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Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa To Visit White House; U.S. Senate Advances Funding Deal To Reopen Government; Explosion In New Delhi Kills Eight People; Nicolas Sarkozy Released From Prison Pending Appeal; U.S. President Donald Trump Is Threatening To Sue The BBC Over Misleading Edit Of A January 6th Speech. United States Senate Advances Funding Deal To Reopen Government; Americans Increasingly Blame Trump For Economic Pain; Abu Dhabi Building Momentum On Smart And Autonomous Technology. Aired 10- 11a ET
Aired November 10, 2025 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:35]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi, where
the time is just after 7:00 p.m. in the evening. Welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD.
President Trump will meet with Syria's president in an hour's time. It will mark the first time a Syrian head of state has visited the White House.
Senators are taking the first steps to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. A final vote could happen today as flight cancelations
pile up across America.
And two top leaders at the BBC resigned over scandal involving a misleading edited President Trump's speech during a BBC documentary.
It is a historic day in Washington. Next hour, the Syrian president will arrive at the White House, a first for a Syrian leader since the country
gained independence in the 1940s.
This time last year, Ahmed al-Sharaa was leading a lightning offensive to claim Damascus and topple the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad. President
al-Sharaa is a former jihadist with links to al-Qaeda, the United States designated him as a terrorist up until three days ago. This is his 20th
foreign trip since appointing himself as president of Syria in January.
We've got CNN's Paula Hancocks back with us this hour. And importantly, I mean, firstly, it's the optics. It's -- what this ultimately means for
Syria and what it's -- what it means for just strategically for the Middle East, and importantly, how the United States is going to handle this
conversation. It really centers around sanctions as well as security.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Eleni, I mean, the U.S. president, has made it very clear that he praises this particular Syrian
president. It's not just the fact that there hasn't been a Syrian head of state that has visited the White House before, but this is a U.S. president
that has met him twice already back in Saudi Arabia in May, and at that point, he called him a, "Young, attractive guy with a very strong past."
He then also met him on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in September, and he has been publicly praising him, and he has also lifted
some of the sanctions that he has been able to via executive order.
GIOKOS: But not all of it.
HANCOCKS: No, the rest, they need congressional approval, congressional support, and this is a large part of why we're seeing al-Sharaa in D.C. at
this point, he wants to see these sanctions lifted. He has been saying that it is necessary to try and give Syria a chance to succeed.
And certainly, we know that he does have the U.S. president's support, and he has support of this region as well. Saudi Arabia has been very vocally
pushing for supporting Syria and this particular president, despite his jihadist past, despite the fact that he fought against U.S. troops in Iraq,
that he also led an al-Qaeda backed group in Syria, trying to topple the former president there.
So, his past, despite that, he is now being accepted on an international setting. And as you mentioned, this is his 20th foreign trip.
GIOKOS: He was at the UNGA as well. Absolutely, it's almost like a road show about what Syria could become and what his plans are for Syria.
Importantly, here as well is what this means for the Middle East. Because this meeting, in a way, was brokered and was assisted by the Saudi Arabian
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well. And of course, this is vital, not only for Saudi Arabia, but for the entire Middle East frankly.
HANCOCKS: Absolutely, and the Gulf nations have been very vocally supportive and also physically supportive of Syria over the past year.
I mean, it's been less than 12 months, remember, since the Assad regime toppled. It's really not been that long, but we have been seeing the Crown
Prince pushing these meetings with the U.S. president and the Syrian president.
We have also seen some of the Gulf nations physically intervening and paying the salaries of some of the workers, the federal workers in Syria
itself trying to keep the country afloat while it is trying to rebuild its institutions.
[10:05:05]
And what we are seeing from the Syrian president is that he is not aligning himself just with the West. For example, a month ago, we saw him go to see
the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which was a surprise, but he is trying to make sure that he is aligned with a number of different entities around
the world. He's not putting all his eggs in one basket, if you like.
So, this is really the diplomatic charm offensive that we are seeing him on at this point. But absolutely, the number one issue for the Syrian
president is he wants the sanctions to be lifted.
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, I want to talk very quickly about what we've seen domestically in Syria as well. And, you know, minority groups have been
under attack. This is a very big issue for al-Sharaa. He's saying that he wants sort of a cohesive domestic scenario to play out. That is not what
we're seeing as yet.
HANCOCKS: Well, that's right. And he has been saying that ethnic groups, that minority groups, will be protected. Of course, it's not just what he
is saying, though it is what is happening on the ground. We have been seeing flares of violence in different areas, the Druze, for example, which
Israel became involved in as well. So, it's certainly been an issue. It was expected to be an issue, to be fair, given the fact there are so many
different groups within Syria.
