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Hunt for Motive as New Details Emerge in flydubai Attack; Netanyahu Praises Passengers and Crew for Saving Flight; Ten-Year Treasury Yield Hits Highest Level since 2002; Kushner's Company Has Major Stake in Firm Linked to Israeli Military; CNN Obtains Jane Doe's 2024 Statement to Cornell Police after University Gang Rape; Tennessee Botches Lethal Injection; Paramount-Warner Brothers Merger to Take Effect October 6; White House Appears to Change A.I. Bot Answers After Contradicting Trump; Game-Changing Pancreatic Cancer Drug Extends Lives. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 01, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): And welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters here in Abu Dhabi.
I'm Becky Anderson. Time here just after 6:00 in the evening.
And the UAE investigating possible terrorist motives for the flydubai cockpit attack.
In the latest milestone for the U.S. bond market, the yield on the 10-year benchmark Treasury note just hit its highest level today since 2002.
And a U.S. execution fails after a Tennessee inmate survived two doses of a lethal injection.
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ANDERSON: Well, I want to begin this hour with the investigation into the attack on a flydubai flight from the UAE to Israel and new details about
what might have motivated the suspect.
In the past few hours, Israel's prime minister told FOX News that the suspect, who he says is an Omani national, had undergone radical Islamist
indoctrination. However, this has not been confirmed by investigators.
Saudi authorities have been questioning the suspect after the plane was diverted there following the attack. And authorities here in the UAE are
exploring whether there is any link to terrorist activity.
Captain Schmitt Machchhar is being hailed as a hero. He fought back after being attacked by his copilot. An Indian politician from his hometown says
Machchhar is now in stable condition and is, quote, "out of danger," according to his family.
Passengers now safe in Israel. An expert says it is nothing short of a miracle that they survived. Some passengers rushed the cockpit to subdue
the attacker and the airline says reserve crew members regained control of the plane. Paula Hancocks is in Dubai.
And Paula, I just want to get our viewers up to speed on what we know about where the investigation is at present and where it's going.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, as we understand it at the moment, the attorney general here in the UAE has opened an investigation
effectively to find out whether there are links to terrorism from this attack and also whether or not this is potentially a lone wolf attack or if
there is a network behind what has happened.
Which obviously they would want to know about very soon.
I'll read you part of the statement from the ministry of foreign affairs here, where they say, quote, "The ministry noticed that the investigation
includes examining all circumstances and motives surrounding the incident, including any possible connection to terrorist activity or intent and
whether it involved prior planning or direction."
Of course, motive is another of the key issues that investigators will be looking at at this point. Now we know that the UAE does have jurisdiction
to investigate, even though this attack took place outside of the territory, as the aircraft itself is registered to this country.
Now we understand from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that the suspect will at some point be brought to the UAE for interrogation, for
questioning. The last we have heard he is being treated in a hospital in Saudi Arabia, we understand. The pilot and the copilot, both injured in
this incident.
Let's first listen to what the Israeli prime minister said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: Pilot, the attacking pilot is now being interrogated in Saudi Arabia. I assume very soon he'll be
taken to the United Arab Emirates. I spoke to the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and he agreed that Israel would
join the interrogations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANCOCKS: So a number of issues to be looked at. The motive, whether anyone else was helping and how, according to the Israeli officials, we've
been speaking to an Omani national, was able to be behind the controls of that plane, given that there's no formal connection or diplomatic relations
between the two countries. Becky.
ANDERSON: Flydubai has now temporarily suspended flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, as I understand it.
Any detail on whether there are passengers here in the UAE who were planning to use that airline to fly to Israel?
[10:05:00]
HANCOCKS: We understand there are a fair few passengers now that are stranded. Just in the past couple of hours, I spoke to one Israeli lady.
She's here with her husband, two children, her mother-in-law.
And she said that she just received a text from flydubai saying the flight is canceled. Beyond that, she said that she has heard very little.
Now we do know that that El Al, the Israeli national carrier, is planning to send repatriation flights from Dubai, they say, potentially from Friday.
That could happen. Each flight about $249, we understand from officials.
And I explained this to this lady and she said it is very difficult for a family of five to be able to afford that kind of repatriation. So there are
many here who are feeling as though they are in limbo at this point.
We know, for example, there are some 70 flights from flydubai -- that's seven-zero -- from Dubai to Tel Aviv every single week. It's the sole
carrier that is making that route at this point, since the Israeli airlines suspended their carriers from coming here during the Iran war.
