Return to Transcripts main page

Isa Soares Tonight

King Charles Strips His Brother Andrew Of "Prince" Title; Food Aid For Millions Of Americans Runs Out In A Few Hours Time As The U.S. Government Shutdown Enters Its Second Month; FBI Thwarts a POTENTIAL Terror Attack On U.S. Soil; Caribbean Islands In Desperate Need Of Aid In wake Of Hurricane; Study Examines Possible Link Between COVID-19 And Autism; Two Judges: Trump Admin Must Tap Emergency Funds For SNAP Benefits; Egypt's Vast $1B Museum Opens After Two Decades; President Trump And First Lady Host Kids For Early Halloween; Mexico Celebrates The Day Of The Dead. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired October 31, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Max Foster in for Isa Soares. Tonight, King Charles strips

his brother Andrew of his "Prince" title, evicts him from the royal estate in Windsor. We now know how long before he moves out, though. And then food

aid for millions of Americans runs out in just a few hours time as the U.S. government shutdown enters its second month.

We're live in -- on Capitol Hill with the latest on that political deadlock. Plus, the director of the FBI says it's foiled a potential terror

attack in the U.S. that was reportedly inspired by ISIS. That, and much more just ahead. No titles, no honors, no royal mansion. We are hearing

royal sources that Andrew, the disgraced brother of King Charles, probably won't move out of his rent-free mansion until after the Christmas holidays.

Now, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, as he is now known, has been evicted from his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor, near London, and stripped of his titles

and honors. The U.K. government says it fully supports these moves taken by the king. Royal watchers are calling them monumental and historic.

This all comes as the crown attempts to distance itself not only from the ongoing scandal over Andrew's ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey

Epstein, but also from allegations in a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre accusing Andrew of sexually assaulting her as a teenager. And

that's not even mentioning the links to Chinese spies.

Andrew has repeatedly denied all the accusations. Giuffre's brother is praising the king's actions, calling them, quote, "a big sense of

vindication". CNN's royal historian Kate Williams joins us now from London. Hi, Kate. So, the latest --

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Hi there, Max --

FOSTER: That we've been hearing is about royal lodge, but it's a complicated process leaving because it's a bit like buying and selling a

house. There are contracts that need to be gone through. So, he might not be out until after Christmas, but you know, in an interview, it's going to

play next hour with Virginia Giuffre's brother. He says he needs to go now. So, we're looking at what happens next.

WILLIAMS: Yes, I think, Max, a lot of people had thought that Andrew would be evicting -- evicted from royal lodge quite swiftly, but instead now

we're obviously waiting a few months, and certainly this is going to be the royal family's problem going forward. Have they done enough? Have they done

it quickly enough?

Because we've seen a lot of criticism of the royal family over the last week or so, that -- and this nuclear option that the king has taken,

removing his prince title, removing his house on the royal estate, people are saying, why didn't you do this earlier? So, is it too late?

So, I think this damage control that the royal family are engaging in, you were just talking there about how they're trying to distance themselves

from these stories this is going to be their primary concern. And Andrew staying around and enjoying a nice Christmas in royal lodge isn't going to

help their attempt to distance themselves from him.

FOSTER: The other issue people have is, he's still eighth in line to the throne, which is a privilege, isn't it? That he has remaining. We're told

that's a very complex process to remove him from. I was wondering if there's any precedent for that, but also, even if we look at the last

couple of weeks, we were told that, you know, getting rid of his duke title would require an act of parliament, which would take up lots of

parliamentary time. They've managed to find a way around that. So, surely, can't they find a way around this as well?

WILLIAMS: Yes, I would argue that they would. Henry VIII removed his children from this act of succession, his daughters, and he later put them

back in again, but you can do that. And certainly, I think what we're seeing here, and particularly with the Prince title, the last time that was

done was in 1917 when some German-Hanoverian relations of Queen Victoria in the German royal family there, they were fighting for the Kaiser, so, they

were stripped of their titles by parliament in the deprivation of Titles Act in 1917.

So, that was an act of parliament, too. But I think, you know, what the royal family don't want is a debate about the royal family in parliament.

The MPs, as we've seen over the last week, they were quite eager to debate the Duke of York's title being formally removed. They wanted to do so, and

I think that was growing.