He is vocally saying the right things and what the international community wants to hear at this point. But of course, there is a timeline as to when
he will have to deliver on some of these promises, to be protecting some of these groups.
We understand, though, another one of his requests to the U.S. president might also be the fact that he will ask President Trump to put pressure on
Israel to pull out of Syrian affairs. We have been seeing Israel carrying out certain strikes, carrying out certain maneuvers along the border. So,
certainly, that could be something else that comes up in this meeting.
GIOKOS: Paula Hancocks, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Right, my next guest is a senior research fellow at Harvard University and a political scientist who specializes in the Middle East, Ibrahim al-Assil
joins us now live from Washington, D.C. Great to see you.
And I mean, this is extraordinary when you see it, when we're talking about the optics here, we actually saw al-Sharaa playing basketball as well in
the United States with some military, and it's completely different.
I think if we had this discussion a year ago, you'd say, probably completely impossible. What do you make of the image that you're seeing
right now? But also, importantly about this meeting with President Trump today?
IBRAHIM AL-ASSIL, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: I totally agree. Probably a year ago, we wouldn't say this is possible in any world.
Thanks for having me.
Today is a great day for the American Syrian relationships. And I think only leaders like President Trump at Ahmed al-Sharaa, with the pragmatism
we've seen over the last few months could actually bring these two nations together after decades of animosity and sanctions and the huge divisions
between Syria and the United States.
But of course, also the meeting today is not the end of the journey. It's actually the beginning of what's going to be challenging relationships
between both sides, trying to figure out how to remove sanctions, how to reintegrate Syria into the regional order and into the global order, and
also how to continue the fight against terrorism inside Syria, ISIS, and for Syria to join that global coalition.
GIOKOS: So, I want to talk about sanctions that al-Sharaa still has, that what he wants to see lifted. That's very important. And then I wanted to
talk about the importance of some kind of deal with Israel on the security front, and whether those two issues you believe are going to be the biggest
that will be discussed today.
AL-ASSIL: They will certainly be important items on the agenda today. And I would say the issues of ISIS and the issues of sanctions are the most and
major important points for these meetings.
For sanctions, this is something very, very important for Syrians. 90 percent of Syrians are below the poverty line today because of the war and
because of everything they went through over the last 15 years, and there is no way for recovery and rehabilitation reconstruction if sanctions are
still there.
It's like, if somebody wants to stand up, and there is a mountain of steel over the shoulder of that person, and that's how sanctions they continue to
suffocate Syrians.
The other major point on the agenda is to join the defeat ISIS coalition, and this is very important, not only for Syrians and to continue their
struggle against radicalism, but also for the United States. This also legalizes the presence of the American troops inside Syria. The United
States needs such an agreement with the Syrian government.
[10:10:18]
And finally, the point with Israel is also very important. Now we are inching closer slowly, but we are going into that direction what seems to
be a security agreement that will take the relationship back to the disengagement agreement of 1974. Basically, it's for de-escalation and to
end the Israeli strikes inside Syria, and to allow the talks to go into a more constructive direction.
GIOKOS: Yes, I know you mentioned the 1974 de-escalation agreement, in that, I want -- I want to talk about the Golan Heights, because, frankly,
it has come up. And whether you know, what do you think al-Sharaa stance is going to be on Israel continuing its occupation of the Golan Heights?
AL-ASSIL: I think, today and at this phase, the important points are what Israel occupied post the collapse of the Assad regime, post December 8th of
that -- of that year, for Israel to withdraw from those posts inside Syria and to go back before the buffer zone established by the international
community and the U.N. and disengagement agreement of 1974. And then there will be more talks about the future of the Golan Heights and the future of
the Israeli Syrian relationships.
And it's going to be challenging. There will be many questions that need to be resolved, including the point of the Golan Heights, which Syrians
believe they are Syrian territories, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Israel believes that this is now part of Israel. There will be a need for some
creative solutions, probably at least for 99 years, probably an agreement for a referendum after 60 years, probably to create a special zone where
Israelis and Syrians could go and conduct business without visas.
There are so many solutions that could be applied if there is a political will, and the security agreement opens the door for that.
GIOKOS: Ibrahim, very quickly, I want to ask you this. I mean, I want to talk about the trust issue. We've got to remember, al-Sharaa is a former
jihadist. He was even detained in a U.S. prison for many years.
You know, President Trump says he's a young, attractive tough guy. Even says he gets along with him, he likes him. And I wonder what the perception
within Syria is domestically that this is the man that's going to build the institutions and help lead Syria to a new future.
AL-ASSIL: That's a great question to end with, because this is also another challenge. Many Syrians are looking at the behavior of Ahmed al-Sharaa and
how he is conducting politics inside Syria. Many see that there are many signs of encouragement that they are encouraging them to trust him, but
also to verify.