Just another figure to throw at you, Becky, last year, data from Tel Aviv's airport said that 1 million passengers flew to Dubai. So it is a relatively
new route -- clearly, as diplomatic relations are relatively new -- but it is a very popular and busy route.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Paula.
And as Paula said, the UAE has now opened an investigation to establish how the attack was even possible. Passengers described chaotic scenes on board
the plane as it went into a nosedive before some of them bravely intervened and the aircraft was brought under control.
Images captured on a passenger's phone giving us a sense of the horror and panic people felt inside the cabin. Let's bring in Ido Kalev, who's a
former operation department manager at the Israeli Aviation Security Division.
And it's good to have you. Prior to the flydubai attack yesterday, Israel hadn't faced a major hijacking or mid-air incident in decades. Just explain
how significant this event is and what you think will change now in terms of Israeli security following this.
IDO KALEV, FORMER OPERATION DEPARTMENT MANAGER, ISRAELI AVIATION SECURITY DIVISION: Hello, Becky. It's good to be here with you.
Actually, I don't think that the Israeli side will do anything specifically according to the situation that happened yesterday, because we have strict
regularity about incoming flights from the places of the countries that are coming here. So it's not about the airline, it's more about the country and
the assessment of the threat.
So, we have the --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: We know -- yes, and there is an investigation ongoing. So until we get further detail on that, it will be -- it'll be pure speculation as
we discuss what might happen next. I want to be very specific.
Is it common for there to be backup pilots or other pilots on flights?
I think a lot of people were surprised that there was, you know, another crew on board.
How normal is that?
KALEV: It's normal. There are a lot of times that crew members are joining the flights because they have rotations and it's not a big, you know --
it's not something that is out of the ordinary. It's a regular thing, most probably because you said it's a very strong line.
And a lot of flights coming in and out from Israel to the Emirates and back and the rotation sounds very regular to me.
ANDERSON: The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says, that -- sorry, told my colleague, Jim Sciutto, the following. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: The Israeli passenger burst in, saw the attacking co-pilot hover over the instruments. He wasn't
sitting in one of the two pilot seats but he was trying to jam the instruments. The Israeli passenger, Yaniv.
[10:10:00]
Took him back, threw him back, took the controls, the stick and pulled it back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: There's two questions here, aren't there?
I mean, what's your understanding of how passengers could have actually got into that cockpit?
And secondly, how unusual is it that there, you know, is a regular passenger, as I think he was described, his profession, as a plumber -- who
was able to right that plane, which was in a nosedive.
KALEV: All right. So first, there is a -- there is a regular -- I mean, there is a regulation that was actually not abide (sic) and they didn't
actually keep and it was the solution also. So in this case, it was the solution.
But they supposed to close the door from the start of the boarding to the aircraft and up to the landing in the country that they're going to. So it
was -- it was not according to the regulations.
And all the conspiracies about really the plumber or whatever, I mean, it's more -- I think it's more a cultural thing just to, you know, jump into the
situation. And just keep in mind and remember that most of the people in Israel, most of the people in Israel serving in the army.
And it doesn't matter if you are a fighter or not, you have the mentality and the mindset that, if there is a situation of emergency, you are doing
whatever you can. But not everybody can do it and you can train on it but it depends on the personality. But also a lot about the culture.
And the conspiracies that I heard --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes. Interesting.
KALEV: -- I mean, it's not, it's not, it's not the real thing
ANDERSON: It's good to have you, sir. Thank you very much indeed.
Well, the Israeli prime minister has said that Israel warned Britain -- warned Britain, sorry -- that it had intelligence pointing to an Iranian-
sponsored attack in the U.K. not long before five men were arrested close to a military base last weekend. Netanyahu didn't give details of the
intelligence provided.
British prime minister Andy Burnham says there are strong indications Iran was indeed connected with events at Fairford, the site you see here in this
video, though he says the police investigation on that is ongoing.
All the men arrested near RAF Fairford on Sunday were released on bail the following day. Iran has denied any involvement.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted on social media, saying, in part, "I can confirm Iran's belief that releasing supposed terrorists working for
foreign states really says it all. You're barking up the wrong tree," he said.
Let's have a look at the markets for you folks and investors, keeping a keen eye on what's going on as far as jobs data is concerned. Let's have a
look at those bond markets.
The 10-year bond yield, these are significantly higher numbers than they have been of late. The 10-year bond at 5.32, the 30-year at 5.67. We've got
high yields breaking through barriers, as I say, that we haven't seen in decades. Just got your 10-year Treasuries there then and your 30-year bond.
David Goldman is in the States for us, keeping a keen eye on what is going on.
