you know, renting a car is going to be kind of the best bet?

I know you mentioned, you know, how you've got your backup plan involving car rental, but what about, you know, for people who have anticipated their Thanksgiving holiday travels? Do they need to go ahead and just nix all the flight stuff now and start thinking hitting the road?

HENDERSON: You know, even if the shutdown ends tomorrow, it's going to take a while to get all this resolved. And so I think Thanksgiving will be impacted somewhat. Maybe this is the year you don't go home for Thanksgiving, or you discover Amtrak or regional train.

Maybe you drive. Gas prices are fairly reasonable right now. So I think people are going to have to be really creative and really decide, is it worth it, the stress, the agony of facing this, especially as this continues to drag on. If we get to Thanksgiving, there's still a government shutdown. Katie, bar the door, we're in real trouble.

WHITFIELD: Oh boy. It sounds like there are going to be a lot of Thanksgivings with a lot of FaceTime visits --

HENDERSON: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: -- instead of traveling all together.

All right, Clint Henderson, thank you so much.

All right, coming up, no deal, no day off. Senators working through the weekend as the impacts of this government shutdown are felt across the country. What we know about the sticking points straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:32:34]

WHITFIELD: All right, this hour, a working weekend for members of the Senate. You're looking at live pictures right now. We're turning to Capitol Hill after a rollercoaster week of talks to try to reopen the government.

It's the first weekend of the record-long shutdown that Republican Majority Leader John Thune is keeping senators in Washington, hoping that he can keep the pressure on Democrats to come up with an agreement. Let's discuss more now with Stephen Neukam. He covers the Senate for Axios. Stephen, great to see you. So, any hope for this weekend to get any closer to an agreement?

STEPHEN NEUKAM, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, AXIOS: Yes, good to see you. I -- I don't know that we'll see much progress this weekend, not to be sort of a pessimist, but, you know, I think Majority Leader Thune keeping them in session was, yes, a pressure play to sort of grind down Democrats, who this week again rejected GOP-led spending bills to open the government, and Republicans rejected a Democratic proposal to open the government in exchange for an extension of Obamacare tax credits. That's sort of what this whole standoff has been about. So I don't see any progress happening this weekend, very unlikely, and I would say it's a long shot that there's a ton of progress next week.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I mean, Senator, you know, Thune called that a non- starter, that whole one-year extension. Is -- is that the only area where there has to be some wiggle room in order to come to an agreement?

NEUKAM: I think the -- the healthcare piece of it is a massive piece. There are some other issues like worker layoffs that the administration has done, in the shutdown, obviously the issue of SNAP payments, there's a -- there's a bunch of important issues that are sort of miscellaneous to the -- the core of the -- the healthcare piece, but the ACA subsidies is still the -- the major sticking point between the two parties, and, you know, we're -- we're over a month and a week into the shutdown, and -- and seriously, from the -- the moment when we started this in -- in September, in October, we really have not seen much progress at all over these last five to six weeks around talks when it comes to ACA tax credits.

WHITFIELD: So if Thune says, you know, it's a non-starter, the whole one, you know, year extension on subsidies, and that seems to be the issue that, you know, Democrats are really trying to drive home, what is being discussed today? What are the conversations about in terms of trying to find some areas where there might be common ground, if not the one-year extension?

[12:35:16]

NEUKAM: Yes. For sure. I think sort of to give you a lay of the land, there's really no conversations at this point that are happening between leadership, talking Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and -- and President Trump. There's -- there's really no, not much communication at all that's going on there. So then you bring it a level down, and there are conversations that are going on at the rank-and-file level.

I've talked to some folks involved in those conversations this morning who say that there is momentum toward some sort of bipartisan deal. I think Thune saying that the ACA extensions are a non-starter, that's the case at the leadership level, but there are rank-and-file Republicans who understand that, yes, we want to extend these ACA tax credits because the increase in premiums that are already going out are going to be devastating, one, to Americans and could be, two, devastating politically for Republicans.