And I think Syrians and non-Syrians alike should continue that way, to look at the actions and what's happening on the ground. If Ahmed al-Sharaa
continues to go in the right direction, he should be supported. If at any point he changes course, that's when he needs to be challenged, so to trust
and verify I think are the key words in this issue.
GIOKOS: All right. Ibrahim, great speaking with you. Thank you so much for taking the time today. Ibrahim al-Assil joi -- thank you so much.
All right, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history is much closer to ending today after the Senate voted to advance a funding plan. Eight
senators in the Democratic caucus broke ranks with their colleagues to support the deal, which calls for a vote but no guarantees on extending
Obamacare health subsidies. Two senators who opposed breaking the filibuster say Democrats are folding without achieving their goal of
enhanced subsidies. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT): I know as part of this resolution that the majority leader is going to say, well, Democrats can create, put together
their own bill and will come to the floor here in the Senate for a vote. As everybody here knows that it's a totally meaningless gesture.
SEN. JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D-CO): I mean, I voted no just because they're so pissed off. I'm just frustrated.
You're right, 40 days and they still -- we gave them every chance to negotiate. A moderate doesn't have to put the whole thing back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, the Senate should take up the full measure sometime this week, Republican leaders have vowed to push it through the House and onto
President Trump's desk. If the compromise passes, it will then have to get through the House.
Just moments ago, the U.S. House Speaker addressed next steps.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): That they do that final vote, I will call all House members to return to Washington as quickly as possible, we'll give a
36-hour formal and official notice so that we can vote as soon as possible to pass the amended C.R. bill and get it to the president's desk.
[10:15:05]
As you all know, and he said as recently as last night, I was with him, and he told the press, he said, we want to get the government open. He's very
anxious to get the government reopened and to end the Schumer shutdown. We all are.
With regard to the travel challenges, I spoke yesterday at some length with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, my former colleague and good friend,
and he lamented the serious situation that we have with air travel in the U.S. He's bent over backwards, as all members of the administration and the
cabinet have done in all of their areas of jurisdiction, to try to keep the government working for the people and to mitigate the pain and the harm.
But the problem we have with air travel is that our air traffic controllers are overworked and unpaid, and many of them have called in sick that's very
stressful job, and even more stressful exponentially, when they're having trouble providing for their families.
And so, air travel has been grinded to a halt in many places. And as of Sunday, nearly half of all domestic flights and U.S. flights were either
canceled or delayed, and it's a very serious situation.
So, I'm saying that by way of reminder, I'm stating the obvious to all my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats in the House, you need to begin right
now returning to the Hill. We have to do this as quickly as possible.
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GIOKOS: Right. We just heard there from Speaker Mike Johnson and basically saying from both sides, they need to get back to the Hill and have this
discussion move this through quickly.
We've got Annie Grayer with us and frankly, just hearing Mike Johnson there, and also reminding everyone that, since Sunday, either half of all -
- half of domestic flights in the United States with a canceled or delayed and just showing the consequence of this government shutdown. So, give me a
sense of where we are right now.
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, we are waiting for the Senate to come back into session to start the process of debating the deal that
Democrats and Republicans reached last night. Those eight Democrats who voted with Republicans agreed to do so for a deal that would extend
government funding through January 30th, fund some key agencies through fiscal year 2026, so that means that the key food assistance known as SNAP
would get funded even if the government were to shut down again. It includes rehiring any federal worker who was fired during the shutdown, but
the key -- and paying all furloughed and federal workers who have not been paid during the shutdown.
But the key question here was health care. What were Democrats going to get on health care? And all -- because they had made those expiring Obamacare
subsidies the central piece of their shutdown argument. They had argued they were not going to open the government without a deal there.
And instead, what they got was a vote at some point in December on those expiring subsidies with no guarantee that it would pass. And if it does
even pass the Senate, no guarantee that it would pass the House and become law.
Now those eight Democrats who voted, who with Republicans last night say they did so because President Trump was starting to come out even harder
against those subsidies. They thought they saw the path to getting any sort of guarantee there really narrowing, and they argued that getting
Republicans to agree to a vote on those subsidies in December is a win because Democrats don't control the floor in the Senate because they are in
the minority. So, they argue that's a win there.
But the majority of Democrats, specifically progressives and outside groups are furious because they had made those expiring tax credits the central
point of their shutdown argument, and to give that all -- to give that all up for a vote with no guarantee of what's going to happen, has left many in
the party divided.
So, we will see when the House comes back, what they are going to do. The top Democrat in the House, Hakeem Jeffrey says that this deal is a non-
starter for him, but he's going to have a tough time keeping those moderate Democrats from voting for this. So, we'll see what happens in the House.