David, these are levels that we haven't seen in something like a quarter of a century. And for people who are watching these yields, what's your
advice?
DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes. Well, we just hit, as you mentioned, when I woke up this morning, this hasn't happened since 20 -
- well, 2002, if I can write that. That was quite a long time ago when we were recovering from the dotcom bust.
So what does this mean?
Well, it's, first of all, not just a U.S. phenomenon. In the U.K., we just surpassed 6 percent for the first time since 1998 on the 30-year gilt. This
is a global phenomenon.
So what does it mean for you?
Well, it means higher borrowing costs, right. In the United States, we had mortgage rates surpass 7 percent last week. We're going to get another
reading on this later today.
[10:15:02]
And then we have this. It's a really interesting number, the personal savings rate. We don't focus on this all that much. But this just fell to a
four-year low in the United States, which means that the high cost of borrowing and inflation are starting to weigh on people's personal savings.
They are dipping into their savings. They're spending more debt. And that debt is costing them more money because of all of this. Inflation,
obviously, is a big factor as well.
We have oil prices well above $100 again. Can't fill a car with oil, though. Obviously we need gas and diesel to do that and those prices aren't
all that attractive, either. Gas up 48 percent and diesel 74 percent since the course -- over the course of the war. And that has raised shipping
costs.
And we're all paying for that in the form of higher costs at retail. Inflation in the United States is up to 3.4 percent over the course of the
past year. Remember, the Federal Reserve wants this at 2 percent. And so they're going to continue to raise rates as well, which can raise credit
card rates.
That raises the credit, the cost of borrowing as well, to start to combat inflation. But I also want to note that this is a result of a hot economy.
We have AI spending that's fueling an enormous economic boom.
We just got another number, revised number yesterday. GDP came in at 2.2 percent in the second quarter. That is very, very strong. The unemployment
rate, this is all happening while we have low unemployment in the United States. That's considered full employment. We'll get another read on that
tomorrow for a September jobs report.
And this spending number that came in, people are spending at a rate that we haven't seen in a few years, Becky. This means that, in addition to
everything that's going on, people continue to spend. And that's just adding more fuel to this bond market fire.
ANDERSON: Yes. It's good to have you. Thank you, David. And as I say, we'll keep a keen eye on what's going on in those bond markets at present.
You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come, a new CNN investigation examines Jared Kushner's role as Gaza peace negotiator while his company
has a major stake in a firm linked to Israel's military. Details are ahead.
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ANDERSON: A new CNN investigation has found that, while the U.S. president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, acted as a key Middle East peace
negotiator, his private equity firm held the largest stake in an Israeli company backing businesses tied to Israel's military campaign in Gaza. That
includes its largest arms manufacturer.
[10:20:00]
CNN's Katie Polglase with this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCHER (voice-over): Jared Kushner, president Trump's son-in-law, often seen acting as America's unofficial
peace envoy to the Middle East.
JARED KUSHNER, UNOFFICIAL U.S. MIDDLE EAST PEACE ENVOY: Why can't the world be better?
Why can't there be peace?
Why can't there be more prosperity?
POLGLASE (voice-over): But he's also a billionaire private investor.
KUSHNER: The fund is doing great and we've got a great team, great portfolio.
POLGLASE: And a CNN investigation has now found that his firm, Affinity Partners, is the largest shareholder in an Israeli financial giant, backing
businesses that provide equipment to the Israeli military equipment.
Equipment that has been used in Israel's wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, the same wars Trump sent Kushner to resolve. His Israeli investment is the
latest in a series of examples where Kushner has blurred the lines between business and politics. The dual roles have drawn sharp criticism from some
but Kushner has wholeheartedly embraced it.
KUSHNER: When you get an Arab and Israeli together and they start talking about a business opportunity, they forget about everything else.
POLGLASE (voice-over): It all begins back in January 2021. President Trump leaves office. The next day, Kushner sets up a firm that would become
Affinity Partners with financial backing later coming from the Saudi state and then later Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Fast forward to July 2024, Affinity buys a stake in Israeli financial institution Phoenix Financial. Then, in January 2025, days before Trump
returns to the White House, Affinity doubles its stake in Phoenix, making it the largest shareholder.
By October 2025, Kushner is publicly involved in politics, standing in Tel Aviv, celebrating the release of the hostages after weeks negotiating a
ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
POLGLASE: This is perhaps one of the most prominent moments when Kushner is performing both roles as a businessman and a diplomat at the same time.
Here he is, negotiating a peace deal for Gaza while also holding an investment in an Israeli company that is backing some of the very
businesses linked to the war in Gaza.