And sources have said that the -- there were pressure in parliament saying they want to talk about the Duke of York, and normally, they stay out of

royal issues, but the royal family don't want the -- the royal family don't want to see themselves debate it in parliament for two reasons.

[14:05:00]

Because the royal finances will be discussed in area that often the household prefers to keep opaque, and also we have parliamentary privilege

so that MPs in parliament can say things that no one else can say because they can say so without fear of libel. So, I think the royal family is

going to want to avoid that at all costs.

So, if they can find a way to extract Andrew from the succession, if that's becoming very important to public opinion without going through parliament,

they will do so because they really want to show that they can keep their own house in order, because that's the question people are asking, has --

how come King Charles has taken so long?

FOSTER: Well, Virginia Giuffre's brother and sister-in-law also said to me they would like a meeting with the king, so he can understand more about

it, and they effectively want him to become part of their campaign. They say they're very grateful for what he did yesterday. But he has a lot of

influence. Could even speak to Donald Trump about the wider Epstein investigation as well.

I did ask the palace about that. They didn't say no, but they did give me a no comment. But what do you think about that idea? It does seem to be a

possible way of going through some sort of rehabilitation for the family.

WILLIAMS: Yes, well, for the first time yesterday in the statement from Buckingham Palace, we saw mention of the victims and the majesty's stand

with victims of abuse. They didn't say victims of abuse by Epstein, but they said victims of abuse. And that is really the acknowledgment that I

think some people have been waiting for about the suffering of the victims.

And going forward, do we have a possibility of a meeting? It is possible as you say, certainly, the queen, Queen Camilla has been doing a lot for

victims of domestic violence, that's a cause close to her heart. And so, there is a connection. But certainly, we are in a world in which, as we

know, the royal household is very cautious.

And there have certainly been efforts against the -- for the contrary, of course, what we found from Miss Giuffre's memoir, which is devastatingly,

very painful, very devastating, powerful beyond the grave, is she said that she'd been given an NDA not to speak during the year of the queen's

platinum jubilee, which also, of course, would cover the queen's funeral in 2022.

And the idea that she had been prevented from speaking out, and she's made other accusations and suggestions about being prevented from speaking out.

I think what the royal family want to show now is that the victims are can speak up, and they can speak up widely and whenever they wish to do.

Of course, you know, King Charles, as we know, Max, he cares about his legacy. He really cares about what legacy he leaves as king to history, and

he wants historians to discuss him in the future as a man who worked for peace, for environmentalism, and also for understanding between religions.

But at this rate, Charles' legacy is going to be all tied up with discussion of Andrew, and that's the last thing he wants.

FOSTER: Yes, OK, Kate Williams, thank you so much for joining us. Now, as we've been reporting, Andrew has strenuously denied repeatedly all of these

accusations and any wrongdoing. I've been speaking to Amanda Roberts, the sister-in-law of Virginia Giuffre. As I say, she calls the Epstein sex

scandal part of her -- in her words, a global sex-trafficking ring. And says Britain's King Charles has taken the lead in seeking justice for the

victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMANDA ROBERTS, VIRGINIA GIUFFRE'S SISTER-IN-LAW: It's a really big opportunity for him to paint the way forward, and use his status and

influence to call on global leaders especially our President, with whom, you know, the U.K. has a relationship with the United States. And so, I

would say that this is the time, this is the opportunity because our President has not shown the same courage, the same respect and

acknowledgment that these survivors deserve.

And I think if the king can even remotely acknowledge and put his brother in that position, then our President should be able to do the same thing.

And not only that, but I also feel the issue of President Trump, not even ruling out a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell is atrocious. And if he can't

step forward and do that now, after the king has stripped his brother of the prince title, what are we doing here?

You are falling short in your leadership right now, because Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted. And so, I think we would lean on the U.K. and help

us put that pressure on our very own governments, because, again, we hold the key to that door of justice, and it's right there.

FOSTER: So, you would sit with the king and you'd explain the story, so he fully understood it, say what you wanted, and then ask him effectively to

speak to Donald Trump about it. Is that what you're suggesting?

ROBERTS: One hundred percent. I think -- I think that would be what we are asking for next. I really do. I think he has his influence.