We're expecting that this is all going to come to an end, likely by the end of this week.
GIOKOS: All right. Well, things are definitely heating up. Annie Grayer, thank you so much for that update. Good to have you with us.
I just want to take you to a story that's just come into CNN, and we are getting details of an explosion in New Delhi that killed at least eight
people. This is the video that we have right now. That is, according to city police.
It appears that the blast originated from a car near the Red Fort, but the cause is not yet clear. We've got CNN Nada Bashir live in London for us.
And we're watching the footage and the images of this -- the aftermath of this blast, Nada, and it looks pretty horrific. Take us through what we
know.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, that distressing video, Eleni, showing more than one car seemingly on fire following that
explosion. This is a developing story.
We are still getting more information and details in from authorities in the New Delhi area. But as we understand it, at this stage, according to a
local hospital official, at least eight people have now been confirmed to have been killed in that blast at the explosion stage to have taken place
near the Red Fort landmark.
And just in the last few moments, we have received an updated statement from local police officials. I'll just read you a bit from that now, saying
at about 6:42 p.m. local time, a slow-moving vehicle which came to a stop near a red light, an explosion occurred in that vehicle. The passengers in
the vehicle and the people in the surrounding vehicles were impacted.
[10:20:16]
The police officials then go on to say that they are investigating the explosion from every angle. So, this is an ongoing investigation.
We've been hearing reports on local media as well, citing officials that they have spoken to that at least 11 people have been injured, but we are
yet to have that confirmation from hospital officials themselves, but we have seen that distressing video showing the scale of what appears to have
been an explosion from within a car.
At this stage, the cause of the blast, however, has not been confirmed. It isn't yet known what exactly led to this large explosion, but again, we've
been hearing those eyewitness accounts cited on local media saying this was a very large explosion. One person saying that they heard a big sound that
their windows shook following the impact of that blast.
But of course, we will be waiting to hear more from officials as the story develops, Eleni.
GIOKOS: So, Nada, you and I are watching live pictures coming through from New Delhi right now in the aftermath of this blast, as Nada just says, we
know that eight people have been confirmed dead. It was an explosion near a car.
We don't know what the cause of the explosion was. It was near the landmark of Red Fort. Details still emerging a developing story. Nada Bashir, thank
you so very much.
And as I said, we're watching live images right now, and you can see emergency services on the ground right now, still waiting for a
confirmation on how many people have been injured. We will bring you an update on the story as we have those details.
All right, ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, a new ruling on whether -- on where former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be spending his time while he
appeals his conviction.
And Britain's public broadcaster under fire, two top executives resign over edits of a Donald Trump speech. CNN Senior Media Analyst Brian Stelter is
here to explain right after this break,
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is back at home after just 20 days in prison, that's after a court ruled in Paris ruled he could be
released while he appeals his conviction. Sarkozy had just started serving a five-year sentence for conspiring to raise campaign funds from Libya in
exchange for favors.
He's described his time behind bars as very hard. We've got CNN's Melissa Bell joining us from Paris for an update. Melissa, good to see you. What do
we know about the conditions of his release?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are very strict. In fact, Linda, as what we understand and quite unusual, this was
remembered 20 days ago. That image we've seen of Nicola Sarkozy heading to jail something of a shock to the French political classes. So unusual is it
he'd served time before with an electronic bracelet, but actually seeing him go to spend his first days behind bars had, of course, caused a great
deal of controversy and interest here in France.
[10:25:13]
20 days on, he is now being liberated under these very strict conditions, Linda, we understand that he's already back at home. These include things
in interest here in France, his not being able to contact any of those who were witnesses in the original case that goes back, as you mentioned, to
his 2007 election campaign and the conviction that he had, the five year sentence that was handed down this autumn accused that found him guilty of
having conspired to fund his 2007 presidential run with money that had been taken from Libya's more market -- more market office Libya, rather.
20 days in jail, it is now pending his appeal that he has been released. His lawyers described it as a first step. The appeal will be the next one,
we expect that sometime this spring.
But for the time being, he is therefore allowed to be at home while he awaits the results of this appeal, Linda (PH), with his family, but under
strict conditions about not just where he can go, but whom he can contact, and that includes, by the way, France's current Justice Minister who
visited him in prison in October.
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, really interesting here as he waits for that appeal.
I also want to talk about his state, and he was describing his time in jail as very difficult. Give me a sense of the feedback that he's given of 20
days in prison and what that meant for him.
BELL: Well, he just spoke to the court today by video link, Linda, describing the 20 days as grueling. We know that he was kept in the sort of
VIP wing of La Sante prison, which is jailed to the south of Paris.
