Return to Transcripts main page

One World with Zain Asher

CNN Poll: Dead Heat Between Harris And Trump; Harris To Address Reproductive Rights At Houston Rally; Trump Team Rejects Claim He Groped Model; Soldiers Describes IDF Using Palestinians As Human Shields; Los Angeles County District Attorney To Recommend Resentencing; Sentence in 1989 Murder Case Is Under Review; President Biden To Apologize To Native Americans; Yankees-Dodgers Matchup Generations Major Hype And Profit; Aired 12:00-1:00p ET

Aired October 25, 2024 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:31]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: All right. Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching ONE WORLD.

GOLODRYGA: We begin with breaking news on the race to the White House. A brand-new CNN poll shows a dead heat now between Kamala Harris and Donald

Trump.

ASHER: Yes. We're seeing 47 percent support for both the democratic presidential nominee and her Republican challenger. This is the last CNN

poll until the votes are counted next month.

CNN's Harry Enten joins us live now. So, Harry, I think every time we talk to you, it's basically the same news. This is a dead heat in this election.

And it's, of course, going to be decided in seven battleground states.

Just walk us through what each candidate can actually do in these last 11 days to actually move that needle, if anything.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Now, I'm not sure they can honestly do anything, because nothing has moved any. I feel like every single time I

come on we say, dead heat, dead heat, dead heat.

And I mean if you look at the polling right now, I just want to put this poll in context, right? We have a bunch of national polls that have come

out over the last week or so. And they all pretty much say the same thing.

Look, you got your CNN poll here that had a tie. "New York Times" was out this morning, had a tie. Then you kind of have movement right around the

margin of error, right? "The Wall Street Journal," if you like Donald Trump, look at that, plus three.

But if you like Kamala Harris, look at that. You got a plus three here and a plus three here. "Ipsos" and, say, 24, which is a bunch of academics who

have been working with YouGov.

But here's the thing that I think is so important to point out. This race right now looks so much different in the polls than the same race or the

races the last two times around with Donald Trump involved.

You know, if you go back to 2020 at this point, Joe Biden had a nine-point lead in the national polls. Hillary Clinton, back in 2016 at this point,

had a six-point lead in the national polls over Donald Trump.

Today, Kamala Harris only has a one-point advantage over Donald Trump. So the polls today are considerably closer than they were either four or eight

years ago at this point.

But that's not necessarily the most concerning thing, I think, for Kamala Harris in our numbers. Let's take a look at the net favorability rate. Now

that you have a favorable or unfavorable view and you take the favorable and you subtract out the unfavorable rating.

You go back to September, you can see there was some clear daylight between Harris and Trump. They were both underwater, but Harris was considerably

less underwater than Trump at minus four to Trump's minus 12.

You look at our latest poll, look how much closer they are together. You've got Harris' popularity declining. She's at minus 11, a considerable drop

from minus four back in September, while Trump's basically in the same area, all right?

But keep in mind, there's one person who's a very important politician in this country that we're not talking about and that's Joe Biden. And I think

this is a thing that's almost casting a shadow over this race, right?

Kamala Harris frequently gets asked, what would you do if anything different than Joe Biden? And she really can't formulate a great answer for

that. And that's a problem for her because take a look at Joe Biden's approval rating in our latest CNN poll. It's only 36 percent. Look at the

lion's share, 64 percent of registered voters disapproved of Joe Biden's job performance.

And I kind of was asking myself the question, has anybody been able to succeed their president, their party's president in the White House when

the president was so unpopular as this?

So I went back through history. Was successor of the same party when the president has a net negative popularity, that is, net negative approval

rating? Harry S. Truman, was there a Democrat who succeeded him in '52? No. Lyndon Baines Johnson in '68, was there a Democrat that succeeded him? No.

How about George W. Bush in 2008, was a Republican that succeeded him? No.

The question is, is Kamala Harris about to make history and able to win despite the fact that Joe Biden is casting a shadow over this race and

making things very, very difficult for her on the campaign trail?

Look, folks. History is made to be broken, but this type of history is not good for Kamala Harris, along with the fact that she has declining

popularity, at least in the polls.

The good thing for her is Donald Trump ain't too popular himself. Will that be ultimately enough? Only time will tell.