[14:10:00]

He has that relationship with Donald Trump. Donald Trump is in the position to do the right thing here, and we're looking for that collaboration. I

think it's really important that global leaders begin to collaborate, because, again, this is not just a small instance of sexual abuse.

We're talking about a global sex-trafficking ring that was allowed to operate for decades because of the abuse of powers. Our systematic -- our

systematic justice systems have failed these survivors, and it's time to take a look underneath of what we need to do to change that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, you can hear my full interview with Sky and Amanda Roberts, Virginia Giuffre's brother and sister-in-law coming up in the next hour on

CNN's "WHAT WE KNOW". I'll also be talking to royal watcher and broadcaster Bidisha Mamata about what could be next for Andrew and the British royal

family more widely.

Now, in a matter of just a few hours, millions of Americans will be left without a way to feed their families. With the U.S. government shutdown

dragging on past the one-month mark, funding for food stamp benefits will run out tomorrow. Although, at this point, there doesn't appear to be an

end to the stalemate in sight.

Senators have left Washington for the weekend, whilst the U.S. House hasn't been in session for several weeks now. Without government funding, many

people will be forced to make difficult choices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very concerned. I don't know what I'm going to do. I know you can go to food pantries and stuff, but it's going to be so out-of-

control, I mean, you might be standing there for five, six hours to get any food.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm at every food bank I can find to keep my kitchen full for my children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would be a matter of, do we eat or do we pay rent? And right now, the way things are going, it looks like you know what? Let's

just pay rent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It won't stretch. It doesn't. So, we'll pull from other parts of our budget, and that means my kids will go without.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, President Trump is calling on Senate Republicans to end the shutdown by eliminating the filibuster, that's a 60-vote threshold needed

to pass legislation. So far, the Senate Majority leader has ruled out that option. CNN's Annie Grayer is in Washington on Capitol Hill. But first, to

our Kevin Liptak, he's at the White House with breaking news. And that is, Kevin, I believe that a federal judge says the Trump administration has to

use emergency funds to cover those stamps?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, well, this is sort of a partial decision by this judge. They say that it would be unlawful to

suspend this food assistance program, and she's asking the administration by Monday to report back whether the administration will provide either

reduced benefits or tap in to some of those contingency funds to continue providing these food assistance programs to Americans.

And so, it is still very possible that these benefits could not be going out by this weekend. She's giving them until Monday, and then, of course,

it's an open question of whether the Justice Department will appeal this decision. So, this is by no means the final word here. And there are still

42 million Americans, which is about one in eight Americans who are kind of left in the lurch here wondering or not whether or not these benefits will

be forthcoming for the next month.

Now, the administration has said consistently that it is not able to tap into this emergency reserve of funding. They say it would be unlawful if

the overall program is not funded by Congress, which at this point, it is not, because Congress hasn't passed a funding bill. The 25 states in the

District of Columbia who have sued, claiming that they can tap into those funds, have claimed that this is exactly what the emergency funding was

meant for, unable to provide some of these benefits at a moment when other funding sources aren't viable.

You know, the average payment coming from these food assistance programs is about $187 a month, which is not a great deal of money if you're using it

to feed yourself and your family. This really would affect the most vulnerable subset of Americans. And so, I think a lot of people, even

despite this ruling, are still left with a lot of questions until the government actually reopens.

Now, President Trump is calling on Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, that's that 60-vote threshold in the Senate that would allow them to open

the government without any Democratic votes. But even that doesn't seem likely to work. You know, Republicans have said that, that would

essentially allow Democrats once they get back in power, eventually to use it to pass progressive legislation.

[14:15:00]

And you've heard the Senate Majority leader John Thune, say that this is not an option that he really thinks would be viable. And so, I think we're

still left in quite a sticky stalemate here, even as the effects of this shutdown grow and grow and become more and more apparent to the American

people.

FOSTER: Yes, Annie, the reality is the shutdown, you know, it's here for a few days at least, isn't it? Because the politicians aren't actually on the

Hill.

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: That's right. The Senate is out of session and won't be back until Monday. And as you mentioned at the

beginning here, that the House has been out for weeks since September 19th. So, this stalemate has really just continued to worsen.