We understand from French press reports that he only ate yogurt while he was there. So worried was he that other inmates might spit in his food
contamination that might come through his food from other inmates.
So, we're very curious at the stage just to see what he might look like after those 20 days in prison. For now, though, all we've seen are -- is a
car leaving the prison, heading to his home, but no sign of the former president himself, Linda.
GIOKOS: OK, great to see you, Melissa. It's Eleni, by the way, but thank you so much for that update. Good to have you on the show as always.
All right, let's move on. U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to sue the BBC over misleading edit of a January 6th speech. It's the latest
development in a scandal that the at the British broadcaster that has already seen two top executives resigned, Director General Tim Davie and
BBC News Chief Executive Deborah Turness, both quit on Sunday after a deeply critical memo was leaked.
Now the memo revealed that a documentary shown on a flagship BBC news program included a misleading edit on Mr. Trump's speech from January 6th,
2021. The broadcaster has come under increasing public scrutiny, and one former head of BBC News says that's just part of the job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROGER MOSEY, FORMER HEAD OF BBC TELEVISION NEWS: There's no doubt there are vociferous campaigns against the BBC, either for ideological reasons or
commercial reasons, and the BBC has lots of enemies out there.
Now, that happens. I mean, the BBC has to live with that. What it then has to do, of course, is be as good as it possibly can be, and that means not
making what appear to be dodgy edits in documentaries about Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Right, CNN's Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter joined me last hour, and I asked Brian about the significance of the president's legal threat
against the British broadcaster. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Trump's legal team does this with some regularity, certainly several times this year, Trump has sent legal
letters to news outlets including CNN. He has not always followed through on those legal threats, although he is currently suing the New York Times,
the Wall Street Journal and the Des Moines Register.
So, we will see over time if he decides actually file a suit against the BBC, and if so, what he would actually claim. A BBC spokesperson has told
CNN, "We are -- we will review the letter and respond directly in due course."
So, the BBC, I think, expected something like this once this story began to snowball last week. It was one week ago today that the Telegraph newspaper
first reported on the memo you described. The Telegraph has been publishing anti BBC commentary for years. It's no secret where the telegraph stands.
So, it is helpful to see this current dust up over this misleading edit as, yes, a screw up journalistically, but also part of a broader, long running
conservative campaign to undermine the BBC and to challenge the license fee that British viewers pay in order to access BBC content.
There's a relatively small story here about a big screw up by the documentary, but then, there is a much, much broader story about a campaign
against the BBC, and that's what we're seeing playout in the tabloids today.
[10:30:05]
GIOKOS: Oh, a few months ago, you joking.
All right. Let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he held talks with U.S. envoy Jared Kushner, to Monday. The talks in Jerusalem come exactly one
month after the U.S. brokered Gaza cease fire agreement took effect.
Trump's other special envoy, Steve Witkoff, may also arrive in Israel later this week, an Israeli official told CNN.
The French finance ministry has halted the suspension proceedings of online retailer Shein. Childlike sex dolls and weapons were found for sale on the
web site, but have since been removed. Shein will still remain under close surveillance, according to the prime minister.
Health officials say ByHeart, baby formula has tested positive for bacteria that can cause botulism, after outbreak, sickened 13 babies across 10 U.S.
states.
While no deaths have been reported, all 13 affected infants were hospitalized.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Ahead this hour, the U.S. government shutdown is a big step closer to finally ending, but problems remain at
U.S. airports. And we'll see how staffing shortages and weather are impacting air travel today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Eleni Giokos. Here are your headlines.
Next hour, U.S. President Donald Trump will welcome Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House. It's the first time a Syrian leader has ever
visited the executive mansion. And it comes less than a year after al- Sharaa took power.
The U.S. and the United Nations have since lifted sanctions against the country, and al-Sharaa himself, who is a former jihadist.
At least four people, including two children are dead in the Philippines after the massive typhoon Fung-Wong made landfall.
Storm surge and flooding caused widespread damage across the country. The typhoon has now weakened and is heading across the South China Sea towards
Taiwan.
The U.S. senate is a big step closer to ending the government shutdown after senators voted to advance a funding bill. Seven Democrats and one
independent broke ranks to end filibuster blocking the plan. The shutdown is now in its 41st day, the longest in U.S. history.
While Americans wait for the shutdown to end, they are feeling the impact at U.S. airports already today. More than 1500 flights have been canceled,
and more than 1200 have been delayed, and that follows the worst weekend for air traffic control staffing shortages since the shutdown began,
resulting in thousands of flight cancelations and delays.
[10:35:01]
CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean joins us now.