And thanks to Israeli transparency laws, we can see what some of those businesses are.
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POLGLASE (voice-over): CNN went through thousands of financial records and amid the hundreds of companies Phoenix invests in. We identified at least
nine supplying military equipment for Israel.
Affinity doesn't directly hold a stake in the nine companies CNN identified but it does stand to reap rewards when Phoenix makes a profit from such
investments. All nine companies saw their stock market value rise last year. And many said they've seen a material increase in business as a
result of the war in Gaza.
Phoenix shares in these companies are worth more than $456 million. One of the nine companies was Elbit Systems --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): The IDF also made operational use of the Lahav launcher.
POLGLASE (voice-over): -- Israel's largest arms manufacturer.
We've previously traced Elbit weapons to multiple Israeli strikes that have killed civilians. We also found Israel shipyards on Phoenix's books. They
supply warships to the Israeli navy, ships that have repeatedly fired on Gaza.
Further companies include one making gearboxes for Israeli tanks and another making electronic fuses for shells used in Gaza.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POLGLASE: An attorney for Kushner told us Kushner is not involved in Phoenix's decisions on where to invest. He's not on their board and he's
never held a management role at the company.
But we found Kushner's relationship with Phoenix is actually a bit more complicated.
POLGLASE (voice-over): He told "Forbes" in September last year he had a very active dialogue with Phoenix, meeting with their team every few weeks.
And an attorney for Kushner told us this was true at the time and that Kushner regularly spoke with Phoenix about the company, broader market
trends and potential strategic opportunities.
Here he is talking about how he's encouraged Phoenix to invest in the Gulf.
KUSHNER: Phoenix, which is a monster company, is now looking at investments in Saudi Arabia, investments in UAE.
POLGLASE (voice-over): This encouragement, in fact, goes both ways.
KUSHNER: My investors from the Middle East are now looking at Israel and they're saying, wait a minute, maybe there's a benefit to having these wars
done. And they're seeing a good example there.
POLGLASE (voice-over): Around the same time this podcast published, Kushner was working on Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan. Kushner's attorney
told us that Kushner has significantly reduced his interaction with Phoenix management since becoming substantially more engaged in volunteer public
service and diplomatic efforts.
Nevertheless, Kushner's held this Israeli investment amid his diplomacy. In July this year, Kushner's firm cashed in a quarter of its stake in Phoenix
for more than $340 million, a return of more than five times its original investment. Kushner's firm, Affinity, still remains Phoenix's largest
shareholder -- Katie Polglase, CNN, London
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Phoenix Financial declined to answer CNN's questions but a spokesperson said the firm is, quote, "regulated" and that "shareholder
value is derived primarily from operating performance rather than investment returns."
[10:25:03]
None of the nine companies CNN identified commented for this report and the White House says Kushner's personal business activities have nothing to do
with his diplomatic engagements.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Still to come, how Cornell University handled a 2024 accusation of sexual assault and why
it's left so many people outraged. Details on that up next.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD from our Middle East programming
headquarters. These are your headlines this hour.
Investigators are working to understand the motive for the attack on Wednesday's flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The suspect hasn't been
named but Israel says that he is an Omani national. The Israeli prime minister says the pilot, who fought back after being attacked by his
copilot, prevented a 9/11 style disaster.
Cornell University is agreeing to an outside review of how it handled an accusation of rape in a case that has become the focus of national
attention. A transcript obtained by CNN affiliate WCBS shows the woman reported an alleged sexual assault to campus police. The district attorney
says he never received that transcript from Cornell.
Tennessee has halted executions for the rest of the year after two doses of a lethal drug failed to kill a death row inmate called Christa Gail Pike.
The 50-year old was taken to a hospital after Wednesday's failed execution. She was convicted of a 1995 murder that she committed when she was 18.
ANDERSON: Cornell University has agreed to an independent investigation into how the school handled an alleged sexual assault case from 2024. Now
CNN has gained access to a statement that the accuser gave to university police about the night. She claims several members of a fraternity
assaulted her. CNN's Jason Carroll has the latest for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More details emerging about what Jane Doe alleges happened to her at the Chi Phi fraternity house in
2024.
CNN obtained the six-page statement she gave to Cornell police two years ago, saying she consented to some sexual acts but repeatedly refused
others, including a foursome proposed by one of their fraternity brothers.
The 20-year-old then says it got to the point where it, quote, "had become extremely uncomfortable with how this night was turning out.