And with the President coming back from his foreign trip and then calling on Republicans to get rid of the filibuster clearly stems from, you know,

his frustration about the lack of movement on the shutdown here. But Republicans have largely rebuffed that idea entirely. Senator -- I mean,

Senate Majority leader John Thune has said that he's against the -- against getting rid of the filibuster.

And his spokesperson gave me a new comment this morning that even following Trump's calls and demands for the Republicans to do this, said that Thune's

position has not changed. House Speaker Mike Johnson even said that he has concerns about the Senate abolishing the filibuster. Take a listen to what

he had to say to reporters earlier this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): If the shoe was on the other foot, I don't think our team would like it. The Democrats -- look, they've said what they would

do. They would pack the Supreme Court, they would make Puerto Rico and D.C. states, they would ban firearms. They would do all sorts of things that

would be very harmful for the country. And the safeguard in the Senate has always been the filibuster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYER: So, both Republican leaders acknowledge that the filibuster really is an institution of the Senate, that, that 60-vote threshold is what

requires bipartisanship in the Senate. And while both parties have explored this idea of getting rid of the filibuster, in the past they've always

stopped short of doing it because while it seems nice when you're in the majority and able to pass your own priorities more quickly, when the shoe

is on the other foot and all of a sudden you're in the minority, you lose that seat at the table.

So, that is what's protected this filibuster as long as it has. But this stalemate over the shutdown as we enter 31 days and counting is really just

getting worse. And with lawmakers not here this weekend and real Americans feeling the pain of this shutdown starting tomorrow, 42 million Americans

are going to be without food assistance.

The pressure for lawmakers to come together could not be higher. And now, the question of what the President's new demands are, how that is going to

impact lawmakers is yet to be seen.

FOSTER: OK, Annie and Kevin, thank you both very much indeed for the update from there. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights is calling out

recent military strikes by the U.S. on alleged drug boats. Volker Turk says the strikes against ships in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean are

unacceptable.

He's also calling for an investigation into the strikes for potentially violating international human rights laws. President Donald Trump says the

strikes are necessary to stop the flow of drugs into the U.S. The Secretary of Defense defended both the strikes and the criticism from Democrats over

lack of transparency.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES: We definitely have the evidence. One thing that's been highly misconstrued here is that, in some

way we don't know precisely who were striking and why? Where -- what those affiliations are, what they're carrying, where they're going -- oh, we are

presenting to Congress. We have time and time again on a bipartisan basis they have been given the evidence directly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Joining me now from Caracas is CNN's Stefano Pozzebon. So, I mean, what -- what's the latest reaction from there in the region?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, the reaction, and of course, is the same that it's been for a long. The Maduro government is calling these

deployment from the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense as an attempt to go after Maduro, an attempt to pressure Maduro into resigning.

And we understand from Washington that, of course, that is one of the goals. But looking at these -- at what's happening today, Max, Volker Turk;

the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights, is far from a Maduro ally. He reports on the appalling human rights conditions here in

Venezuela, and especially for those Venezuelans who have been detained for political reasons, have made an infamous, at least in the circle of the

Caracas government -- of the Caracas -- of the Maduro government.

He has been criticized several times by the Maduro administration. However, of course, he's not pointing out that these attacks appear to violate

international law. And at the same time, Maxwell, also hearing the same type of language and the same type of criticism from within the United

States, with several congressmen who have received classified briefings in the last few days, all asking questions on the -- whether these strikes

actually are in line with the U.S. constitution. Take a listen to one of them.

[14:20:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SMITH (D-WA): They're basically being killed because they are either part of these gangs or, quote, "affiliated with those gangs." And

really, what that means if they happen to wind up on a boat and they're probably drug smugglers, don't get me wrong. But we don't know who they are

or directly who they're affiliated with.

And the thing to remember here, drugs are a major problem, but this is a huge escalation of presidential power. He is judge, jury and executioner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POZZEBON: And that was the Representative Adam Smith earlier today once again asking those questions, asking whether the President of the United

States has the authority to take out alleged drug traffickers because, of course, he pointed out, even within the United States, there is no death

penalty for drug traffickers.

And this is happening, Max, as the situation in the Caribbean remains on high alert, we're receiving reports from the island of Trinidad and Tobago,

where the army appear to be prepared to enter in a state of alert. But more significantly, we are following the movement, and I think we can point out

a map on the screen.