So there's rank-and-file conversations going on, but there's a thought within the Democratic Party, especially within leadership, that none of this gets resolved until President Trump gets involved and sort of gives Republicans the blessing to do X, Y, Z in these negotiations, and he just really hasn't engaged at that level.

WHITFIELD: So it sounds like you're saying the rank-and-file are talking about one thing, but maybe Thune is thinking about that audience of one. And -- and meantime, President Trump did post on Truth Social that he wants subsidies to go directly to people instead of insurance companies. And this comes on the heels of a proposal by Republican Senator Bill Cassidy that would create a pre-funded flexible savings account for Obamacare recipients worth as much as the current tax credit. I mean, is this offering more clarity or just simply muddying the waters?

NEUKAM: I think there's a lot of ideas that are being thrown around. Another idea that has been talked about that I think is appealing to some Republicans is the idea of the income tax credit or the income cap on the ACA tax credits. You also have folks, you know, to sort of give you an idea of the discourse here. You've had folks like Bernie Sanders, the progressives, who said, well, we're worried about, you know, the -- the influence of insurance companies. Well, we should all just get behind Medicare for all, which is obviously a, you know, a landmark sort of proposal for him and the left. So yes, lots of different ideas being thrown around.

But I -- I kind of side with the -- the thinking with some Democrats that this really does not get resolved until we get clarity about what the President is willing to accept in terms of extensions on the -- on the health care side.

WHITFIELD: All right. Axios is Stephen Neukam. Great to see you. Thanks so much.

NEUKAM: Thanks.

[12:37:55]

WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead, another brutal night in Ukraine. Widespread power outages and one apartment building blown right open after a Russian attack. We'll have the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, new today, Ukrainians are facing widespread power outages after a massive Russian aerial assault. Video shows a hole being blown right through an apartment building in the city of Dnipro in central Ukraine. Two people were in that attack. Altogether, 10 people have been killed in Russian attacks so far this weekend alone. Officials from Ukraine's gas company said there have been nine major attacks on gas infrastructure since the beginning of October.

And now to Venezuela and the conflict with the U.S. could where it might be headed. Sources tell CNN that Trump administration officials say there is currently no legal justification to attack Venezuelan land targets. The Pentagon did confirm that it attacked another alleged drug boat in the Caribbean on Thursday, killing three people. The U.S. did not specify which country the alleged smugglers were from. The administration has now launched 17 strikes against suspected narco boats. Since September, at least 70 people have died in those attacks.

CNN contributor Stefano Pozzebon is joining us live from Caracas. Stefano, what are we hearing from President Maduro right now?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, Fredricka, well, we haven't heard a direct reaction from Maduro to that latest attack, just like you said it around -- it's the 17th kinetic strike, as the United States administration likes to call them, leading to at least 70 people killed. We haven't heard from Maduro on that specific -- on that specific incident. However, of course, this is a much better week, frankly, for Nicolas Maduro than the weeks in the previous -- in the previous couple of months.

It's a week where the strategy from the White House has been heavily scrutinized in the Senate. There was a vote on Thursday in the Senate where the Senate voted to continue this -- this operation in -- that could lead eventually to some sort of confrontation with Venezuela, but by -- by a tiny -- very thin majority, 51 to 49, that was on Thursday. And then, of course, we are filtering that there is a little bit of a lack of momentum, perhaps, Fredricka, from this at -- from this administration offensive.

[12:45:05]

For example, for weeks we've heard that the U.S. had been deploying the largest air carrier in the world arriving from the Mediterranean when the last time we checked that air carrier, the U.S. Gerald Ford, was still closer to the coast of Africa than to the coast of South America. So perhaps some timid optimism from Nicolas Maduro after weeks of, of course, intense diplomatic and geopolitical pressure on Caracas. None of this, of course, is touching what Venezuelans go -- go through every single day, by the way, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Stefano Pozzebon, thank you so much.