[10:30:00]
"So my thought was, if I do ketamine again, maybe I will pass out. My thought was that if I passed out and these men had sex with me, then they
could be charged with rape."
In the six-page statement, she said two Chi Phi members "were asking me to have sex so many times that I finally gave in. To me, that felt like
coercion."
Also telling Cornell police, "I remember being totally disgusted at the situation and I felt tired and intoxicated. I would say it was the most
intoxicated I have ever been in my life. I felt like I was unable to make any decisions because of how intoxicated I was."
This month, Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University and seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. That lawsuit also included a
screenshot of Snapchat messages between the fraternity members on the night of the alleged incident, inviting others to join in.
The district attorney's office facing criticism by some on campus who questioned why charges were not filed in 2024. Despite the disturbing
details, the Tompkins County D.A. says he is bound by New York law.
MATTHEW VAN HOUTEN, TOMPKINS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The voluntary intoxication of someone is not a basis to claim or to prove that they are
incapacitated to the point that they cannot consent to sexual contact.
So as much as I'm emotionally repulsed and morally repulsed by the events, I can't prosecute cases based on emotion or based upon moral standards or
moral repulsion.
CARROLL (voice-over): The D.A. later pointed out while he did receive Jane Doe's six-page statement, he says his office did not receive a separate
transcript of Jane Doe's interview with campus police.
Quote, "we never received it and still don't have it. It was not part of what Cornell provided to us. We got the six-page statement and nothing more
except for the Snapchat video."
In that transcript exclusively obtained by WCBS, the young woman told police, I can say with 100 percent confidence I was raped. That comment
does not appear in her six-page statement to Cornell police.
CARROLL: Well, a spokesperson for the university tells CNN that Cornell police shared a, quote, "lengthy" investigative report with the D.A.'s
office and if there are any further questions about that report, that needs to be addressed with the D.A.
CARROLL (voice-over): Many on and off campus have called for more transparency in the investigation. Though it is not required, Ithaca's
mayor says campus police should still have alerted Ithaca police about their initial investigation.
MAYOR ROBERT CANTELMO, ITHACA, NEW YORK: Our officers are specially trained to respond to the level of trauma-informed care that is often
required when dealing with a survivor. Why not work with the municipal police department to try and help find justice?
CARROLL (voice-over): Jason Carroll, CNN, Ithaca, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: CNN's Brynn Gingras also on this story for us, she's now joining us live from New York.
We've got "The New York Times" reporting it obtained new documents of Cornell University's investigation at the time the alleged assault was
first reported as well.
So what is in those documents and how does that detail add to what we know so far, Brynn?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so OK, Becky, let me help clarify a lot of things that even Jason was just reporting on there, right?
We hear about that six-page summary of a statement that the Jane Doe gave to police back in 2024 after this alleged incident happened. That was
handed over to the district attorney's office. And then we hear about this transcript, right?
Well, this transcript is a much longer interview that Jane Doe had with police during that same time. So we have a summary of what she said. And
then we have the entire transcript.
That entire transcript was part of a Title IX investigation that is privileged information. However, the entire investigative documents were
leaked to some news outlets, including "The New York Times."
So "The New York Times" is now reporting on some of that leaked information. And this is very important, right, because it has a trove of
information from that longer interview. As you can imagine, that entire interview that Jane Doe had with police and we're learning a lot about it,
according to "The New York Times."
In their review of that lengthier interview, the fact that Jane Doe really was in denial after this happened, after she says this happened and then
slowly got to a process of acceptance and that, after she accepted it, she went to university health officials to try to preserve evidence, like try
to get a rape kit, which she didn't get.
She tried to -- she saved her dress that she was wearing that night to preserve evidence. She took, you know, screenshots of messages that were
being sent around. She sort of rubbed (ph) bruises that she was having. That larger document also included interviews with her roommates.
[10:35:00]
It also included interviews with some of the accused men. And it really is disturbing to hear the more details that came out in that much lengthier
interview that she had with university police.
Now why, again, is this so important?
Because that bigger interview didn't go to the district attorney's office.
So the question still remains, had he had that information, would we be in the same place we are now, where no charges could be filed?
That's a big question. And we really don't have that answer yet. But it doesn't clear the D.A. because, let's remember, he also could have been
asking for more information. He could have done an interview himself with this victim and also talked to her roommates and those who were being
accused.
So there's a lot of information that has come out in that lengthier leaked document. And that is the difference between the two paperworks.
ANDERSON: Yes. No, that's -- thank you because there is an awful lot going on here and a lot of new information.