I was saying the movement of a U.S. aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford, which is the largest aircraft carrier in -- from the United States Navy,

which is coming from the Mediterranean. I think it's across the coast of Sicily right now, but we go -- arrive here in the Caribbean in the next few

days. We're learning from the United States Department of Defense in yet again, another show of force that the United States is indeed willing to

take even further action in this campaign. Max?

FOSTER: Stefano, thank you so much for joining us from there. Still to come tonight, multiple suspects are in custody in connection to what the FBI

describes as a potential terrorist attack. What we know about the plot just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Turkey says it will host a meeting of key Muslim nations on Monday to discuss the concerns around the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. The ceasefire

has faced multiple tests. Residents in northern Gaza reported new Israeli shelling attacks and gunfire just a day. Though, Israel says it remains

committed to the truce with Hamas, both sides accuse the other of violations. The top U.S. General in southern Israel -- well, he's there to

monitor the ceasefire.

[14:25:00]

A U.S. official says Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine will tour the Truce Coordination Center and receive briefings. Director of the FBI says it's

foiled a potential terrorist attack in the U.S. Meanwhile, Kash Patel says the FBI has arrested two suspects who were allegedly planning a violent

attack in Michigan.

Three others are being questioned. Sources tell CNN, the plot was inspired by ISIS and uncovered in an online chat-room. CNN's Brynn Gingras is here

with more developments from New York. We're not actually hearing that much, are we, Brynn?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, really, after, you know, the Director Kash Patel put out that, you know, post on social media. It's been several

hours, even though he said more details to come. Everything we're learning, Max, is from sources at this point. And what we are learning is, yes, this

was a plot that it's unclear at what stage this plot was in, what targets were, and any timing of when it might happen.

But it was uncovered in online chat-rooms, and apparently, according to sources, there was an FBI undercover agent who was part of those chat-rooms

and witnessed to the communications with these suspects, with people overseas. And that's where a couple sources say that this was ISIS-

Inspired.

A little bit more details of what they were worried about. We are learning from sources is that just this past week, some of these individuals who

were being surveilled at this point did go to a gun range in Michigan and were AK-47s and were practicing high speed reloads. And so, that coupled

with the fact that some of that online chatter also mentioned, quote- unquote, "pumpkin day", possibly a reference, of course, to today, Halloween, October 31st.

And this is why according to our sources, officials decided to move in and conduct some search warrants and some arrests. We know that two people were

arrested. We are understanding as of now, three people are still being questioned, younger in age, between the ages of 16 to 20 is what our

sources are telling us.

But officials now saying in the local level and at the federal level, there is not a public threat, so, do not be alarmed for the Halloween activities.

However, this is very much still under investigation as to exactly what sort of plot was thwarted by the FBI.

FOSTER: Yes, so a lot of detail to go, but I guess if they thwarted it, they're going to -- we're going to hear more on the people they've arrested

basically, right?

GINGRAS: Yes, I mean, that's what we expect. We're hoping to see if there's any charges that are filed. We're hoping to see if the FBI holds some sort

of news conference. Usually when we get a tweet from the FBI director, we do expect almost immediately a news conference coming at such and such

time. And we haven't heard that.

So, it does sound like that there is still a lot of investigating happening to see exactly -- to answer hopefully some of those questions that I posed

about, you know, what exactly was this plot? Was there actually means to carry out a plot or was it just aspirational at this point? Those are some

of the questions that we still have.

FOSTER: Yes, absolutely, Brynn, we'll leave you with that. Thank you for joining us from New York.

GINGRAS: Yes --

FOSTER: Still to come, Melissa is gone, but the damage remains. We'll take you to what it will take to rebuild after the storm's path of destruction

through the Caribbean.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:31:53]

FOSTER: Melissa is no longer considered a hurricane or even a tropical storm. Meteorologists say the storm is losing strength as it moves across

the Atlantic and is now considered a post-tropical cyclone. But as Melissa has left its mark, nevertheless, it pummeled islands across the Caribbean

this week, hitting Jamaica as a massive Category 5 hurricane, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction.

Dozens of casualties have been attributed to the storm and it could be weeks before the full toll actually becomes clear. Officials say Jamaica

took the heaviest beating. Melissa made landfall there as that Category 5 storm and Jamaican authorities are now racing to clear the way for rescue

and recovery operations.