GOLODRYGA: Well, Harry, speaking of popular, there's something else that you raised earlier today that caught my interest that you had to go back in

the history books, as well to see another time that a Republican candidate actually won the popular vote.

You say that could happen this time around for Donald Trump.

ENTEN: I mean, look, could it happen? I mean, just look. Look at the numbers. You know, it's a tie, a tie, plus three, over here. Yes.

But you take a look at the average. It's only, look. He -- Kamala Harris is only up by a point. Of course it could happen. Donald Trump could win the

popular vote. No doubt about it. He'd be the first Republican since George W. Bush in 2004 and only the second since George W. Bush's father, George

H.W. Bush, in 1988.

[12:05:13]

You know, we keep talking about this idea that there'll be a popular vote, Electoral College split with Trump winning the Electoral College but losing

the popular vote. Maybe that'll be the case, but it seems to me quite plausible that Trump may just pull away with both of them.

ASHER: Or maybe. We absolutely have no idea. And we're going to have to wait 11 days.

ENTEN: Who knows?

GOLODRYGA: At some point --

ENTEN: Who knows?

GOLODRYGA: -- we will all have an answer.

ENTEN: We'll find out.

ASHER: Harry Enten, live for us. Thank you so much.

ENTEN: See you later.

ASHER: And with a presidential race, tighter than ever, as we've been talking about, candidates have just a little over a week, about a week and

a half, to make their case to voters.

Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are set to rally in reliably Republican states. That's the state of Texas. Harry -- Harris, rather, will be in

Houston to address reproductive rights with Beyonce at her side.

Trump, meantime, is in Austin, focusing on immigration and public safety. Yesterday in Arizona, he railed against migrants who had come here

illegally with this message about America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We're a dumping ground. We're like a -- we're like a garbage can for the world. That's what's

happened. That's what's happened to us. We're like a garbage can.

You know, it's the first time I've ever said that. And every time I come up and talk about what they've done to a country, I get angrier and angrier.

First time I've ever said garbage can. But you know what? It's a very accurate description.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Meanwhile, Harris leaned on star power during a rally in Georgia on Thursday in a push for new support, appearing alongside the vice

president for the first time on the campaign trail, former U.S. president Barack Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I get why people are looking to shake things up. What I cannot understand is why anybody would

think that Donald Trump will shake things up in a way that is good for you.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There's a choice that everybody has. So let's imagine

it for a moment. It's either Donald Trump in there stewing, stewing over his enemies list or me working for you, checking off my to-do list.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Well, "POLITICO" is now reporting more former Trump aides are coming out in support of former Chief of Staff John Kelly, who

characterized the former president as a fascist.

Following the Trump campaign for us is CNN's Daniel Strauss. And so as we're winding down now, I mean, you're hearing more and more of this

rhetoric from Donald Trump talking about immigrants, illegal migrants here into this country and comparing it to a garbage can.

What is his strategy actually going into these final few days? And what are we expecting to hear from him today as he sits down with Joe Rogan in

Austin for his podcast?

DANIEL STRAUSS, CNN REPORTER: I mean, it's always hard to predict what the former president will say, but there is a uniting factor among both the

Harris campaign and the Trump campaign, which is that in the final days of this election, they both seem to be looking to energize their base and

rally their base.

So in terms of Trump, that means his rhetoric has increasingly focused on the border and border security, antagonizing migrants. These are things

that he and his team view as are especially important to base Republicans and those Trump supporters who go out and vote primarily for him and not

necessarily the Republican Party as a whole.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Daniel Strauss, thank you so much.

STRAUSS: Thanks.

ASHER: And let's bring in CNN's Eva McKend, who is following the Harris campaign for us. She joins us live now from Washington.

So, Eva, good to see you. So one thing that Harry Enten was just speaking about earlier is this idea that Kamala Harris has really struggled with the

question of, hey, what would you do differently from President Biden? I mean, it's a really difficult balance to walk because on the one hand,

she's part of the administration, on the other hand, she does have to distance herself from him.

And just based on these polls that we just got out, voters continue to be pessimistic about the direction of the country right now, which, of course,

is -- does not bode well and has certainly been a danger sign for the party in power.

Just walk us through whether Kamala Harris can do anything in these last 11 days.

EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is a difficult balance to be sure, Zain. You know, former vice presidents or

current vice presidents do not typically have a habit of criticizing or maligning the president at the -- at the -- that they work with. And so she

could be judged in a harsh way if she robustly broke away from President Biden.