All right, coming up, a meeting with the Pope for actor, Robert De Niro, the personal connection the Hollywood legend feels he has with Pope Leo.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:38]

WHITFIELD: All right, new today, Pope Leo hosted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Vatican, and during his visit, Ramaphosa presented the Pope with books on former South African President Nelson Mandela. And earlier, the Pope welcomed Hollywood royalty when actor, Robert De Niro, paid a visit. CNN's Clare Sebastian has that story.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Legendary Hollywood actor, Robert De Niro, got a bit emotional today when talking about his meeting with the Pope, the star of movies like "Godfather II" and "Raging Bull." He's here in Rome for a couple of days, and he got a private audience with Pope Leo, the first American Pope, something he described as very special.

Clearly, a big portion of that happened off camera. When I asked him what exactly the two of them spoke about, well, he made it clear this was very personal for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: He's a good guy. Let's put it that way, simply. I was very, very happy to meet him, and lucky to have two of my children with meeting him, too, and we all together, too. And then my grandson, who -- who died of an overdose about two year ago -- two years ago, he -- his name was Leo. So my daughter gave him his card and so on, and it was just a nice moment, very special.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: De Niro was at the Vatican not only with two of his children, as he said, but also with his business partners. He's one of the co-founders of the Nobu restaurant and hotel chain, and they're opening up for the first time this weekend here in Rome. And that meeting came also just the day after he was awarded the highest civilian honor by the city of Rome, the so-called Capitoline Wolf Award. The 82-year-old actor with Italian heritage, clearly a number of very significant moments.

Clare Sebastian, CNN, Rome.

WHITFIELD: A very special visit indeed.

[12:52:36]

All right, coming up, a federal judge has ruled that the White House's attempt to deploy the National Guard to Oregon was unconstitutional. The decision keeps in place an order blocking the administration from sending troops to Portland.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Voting is underway for the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year. And we're -- we're reintroducing each of our top five heroes as you vote for your favorite. Deborah Devine is a former crime reporter helping incarcerated people transform their lives through creative writing, giving them the tools to reflect, grow and build brighter futures.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBRA DES VIGNES, CREATED INDIANA PRISON WRITERS WORKSHOP: But when sheriff's SWAT team members arrived at the home, no one was found inside.

I was a television news reporter and I covered crime. I didn't really understand humanity as I should have as a young reporter in my early 20s. It wasn't until much later that the faces had stories and had names.

I decided to volunteer in a prison because I was always inquisitive and curious about their stories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is one more reminder that inmates had no --

DES VIGNES: I saw the raw talent and that's what led me to create this 12 week creative writing curriculum.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was convicted of dealing in a narcotic and dealing marijuana. I pretty much grew up on the streets. I lost my mother, my father, my sister and my brother and came to a crossroads and had to make a decision whether I was going to use that as fuel to do better.

DES VIGNES: Thank you for sharing that. Yes, I know that was heartfelt.

We never excuse what they've done. In fact, a lot of them write about their remorse. We're just giving them a sacred space where they can let their shoulders down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eventually though, I began to confront my grief with a clear mind and an open heart, accepting the fact that no matter what I did or who I hurt, nothing was going to bring my brother back from the dead.

I look forward to my Friday afternoons more than most days. People just let their souls bleed out of their pens onto that paper and for two hours a day, everyone can just truly be themselves and we're like a little small knit family here. I plan on going into college and majoring in psychology when I get out, so I feel like this is a huge step towards that.

DES VIGNES: That's going to make me tear up. We'll end on that one. That was really powerful.

Some people would think it's a lock them up and throw away the key. If a lot of these prisoners are going to be released, then why not use writing as a tool to become better in the space that you're in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[13:00:02]

WHITFIELD: All right. Giving new chances. And you can go on to cnn.com/heroes right now to vote for Debra Des Vignes for CNN Hero of the Year or any of your other favorite top five heroes.