A potential end, Pete, it seems. It's of course, very good news, but U.S. air travel is still under strain, and we actually heard from Speaker Mike
Johnson a short while ago, and he is saying since Sunday, at least, half of flights, domestic flights have even been canceled or delayed, asking for,
you know, immediate return to try and get the conversations going.
So, give me a sense of where we are right now and whether you anticipate things will get worse in the next few days.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the government shutdown. But the worst part here,
according to transportation secretary Sean Duffy, is that a lot of the problems that have been exposed by the government shutdown and the stress
on air traffic controllers and the shortage of air traffic controllers nationwide will not be fixed with the waving of a magic wand at the end of
the shutdown.
These are the cancelations and delays for today and tomorrow. We've already seen about 1500 today, 985 tomorrow. That 985 is made up primarily of
flight cancelations mandated by the Trump administration to try and ease some of the stress and make air transportation safer. Because remember, air
traffic controllers are going unpaid during this government shutdown, even though they are still required to report to work.
I want you to listen now to Nick Daniels, who is the head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the very powerful public sector union
that oversees and represents air traffic controllers. And he says the burden is still on them, even after this government shutdown ends, and it's
not going to fix all the structural problems of the Federal Aviation Administration. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK DANIELS, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION: For decades, air traffic controllers have held the line through staffing
shortages, outdated equipment hiring freezes, terrorist attacks on September 11th, pandemics, and every crisis that this country has lived
through, they have kept their focus, their composure, and their commitment to safety.
But now, they must focus on child care instead of traffic flows, food for their families, instead of runway separation. This is not politics. This is
not ideology. This is the erosion of the safety margin the flying public never sees, but America relies on every single day.
Now, history will remember who is responsible for the shutdown. The public and media will debate who won, but we all know who carried the weight of it
and who has to pick up the pieces when it finally ends, it's us, the Federal workforce, that has been the rope in this game of tug of war.
Now, let me be clear, not just air traffic controllers and aviation safety professionals or federal employees. No American should ever be forced to
work without a paycheck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MUNTEAN: Begs the question, why does the Congress not pass a law to make it so that air traffic controllers continue to get paid, even if there is a
government shutdown. Like Daniel said, they are caught in the middle of the here though -- the middle here. The rope really, in the metaphorical tug of
war.
This is not over yet, and they are still not getting paid. These air traffic controllers. They will thankfully get back pay, one, the government
does reopen, but they are set to get another $0 paycheck in their bank accounts come tomorrow. This is a huge problem here in the United States,
and it also has reverb around the world.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
MUNTEAN: The good news here is that these flights that have been mandated to be canceled by the Trump administration, the 900 that we are seeing
tomorrow, and that number ramps up as the week goes on.
Thankfully, that's not impacting a lot of airlines international routes. So, those who have had long, long trips planned to go abroad and overseas
or come back to the U.S., thankfully, they will not be impacted here. But we are not totally out of the woods. We are maybe years or decades away
from a real solution for air traffic controller staffing issues here in the U.S.
GIOKOS: Yes. Pete Muntean, great to have you with us. Thank you so much.
Well, the shutdown is not helping how most Americans feel about the job President Trump is doing with the economy. This despite his doubling down
on his claims that there is virtually no inflation, blaming Joe Biden, blaming the Democrats. CNN's Harry Enten joins me now.
Harry, good to have you with us. I want you to crunch the numbers for us. So, how bad are Americans feeling about the current states of the economy?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Awful. They feel awful about it.
You know, we have metrics that date back decades upon decades upon decades, long before I was born, and one of them is the University of Michigan's
consumer sentiment. And we're talking about the current conditions here. They both measure the current conditions, how folks feel about those, as
well as the future prospects of the economy.
We are talking about current conditions.
And look at this, according to November metric, the worst ever, dating all the way back since 1951, and consumer sentiment of current conditions is
down, down 30 percent since January, which of course, is when Donald Trump took office for a second term.
[10:40:12]
Now, of course, President Trump wants to blame someone else, anyone else for this. The American people are not buying it. What are we talking about
here? Well, Trump's policies have worsened economic conditions in America. You can see it here, a super majority. 61 percent say yes, Trump's policies
have worsened economic conditions here in America. How about worsened your own finances? Again, you get a majority here. 51 percent of Americans say
that Trump's policies have worsened their own finances.
And when you put it all together, I think it is so important to note that in our country, right? We have very polarized electorate. We have the left,
the Democrats, the right, the Republicans. The right, things Trump can do nothing wrong, the left things, Trump can do nothing right.
Elections are tied to the center of the electorate, pure independents who don't lean towards either party. And take a look here. This gives the
entire game away. Disapprove of Trump on the economy among pure independents.