[12:10:04]

You know, there are Democrats that still have great affection for President Biden and aren't entirely comfortable with the dramatic shakeup of the

ticket and how it all unfolded. So she has all of that to work with. But you see her doing this in a few different ways.

She talks about a new generation of leadership. She can prosecute the case against former President Trump in a way that Biden cannot. She talks about

including Republicans in her cabinet, trying to be as inclusive as possible. And that is the way she's trying to differentiate herself.

A really interesting thing that the campaign is doing today is traveling to Texas today, a battleground state. It is not. But the campaign will argue

that it is the epicenter of abortion bans.

And so they are going to have different women there elevating their stories of how abortion restrictions impacted their lives in sometimes deadly

fashion. You know, a woman's mother from Georgia will share how her daughter died without -- because she could not get access to proper care.

The vice president's closing argument coming into focus here. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: This is not 2016 and it is not 2020. Including because just a few months ago the United States Supreme Court told the former president that

he is effectively immune no matter what he does in the White House.

Now just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails. He who will claim unchecked and extreme power, if he is reelected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: So, Zain and Bianna, this is another message that she has landed on. She argues that the former president is fundamentally unfit and

unhinged. And the hope is that she can use that message to appeal to independent and moderate Republican voters, who may not agree with her on

every policy matter, but are worried about fascism and the future and strength and health of our democracy. Zain, Bianna?

ASHER: Yes. I mean, it's interesting, because just two months ago, she was heavily focused on joy. And we seem to have done a dramatic about-face

there.

Eva, always good to see you, my dear. Thank you so much.

GOLODRYGA: Well, to get perspective from Texas, let's bring in a columnist from "The Houston Chronicle," Chris Tomlinson. Chris, for once, at least

for a day, Texas will look more like a swing state. A swing state it is not at this point.

ASHER: Bianna's from Texas, by the way.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. I am from Houston. The "Houston Chronicle," we should note, your employer, the editorial board, just endorsed Kamala Harris for

president.

But let me get to the issue that she is there to really focus on, and that is reproductive rights. Something that she says is in extreme in the state

of Texas, and that's where she wants to focus on this.

But judging by, let's do another personal note, a polling done by my alma mater, University of Texas at Austin, abortion rights has consistently

ranked rather low in terms of issues that Texans care most about, obviously, first being the economy and then immigration.

I'm wondering what you make about the rationale of coming to the state this close to election day on this issue.

CHRIS TOMLINSON, COLUMNIST, HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Well, Texas does have one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the United States. There are no

exceptions for rape or incest. And that's why it makes a good punching bag if you're a -- Kamala Harris to come down here and talk about what his --

what has passed through the legislature.

I think it's also important to note that most polling shows that while abortion is not an important issue, most Texans do support Roe versus Wade

and allowing some abortion rights.

So it's an issue here, and it's certainly an issue for the Senate race between Ted Cruz and Colin Allred.

ASHER: Bianna brought up an interesting point, and that is Texas is obviously a red state. It's not a battleground state. The last two weeks of

any election, in fact, the last month, is usually heavily focused on the seven sort of main battleground states, which is what we're seeing from

both candidates.

The fact that though she is going to Texas and she is going to be speaking alongside Beyonce and Willie Nelson, I mean, obviously it's not about Texas

for her. This is really about the entire country.

TOMLINSON: She can accomplish two things by coming to Texas. One is raise money. Her campaign has raised a lot of money from Texas Democrats who

don't see much use of spending that money within the state because it is very, very red.

And she also has a chance to highlight Colin Allred's opportunity to take away a Republican seat in the Senate.

[12:15:03]

And as you said, this is a place where she can demonstrate her popularity with people like Beyonce and Willie Nelson, as well as highlight the

abortion issue.

GOLODRYGA: Yeas. And we should also note that I believe she's out-raised Trump just in terms of fundraising in the state, as well as of late.

I want to get back to the Senate race between Ted Cruz and Colin Allred, as we mentioned. Because polls show yet again, another very tight race. Ted

Cruz was within the one to four percent lead over Colin Allred.

And while he, obviously, Allred, is endorsing and supporting Kamala Harris, he has quietly distanced himself from her throughout this campaign, run

more of a sort of as an independent on that front.