The New York state's sexual assault law has this "loophole" -- I'm putting that in inverted commas because that's what I feel like I should do here --
that can make it incredibly complicated for survivors to seek justice if they voluntarily consumed drugs or alcohol before an assault.
Can you explain that and how that loophole -- and how that is being explained as having played a role in this investigation?
Because I think people are, you know, really quite alarmed by that.
GINGRAS: Yes, yes. I mean, there is an effort now by state lawmakers to get that loophole closed or at least revised at this point. So let's make
that very clear right now after this incident has become so national.
But you heard the district attorney in Jason's story kind of say how he even found it morally repulsive and all the accusations that were being
made. But he couldn't criminally file charges in this case.
That loophole is what you just kind of said, Becky. Basically, if you are consuming alcohol and then you claim that you were raped, technically
because you are not mentally -- the state doesn't consider you sort of a mentally incapacitated because you actually voluntarily consumed that
alcohol or -- and/or drugs.
No one forced you to take those drugs and/or alcohol. So that's kind of the loophole, which, of course, you can imagine, it's alarming. I mean, just
because you decided you were going to have a drink and maybe possibly do some drugs and you, you know, you should still be able to claim if you
believe if you were sexually assaulted.
So this is alarming to a lot of people. It's something that we know that is being asked as well of state lawmakers of why this even exists at this
point.
ANDERSON: It's always good to have you, Brynn, particularly on this case, because as we've been explaining, it's very multi-layered and it's
important that we can explain these things to our viewers. So thank you very much indeed. Always a pleasure.
Tennessee has halted executions for the rest of this year after two doses of a lethal drug failed to kill a death row inmate. The state had attempted
to execute 50-year-old Christa Pike on Wednesday but the procedure was halted after the drug failed to take effect. Last hour, I spoke with CNN
senior U.S. national correspondent Ryan Young.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We were outside that prison yesterday. People were literally showing up just to look at the
building where this woman was going to be executed because you don't often hear about a woman being executed.
We were there at 10:00 am yesterday when the stay came down and we thought, well, she would get more time. This, of course, is after this death that
happened in 1995 and then the AG's Office said to the Supreme Court, we would like to move forward.
So it was 07:27 when the curtain opened and she was strapped to the gurney and she was administered those two doses of lethal injection.
And after that, people said they could hear her loudly snoring after that second attempt. It really caught people off guard in the room. Take a
listen to these witnesses who were just shocked by what they witnessed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CATHERINE SWEENEY, MEDIA WITNESS: She said that there was a spot that was burning and hurting and asked if that was normal. None of -- none of it was
normal. I covered all the executions last year and most of the ones this year, we haven't seen anything like it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: Yes and so to even take this a step further and a lot of the international viewers and many people don't even remember this. In '95, she
basically was convicted of killing a classmate. She took a large piece of asphalt and apparently hit this girl several different times to the point
of killing her.
Her ex-boyfriend, who was there at the time, used a knife to carve a star in her chest. So you understand how brutal this murder was.
And that victim's mother actually showed up for this execution. And then there's been this delay because they want her background to be talked about
in terms of the sexual abuse that she faced when she was a child.
[10:40:05]
Hoping to say, like, look, she was mentally ill when this killing happened.
But all that surrounding this case doesn't explain what happened with this botched execution and the fact that she was visibly heard saying, am I
supposed to feel this way?
Remember, executions are supposed to be done in a way that is, I guess, they describe it as humane and none of that sound humane in terms of what
that process was like. And so now you know why the governor is doing this review.
So it sounds like the stay of execution don't have to worry about that anymore because the state's probably not going to be able to do this again
for quite some time until they figure out their process, which you hope they would have figured out by now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: -- earlier. Well, stay with us. There's more in CONNECT THE WORLD after this short break.
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ANDERSON: Well, Paramount says that its merger with CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery will take effect on October the 6th. That's after a U.S.
federal judge approved the settlement of an antitrust lawsuit that was blocking the merger of what will be one of the biggest media companies in
the world.
Well, just minutes after the settlement, Paramount named Ynon Kreiz as the new co-CEO of the combined company. Kreiz was at the helm of toy giant
Mattel for eight years. His push to turn Mattel's intellectual property into films led to the global box office hit "Barbie." I spoke with my
colleague, media analyst Brian Stelter, last hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: We are going to hear more about how the movie studios are going to be run, the streaming services and how
CNN and Paramount's current news division, CBS News, will be run?
So I'm expecting management announcements either tomorrow or Monday, leading up to Friday's so-called day one. There will also be an
announcement about a new corporate name for this media giant, a new stock ticker for the stock market.