Journalist Jonathan Petramala shows us the plight of the country's third biggest hospital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN PETRAMALA, JOURNALIST: So, again, everything here is destroyed, damaged. It's gone. They're using a car to patch up and bandage up an

injury. Now, that's one thing that the hospital here in Black River says has not come quite yet because there are so many roads that are blocked.

It's so difficult to get here. They know that in the community, in this parish, in the surrounding area, that there are going to be a lot of

injuries, but they just haven't been able to make it into the hospital yet to get treatment. And so, they're preparing the best they can. But they

have nothing here. And by nothing, I mean no food, no water, no electricity.

This is the generator that went out. All the electrical components that the generator needs to energize the hospital was destroyed. This was the backup

plan. This was what was going to run the electricity and the water that they expected to have at least 72 hours of fresh water. But at this point,

they have no hours of fresh water. And it's two days on past the hurricane. So, the desperation continues to raise with every hour that passes.

Now, they do have helicopters flying in right across the street from the hospital. They're bringing supplies to here in Black River and then they're

taking patients away to mend. But this is such a critical hospital for this area. It's according to administrators here around 180,000 people or so

that they manage and assist in this whole area in this region. The third largest in the country of Jamaica, and it is crippled from the force of

Hurricane Melissa that blew on shore right over the top of this hospital, taking with it all the roofs, destroying the seawall, bringing water in.

And now the staff is doing what good hospital staffs do, making it work, making miracles happen sometimes from the back of a hatchback car like

this.

In Black River, Jamaica, I'm Jonathan Petramala for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Let's take a look at the disaster response then. Esther Pinnock with the Jamaican Red Cross joins us now from Kingston. Thank you so much

for joining us. I mean, what are your teams telling you about the destruction out there?

[14:35:01]

ESTHER PINNOCK, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, JAMAICAN RED CROSS: Some of it I've been able to see for myself, and I have not seen the worst, and it's really

bad. We're seeing severe roof damage, structural damage, infrastructure, the road networks full of mud because of intense flooding. Persons are

without electricity. Currently, approximately 72 percent of the island is without electricity. So, it's it is a chronic situation in Black River. In

particular, we're seeing a lot of rubble, buildings that once existed, no longer there. And so, you know, it is quite unlike anything we have seen on

the island.

FOSTER: So, you basically need some really strong, big equipment. If you're talking about rubble and discarded roofs, you're having to clear through

that before you can even start rebuilding. And, you know, we're hearing there about the shortage of water, for example.

PINNOCK: Yes, definitely so because some areas are still impossible. So, you know, a part of the strategy we -- I think, in some cases there -- some

help has to be airlifted because there -- you know, it's just impossible. Sometimes it causes delays and sometimes it's just impossible to get beyond

the fallen trees, the lights, the power poles that are down. It is difficult.

Persons are working assiduously and so there's rapid improvement, but the scale of the damage, it is magnanimous. It is wide. It's unprecedented.

FOSTER: Who you getting help from?

PINNOCK: Well, nationally, we have our various agencies that are working on the ground, but a lot of international aid is also coming in. It's hard to

list them now because they're so numerous, but definitely the national response is quite formidable.

FOSTER: In terms of some of the individual stories you've heard, you know, just describe one for us so we can really get a sense of what it was like

to be there and survive this.

PINNOCK: There was a -- there was one family who related a story of, you know, in the middle of the storm, the water rushing in and, you know,

everybody panicked. They had to -- there was one brave soul and he was able to rally his entire family and somehow they got through, right. So, this

was an -- there were some areas, I hear people saying that they had never seen -- their gullies in front of their houses and they have never seen the

gullies even reached a half. And in this scenario many of these gullies overflowed their banks, coming into their houses totally erasing their

premises. Coconut trees falling on housetops, things like that, narrowly escaping death. And sadly, there were some who didn't escape death because

the death toll now is up to 25.

FOSTER: It does seem as though everyone's really rallied together, though, and we were just looking at images of people clearing roads. Everyone -- it

has sort of brought communities together as well, hasn't it, this tragedy?

PINNOCK: Definitely. It is a part of the Jamaican spirit, and neighbors are rallying to help neighbors. Persons from different parishes are moving into

those parishes to provide assistance. So yes, it is unifying persons and communities and countries because even the help that is being extended to

us is coming from global areas.