Look at this number from the ABC News Washington Post poll. 79 percent, nearly four in five. My goodness gracious. That is no outlier, because look
at this side of the screen. Marquette University Law School, 76 percent of pure Independents disapproved of Trump on the economy.
And when you factor in the approval on it, right? We are looking at the disapproval. You factor in the approval. The net approval rating for Donald
Trump on the economy among pure independents, negative 58 points. I didn't think I'd lived to see the day that Donald Trump's ratings on the economy
would be so poor among pure independents. But here we are, and that's not much of a surprise, given that the majority blame him for the state of the
economy, and we are talking about record numbers in terms of the consumer sentiment current conditions, record lows.
This is not the place you want to be if you are Donald Trump, and we are a year up from the midterm elections. It is not the place that House Democrat
-- House Republicans or Senate Republicans want Donald Trump or views of the economy to be in general.
GIOKOS: All right. So, we just had Donald Trump, the president of the United States, on Truth Social a short time ago, and this is what he says.
I want to read this out to you. "All air traffic controllers must get back to work now. Anyone who doesn't will be substantially docked.
For those air traffic controllers who were great patriots and didn't take any time off for the Democrat shutdown hoax. I will be recommending a bonus
of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our country. That was President Donald Trump on Truth Social a short time ago.
And Harry, I just want you to jump in here, because I want to get a sense of how much do you think this government shutdown, which is 41 days in, has
had an impact on the metrics and the numbers you've just given me.
ENTEN: I would say that they've certainly hurt the views of the economy, more than that they have hurt Donald Trump. We see it very much in the
numbers in terms of Donald Trump's own approval rating. We are talking about the net approval rating reaching record lows. He is been down about
five points in terms of his net approval rating.
And why is that so important? It's so important because Donald Trump's numbers simply, historically, are steady. All of a sudden, we are seeing
that Donald Trump's numbers have been falling.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
ENTEN: There is no doubt that this shutdown has cost him, and has cost him very much so on the economy, which, of course, you win and lose elections
based upon how folks feel about the economy.
GIOKOS: Yes. All right. Harry Enten, great to have you with us.
(CROSSTALK)
ENTEN: Thank you.
GIOKOS: And, of course, as we are seeing flights canceled, flights delayed, President Trump's post on Truth Social, saying that those that went to
work, air traffic controllers can get a $10,000 bonus, and those who did not will get docked.
So, we'll bring you an update on that, as it happens.
All right. Now, an update. I want to bring it -- we are going to a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:46:00]
GIOKOS: All right. Welcome back. And an update on our "BREAKING NEWS" this hour, an explosion in Delhi has killed at least 10 people and injured more
than two dozen. That is according to a local hospital official.
Police say the blast came from a car, and an investigation is currently underway.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS (voice over): This is footage from the scene of the incident, which happened in densely populated area near the landmark of Red Fort monument.
And you can see several charred cars in the vicinity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS (voice over): All right. Parts of the U.S. are seeing snow already as temperatures plunge in some areas. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar,
explains how an arctic blast is bringing some chilly weather.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: 40 locations could end up having record lows, Monday and Tuesday of this week, and a few areas could have
those records for both the high temperature and the low temperature. You can see all of the dots here on the map, indicating where those record lows
are possible. And this all because of this cold swath of air right through here, a cold front has been sweeping across the eastern portion of the U.S.
And behind that cold front is that surge of arctic air spreading from the Midwest to the Northeast and all the way down to the Gulf Coast.
You can see Monday and Tuesday, it continues to slide to the east. And then, once we get to Thursday and Friday of this week, we will finally
start to see those temperatures rebounding back to where they should be for this time of year.
Wind is also going to be a concern up and down the eastern seaboard for much of the day Monday. So, if you do have some plans to travel, do keep an
eye out for any flight delays due to some of those gusty winds up around 40 to 50 miles per hour. Here is a look at the forecast highs for Monday.
Again, lots of temperatures in the 30s, but even down to the south, you've got several, including Atlanta, that may barely even make it to 40 degrees
for the high temperature. Tuesday, you are really starting to see the temperatures drop across the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic.
But you will notice that the temperatures over here in the southern plains are actually starting to bounce back up. Here is a look at Atlanta. The
high temperature again, bitter cold on Monday, some very gusty winds, but we do see those temperatures getting back up, oddly, to above average by
the time we head into the upcoming weekend. And they are not the only location, Cincinnati looking at snow showers from Monday, as that
temperature is likely to barely make it much above the freezing mark, but we are back into the 60s just in time for the weekend.