There's going to be a real focus, of course, on Wall Street and on making this sound palatable to investors and that's partly what this co-CEO
announcement is about.
You know, Ynon Kreiz. He is a well-known CEO. He has been in the business for decades. He's about 20 years older than Paramount CEO David Ellison.
So Ellison is really showing that he knows he needs established executives around him to run a company of this size, this mammoth size.
Ellison says he's going to focus on long-term strategy, talent relationships, capital allocation. While Kreiz works on the day-to-day and
that day-to-day is going to involve big reorganizations, layoffs, other cost-cutting moves in order to bring Paramount and Warner together.
So Kreiz starts work on Monday. The company becomes official on Tuesday and we're going to know a whole lot more a week from now.
ANDERSON: Ynon Kreiz, as you say, enormous experience in running, you know, big organizations.
[10:45:00]
David Ellison himself, as you described, taking himself into strategy, talent management. I think I noted one of the other buckets files he will
have, of course, is technology.
And part of the sell on this was about storytelling through film and news organizations like our own, on top of this new technology stack.
And we know David Ellison, of course, is the son of Larry Ellison, who runs Oracle. What do we know about how that new technology will power this
massively merged organization, if anything at this point?
STELTER: I think what you just described, that's going to be a big part of the pitch to Wall Street, trying to sell investors on this, trying to pump
up the stock price. The idea is going to be, hey, here is the Oracle co- founder's son creating an entertainment giant in the technology age and trying to harness AI.
What exactly that will mean remains to be seen. I suspect it will sound a lot like President Trump's tone about AI, about unleashing it, letting
people experiment, try new things, don't hold back.
Some of these studios, some of these media companies have been moving more cautiously with AI, in part given the copyright concerns, in part due to
the concerns about employment and labor markets.
But we know Paramount's going to have to make big changes to the labor force in order to afford the amount of debt that it's going to be saddled
with. So I think we're going to see AI used in that way. And I was struck by something Ellison said to "The Wall Street Journal" overnight in an
interview.
He said, we recognize the controversy and turbulence that has existed to get us to this point. I hope we can prove them wrong through action. You
know that is an acknowledgement that a lot of folks in Hollywood are rooting against Ellison right now. They think this last year has been
really ugly for Hollywood.
They're rooting against him. And he's going to be out to prove them all wrong. He's a younger media mogul coming at this with new energy and now he
has an older partner, an older generation, this Mattel CEO, to help him with that. So it's a very logical move, I think, from a business
standpoint. This pairing that's been announced.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: All right. Brian Stelter reporting there. Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now this
Thursday.
And officials in Ukraine say a Russian drone tore through a school in Kyiv on Thursday. That school's director says that the students there were all
safely in a shelter when that attack happened. Ukraine's president is calling for Russia to be held fully accountable.
Well, hundreds of prisoners are being released early in England and Wales as authorities try to ease overcrowding in jails. Some have celebrated
their freedom but victims' groups and opposition politicians say the policy could put the public at risk.
A U.S. regulator launching an investigation into top AI firms including OpenAI and Anthropic amid growing safety concerns. That's coming from
various news reports. A source says a Federal Trade Commission probe has been sparked by what was the Hugging Face incident back in the summer, when
AI agents went rogue.
CNN's Hadas Gold has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HADAS GOLD, CNN AI CORRESPONDENT: This FTC probe would likely be the first official U.S. government probe into AI models and their agents and whether
they cause the American people and the American consumer harm.
Now according to these reports, the FTC plans to request information and possibly even subpoena from OpenAI, Anthropic, other major AI labs,
including some of these AI research organizations that look into AI safety.
And according to these reports, the FTC will be looking into whether these companies have violated federal laws that prohibit companies from unfair
and deceptive practices when it comes to their products.
We have seen similar tactics used in states, for example, in Florida. The Florida attorney general there sued OpenAI and has similarly cited what he
said was a defectively designed product from OpenAI in the form of ChatGPT, saying that it had failed to perform safely as the ordinary consumer could
expect.
And this is actually part of the Trump administration's approach to regulating AI, in that they say they can use existing laws that are already
on the books and that they don't necessarily need new regulations and new laws for this new technology.
In fact, the FTC chair Andrew Ferguson addressed this just last week during an event with Reuters. Take a listen.
ANDREW FERGUSON, U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION CHAIRMAN: But I don't think the fact that this technology is exciting, interesting and is acting in
ways that sometimes or often surprise its creators, that we ought to be rushing out of the present toolbox.
That these tools have always played the principal guardrail role in our economic and legal system. And I think we still should be using those until
we know these are insufficient.