FOSTER: OK. Esther Pinnock, I really appreciate your time, from the Jamaican Red Cross, and good luck with your work.

Now, a new study is raising some interesting questions about a possible link between COVID-19 and autism. Researchers found that children may be

more likely to be diagnosed with autism or other developmental orders if their mothers had COVID-19 whilst pregnant. CNN health reporter Jacqueline

Howard has more.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: This new study is getting a lot of attention. The researchers analyzed data on more than 18,000 births that

happened between March 2020 and May 2021. They found that among the mothers who had COVID-19 while pregnant, about 16 percent of them gave birth to a

child who was diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder by age 3.

But in comparison, fewer than 10% of the babies born to mothers who did not have COVID during pregnancy had a neurodevelopmental diagnosis by age 3.

And these findings, they were most pronounced for two factors. One, if the child was a boy, and two, if the mother had COVID in her third trimester.

So, we already know that when a pregnant mother's immune response is activated because she has an infection like COVID-19, then that can have

impacts on the fetus's brain development. We also know that when a high fever occurs during pregnancy, that can impact fetal brain development. So,

another possible factor could be how many of the mothers in the study had a high fever as a symptom of COVID-19.

[14:40:53]

FOSTER: All right, Jacqueline Howard there reporting for us. We'll be right back after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Updating you on our breaking news. Now, two federal judges have ruled that the Trump Administration is required to tap into emergency funds

to cover SNAP benefits for November. Millions of Americans depend on the program and were due to lose their food benefits within hours. Rene Marsh

joins us live from Washington with details of these decisions.

It's going to take a while to process it. Presumably, people will be running out of these stamps before that's dealt with.

RENE MARSH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I mean, I've been talking to many of these families who are impacted and their cards are

already at a zero balance. So, you know, this is good and welcome news, but I would imagine there will be appeals and so there may be a bit more stop-

and-go in the future. But just focusing on what happened today, as you mentioned at the top, these two federal judges, one in Boston and one in

Rhode Island, said that the Trump Administration, they are required to use this emergency fund that is at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and use

that close to $6 billion to alleviate what has become really a food security crisis for these 42 million Americans who rely on this program.

The Trump administration had argued and they did the same again today in court that they weren't mandated to tap into these emergency funds. The

lawyer representing the Trump Administration even said today that the shutdown was "not an emergency." However, the lawyers representing the

cities and nonprofits who were challenging the suspension of this program and the stop of flow of money for this program said 42 million people not

being able to access food that they need for their families are indeed -- that's indeed an emergency. And these two federal judges agreed.

This judge in Rhode Island ordered the agency to essentially start dispersing that money as soon as possible. He also asked that the agency

give an update by Monday at noon as far as how far they've gotten.

I do want to point out, Max, there is roughly $6 billion in this emergency fund, but the cost for this program for a month is closer to $9 billion.

So, it will not cover everything. So, what this might look like is that people will get partial payments. They won't get their full payment. And

even the process of having to recalculate how much individuals will get with this limited amount of funding, that's a complicated process. So, I

think the bottom line is even though these two judges made this decision, come tomorrow, there will still be people who will not have the funds that

they need through this program to get food for their families. Max?

[14:46:19]

FOSTER: OK, Rene, I really appreciate that. Very worrying time for those families over the weekend. And we'll be right back after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: More than two decades in the making, countless delays later, Egypt is unveiling its new billion-dollar museum next to the famed pyramids of

Giza. It is one of the biggest museums in the world and the largest dedicated to a single civilization, which is ancient Egypt. Our Salma

Abdelaziz takes a look at the artifacts on display.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A building worthy of the pharaohs. That has been the vision for the Grand Egyptian Museum from the

start. And two decades and a billion dollars later, the largest archaeological museum in the world is finally opening its doors.

HASSAN ALLAM, CEO, HASSAN ALLAM HOLDING: The world has been waiting for this museum to open up for a few years. Everyone's excited.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Visitors will be welcomed by the more than 3,000- year-old statue of Ramesses II, but that's just one of the highlights. There are over 50,000 restored artifacts detailing life in ancient Egypt to

explore with the collection of King Tutankhamun as the main attraction.