GIOKOS: Well, still to come, smart and autonomous Technologies, the spotlight in Abu Dhabi. CNN takes a look at some of the newest tech that
soon will be an essential part of daily life.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:09]
GIOKOS: Abu Dhabi is building momentum on smart and autonomous tech. In just the past few months, it launched the UAE's first pilot program for
autonomous delivery vehicles and expanded operations of autonomous taxis.
CONNECT THE WORLD's regular anchor, Becky Anderson, was at the Abu Dhabi autonomous summit, exploring new technologies that are taking to the roads,
the skies, and even the dance floor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: The sort of technology that in the past we thought only existed in science fiction. What we now hear is
real, is here in the UAE this week. This is the Abu Dhabi autonomous summit at Abu Dhabi autonomous week. And it's here, the policymakers, industry
leaders, and innovators are coming together to implement what is the future of technology.
What are you going to say to me? Hello. All right. I get it. And you?
Hello. Well, I thank you.
Well, I spoke to Faisal Al Bannai, who's an advisor to the president here. This is a country that won't be, as far as he is concerned, a passenger in
this race. The idea is that this will be a frontier country.
FAISAL AL BANNAI, ADVISER TO THE UAE PRESIDENT: What's meant by autonomy, whether it's a car, whether it's a drone, whether it's a robot, is that
machine understands context. The machine understands the environment, and decides, based on the objective or the mission, what it should do. That's
really a big change in what's happening in autonomy.
What that means is, when you are referring to logistics or referring to people movement or robot, you are actually having the machine work very
closely with man to really take off the burden and the load of a lot of things that you can really offload to the machine to do for basic mission
planning, for basic programs. And I think that is really the change that you are seeing with the combination of A.I. and these machines.
ANDERSON: I also spoke to the CEO of WeRide and the head of Abu Dhabi Airport. Two key partners here who are converting ambition to action.
TONY HAN, FOUNDER, WERIDE: WeRide and Uber has already test the driverless robotaxi start from the second quarter of this year, and we have tested
extensively. Now, pending the approval of ITC, we will actually deploy the full driverless robotaxi in Abu Dhabi. This is the first one of Uber
deploying driverless robotaxi out of U.S. And this is the first one WeRide deploy the driverless robot taxi out of China.
Abu Dhabi and UAE, you guys give the strongest support. I have never seen any other government in the world being so supportive, be being so
determined to push forward for the robotaxi and application of robotics. And with this kind of strong support, and of course, with the strong
technology from WeRide and Uber, we actually are ready to scale.
ELENA SORLINI, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ABU DHABI AIRPORTS: We operate as a -- orchestra director in a way where everything
needs to happen at the same time. So, we have replicated that ecosystem on a -- on a platform with the A.I. power solutions.
What this platform does is that, through A.I. solutions, it learns from the past and is able to predict what can happen in the future. Right? So,
tactically, an airline that has been late systematically in the last 10 months, is going to be late also tomorrow, or like looking strategically in
the longer term, the system is able to predict where we are going to experience bottlenecks in the future, and hence, we need to start to work
today to enhance the capacity.
It's behind the scenes. The passengers does not see what is happening, but he is experiencing the results.
BADR AL-OLAMA, DIRECTOR GENERAL, ABU DHABI INVESTMENT OFFICE: The fundamental difference between us in Abu Dhabi and maybe elsewhere in the
region and maybe elsewhere in the world is that you have a system of government that is actually trying to pull the private sector to move
faster, whereas, elsewhere around the world, to Tony's point, you have a system of government where you are pushing the government to actually take
action, be a little bit more risk averse. Be a little bit more forward thinking in adopting technology.
I think what's unique in Abu Dhabi is that you have a lot of the private sector that has moved and evolved into government positions, which allows
us to actually bring private sector thinking into a government setting. And that's essentially what makes a huge difference.
ANDERSON: From the first commercial air taxis on routes between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, marking a new era in urban mobility to service robotics,
humanoid. It's all on display here in Abu Dhabi.
AL BANNAI: This is today a new technology. Whether it's the A.I., whether it's robotics and diffusing of that. And it's clearly defining what things
do you really want the autonomy to do by itself? Because these are basic decisions, basic things, what things you really want to have human in the
loop on making such decisions? And this is -- there are some basic things, whether it's you want to call it home chores, or whether you want to say
basic task at a hotel. Someone going to deliver your food to your room.
There are -- there are catastrophic decision making is going to happen. The robot is going to pick the food, bring it to your room, maybe take your
bill. That's fine.
ANDERSON: OK. Let's have a look at this.
Hello, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. What can I do for you?
ANDERSON: Can you give me a K boo box (PH), please?
Well, this, they tell me, is the future of retail.
Thank you, sir. Thank you very much indeed. My kids are going to love this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: All right. That was Becky Anderson for us. And that's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN, and "ONE WORLD" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