GOLD: Andrew Ferguson, that FTC chair you saw there, he was actually at the White House meeting this week, that major meeting with all of the major
tech executives, as well as the upper echelons of the U.S. government.
[10:50:00]
Where they discussed this self-regulating, self-evaluating accord that these executives signed.
That President Trump himself called morally binding, not necessarily binding by the government.
Of course, there are still a lot of calls, including from the industry itself, that the government needs to take a stronger hand in at least
setting standards and regulating this new technology beyond the laws that already exist -- Hadas Gold, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: -- after this short break.
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ANDERSON: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly diseases in the world. The American Cancer Society puts the five-year survival rate at just
13 percent. That number plunges even further in stage IV of the disease, when the cancer has spread to other organs.
But a promising new drug could change that for some patients. My colleague, Randi Kaye, spoke with one couple, who are hoping that the pills that they
are on can give them some precious extra time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(APPLAUSE)
RUSS REED, PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENT: I got to ring the bell.
RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In August 2025, Russ Reed celebrated being cancer free. But just four months later, Russ'
pancreatic cancer had returned and this time had spread to his liver and intestine.
R. REED: My mutation is so aggressive. It's the most aggressive mutation for pancreatic cancer.
KAYE (voice-over): He tried chemotherapy but nothing worked. Then came word of a brand new drug called Rasonque showing promise but not yet
approved by the FDA.
KAYE: How frustrating was it for you, for your husband, to not have access to a drug that was out there?
MARNIE REED, WIFE OF RUSS REED: It was beyond frustrating.
KAYE (voice-over): Marnie Reed's father died of pancreatic cancer at 63, the same age her husband, Russ, was when he was diagnosed.
M. REED: I was determined this was not going to repeat itself.
KAYE (voice-over): So she took action.
M. REED: My name is Marnie Reed and I'm trying to save my husband's life.
KAYE (voice-over): Marnie posted on social media about her husband's cancer battle and lack of access to the new drug.
M. REED: It went everywhere. The FDA called the house.
KAYE (voice-over): In the end, Russ got the medicine through the FDA's expanded access program. It took 63 days and with pancreatic cancer every
second counts.
KAYE: So this is what you take?
R. REED: This is it. This is the Rasonque. It is 150 milligram pills. They're pretty large.
KAYE: Oh, wow.
R. REED: I take two of those every morning.
KAYE: What does it feel like to actually have this in your hands?
You waited so long.
R. REED: It feels great. You know, it's hope. It's hope in a bottle.
KAYE (voice-over): Within just 12 days of starting the new drug, Russ says his pain was gone.
R. REED: Not even a Tylenol. So it was --
M. REED: Watching his energy come back was amazing.
R. REED: It was great.
KAYE: And what about the side effects?
R. REED: The rash, we talked about it. It's real. It's difficult, especially because you can't put a lot on your scalp, you know, so your --
the scalp is probably the most itchy and broken out, if you will. I think it was -- it was -- it's been worse on my face.
DR. JESUS FABREGAS, ONCOLOGIST, MEMORIAL CANCER INSTITUTE: How's it going?
KAYE (voice-over): The rash is on his face, torso, arms and legs but he's still grateful for the medicine.
R. REED: I wouldn't be sitting here today or if I did, I'd be writhing in pain because of the tumors. It's a game changer. It's the best thing that's
happened in pancreatic in 40 years.
KAYE (voice-over): A game changer indeed. But as Russ' oncologist told me, Rasonque will not save Russ' life.
[10:55:04]
FABREGAS: It doubles the survival rate in patients with pancreatic cancer. This is not a cure, unfortunately but it's a step in the right direction.
R. REED: Not only is it going to give a little bit more quantity but it's quality as well.
M. REED: Yes. He promised me 50 years.
KAYE (voice-over): Rasonque is now approved by the FDA but only available to patients with Stage IV pancreatic cancer that has spread.
FABREGAS: I would like to give this medicine to every single patient with pancreatic cancer.
R. REED: I'll take every day that I can get. We've had very difficult conversations about what's to come and we know that that day is going to
come. We just don't know when. I tell people jokingly that the Dolphins need to win the Super Bowl.
M. REED: Before he's able.
(LAUGHTER)
R. REED: Could be a while.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE (voice-over): Randi Kaye, CNN, Port St. Lucie, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that's it for us this evening. From the team working with me here in Abu Dhabi, it's a very good evening. You can find me online
@BeckyCNN on Instagram and X. Don't go away, though. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" up next.
END