I visited as part of a CNN team in 2018 and saw firsthand how conservationists worked around the clock to restore objects thousands of

years old, including King Tut's very degraded sandals.

MIHAMED YOSRI, CONSERVATOR, GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM: We create a new technique by using some special adhesive. As you saw the -- its condition,

it's -- it was very bad. And here I think it's come to life again.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Construction started in 2005 but was delayed several times over the years. First because of the Arab Spring and later

the COVID-19 pandemic. But now the museum is finally opening. The building is part of a wider infrastructure development in the Giza area with

millions being poured into roads, parks, even an airport in the hope of boosting tourism.

[14:50:54]

AHMED GHONEIM, CEO, GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM: A museum with this size is expected to increase the number of tourists to Egypt. We're anticipating

that this will increase definitely the numbers of tourists coming to Egypt by at least 10 percent or 20 percent.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): In a land where history and culture are counted not in centuries but in millennia. The hope is that the Grand Egyptian Museum

will become a unique part of that heritage.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: It is trick or treat. Time for all the little monsters ready for candy, a little bit of fun and of course costumes. It is Halloween

decorations that are eye-catching as ever. Look at these. Take a look at the cafe in Athens in Greece. The designer says it takes up to a week to

create the scene. Pretty impressive.

At the White House, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, handed out candy to kids on Thursday. A military band played ghoulish

songs. Michael Jackson's Thriller filled the air as the Trumps walked out to greet the trick-or-treaters. The couple did not appear to be wearing

costumes themselves as you can see. But Candyman Trump was ecstatic saying -- seeing a child wearing a navy suit, red tie, and red hat -- a tie very

familiar to the president. I think you can make that out.

Now, today may be Halloween in the U.S. but in Mexico, people are celebrating the Day of the Dead. Dia de los Muerto, as it's called there,

celebrates the afterlife and honors loved ones who've passed away. It began with indigenous people in the Americas, most notably the Aztecs and was

eventually incorporated into the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

One of the most elaborate celebrations is held in the town of Mixquic near Mexico City. Valeria Leon takes us there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Day of the Dead celebration is a 4,000-year-old tradition celebrated in Mexico on the 1st and 2nd of

November. And in every part of the country, there are celebrations. But here in the town of Mixquic, located south of Mexico City, is famously

known for keeping alive one of the oldest traditions. And this is the cemetery of this town where we can find people preparing the grave of their

dead loved ones because many in these days are coming to visiting.

So, what are you doing now? So, he says that we're -- he is preparing this grave of his grandfather and then they're going decorate the grave.

Here we've seen people coming from all around the world. At this part, it's the cemetery where everything starts here, the celebration. Now we're

seeing how people are, you know, preparing all the graves, painting this kind of wall.

And here we met some tourists from Japan. They're coming from Japan, right? Is this your first time here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Nice. Nice ceremony. Yes. I -- we are enjoying. And today, today is a very nice funeral (ph), and we enjoyed -- and very

colorful story. It's very nice.

LEON: That's super lovely. So, what have you thought about this celebration, what you've saw here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saw here? I am first time. It's impressive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very impressive. That's correct.

LEON: Thank you. So, it's not just impressive, but just fascinating to be here to feel how, you know, this tradition has keeps living with the people

in this ancient town. And I just want to show you how the market is just full of colors. Especially, you're going to see flowers everywhere. This

cempasuchil flower, that people believe that spreading the petals of this flower from the cemetery to their homes is what it's going to mark the path

of their dead loved ones. So, that's why we're seeing cempasuchil flower everywhere, everywhere at this market as people Mexicans start preparing

for this huge celebration, the most important celebration in Mexico.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:55:41]

FOSTER: Finally, tonight, lots of monkeying around on this Halloween. A department store, a pet monkey escaped from its owner at a Spirit Halloween

in Texas. The monkey could be seen swinging from the store ceilings, as you can see, and workers spent 30 minutes trying to get it down. Apparently,

one of the spooky displays scared the monkey away from its owner. So, police say the monkey is now safe. No word on what Halloween costume the

monkey purchased though in the store. We'll try to bring you that as breaking news as it comes in.

Thanks for watching tonight. Stay with us. I'll have more with "WHAT WE KNOW" coming up next.

END