Has that been successful for him thus far? And, really, I mean, I've seen time and time again where we have been in a situation where a Democrat like

Beto O'Rourke is being billed as somebody who could disappoint a Republican opponent in that state only to see that not happen.

What's the likelihood you really think that Colin Allred could beat Ted Cruz?

TOMLINSON: Allred's a long shot to defeat Cruz. He has a very narrow path. You know, he needs to hope that Republicans don't turn out in large

numbers, assuming that Trump is going to win. He's also playing off the fact that Cruz is just not that popular. He has a very high unfavorability

rating, even among Republicans in Texas.

So he's -- Allred's got to hope that the Kamala Harris supporters turn out in large numbers. Trump supporters turn out in low numbers and just enough

of them will switch over to support Allred.

I think it's a long shot, but the polls show that it's within the margin of error.

GOLODRYGA: We'll be watching. And as noted, Donald Trump also in the state of Texas, in Austin, where you are right now, where he'll be sitting down

for a podcast interview with Joe Rogan later today.

Chris Tomlinson, thank you so much for your time.

ASHER: Thank you, Chris.

All right. Donald Trump's campaign --

TOMLINSON: Thank you.

ASHER: -- is denying a new allegation of sexual misconduct by their campaign, by their candidate, rather calling it politically motivated.

Former "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit model, Stacey Williams, says that Trump groped her back in the '90s in front of Jeffrey Epstein.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Epstein, you'll recall, is a convicted sex offender who died in jail before he could face trial.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty sat down with Williams and has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STACEY WILLIAMS, ACCUSES TRUMP OF GROPING HER IN 1993: The second he was in front of me, he pulled me into him and his hands were just on me and didn't

come off.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Former "Sports Illustrated" model, Stacey Williams, says that Donald Trump groped her more

than 30 years ago in Trump Tower, with the later convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein watching and smiling in the room as it happened.

WILLIAMS: Then the hands started moving and they were on the, you know, on the side of my breasts, on my hips back down to my butt back up, sort of

then, you know, they were just on me the whole time.

And I -- sorry, I froze.

SERFATY: Williams has not spoken out about the incident extensively until now. And in her first on-camera interview, she tells CNN the most detailed

accounting of the incident yet, alleging that in 1993 Epstein, who she was briefly dating at the time, brought her into Trump Tower.

WILLIAMS: I just had this really like sickening feeling that it was coordinated, that somehow the whole thing was -- I was rolled in there like

a piece of meat for some kind of weird twisted game.

SERFATY: Soon after the encounter, she severed ties with Epstein and said she was unaware of the kind of predatory behavior that would come to light

in later years.

She also says she received this undated postcard from Trump delivered to her modeling agency by courier shortly after the incident. "Stacey, your

home away from home. Love, Donald."

WILLIAMS: I felt sick to my stomach.

SERFATY: Williams says she did not tell anyone about the incident for over 10 years.

WILLIAMS: I felt a wave of shame and I just couldn't think about it, face it, talk about it for a very long time.

SERFATY: The Trump campaign has denied Williams' allegations, calling it a fake story contrived by Kamala Harris' campaign.

Williams' account only adding to the lengthy list of women who have alleged that Trump groped, kissed or assaulted them. Trump has also denied those

allegations.

Trump, who was close friends with Epstein, once calling him a terrific guy, has long sought to publicly distance himself from Epstein since he first

faced charges related to inappropriate sexual conduct with underage girls in the mid-2000s.

TRUMP: I was not a fan of Jeffrey Epstein.

SERFATY: Williams has been engaged as a Democratic volunteer for decades and shared her story on a Zoom call on Monday at a "Survivors for Kamala"

event.

[12:20:08]

With the election less than two weeks away, Williams arguing that her decision to speak out now was not driven by the presidential campaign, but

with the release this week of a documentary about "Sports Illustrated," one she participated in two years ago, during which she briefly alluded to the

incident.

SERFATY: What do you say to those critics that say this is politically motivated?

WILLIAMS: I can't control when that documentary comes out. I can't control the fact that it's premiering two weeks before the election.

SERFATY (voice-over): And she says she could not stay silent any longer.

WILLIAMS: It takes a lot of guts and you have to really prepare yourself to be ready for that onslaught and I'm ready now. Just bring it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: And this just in to CNN. "The Washington Post" has announced that it will not endorse either candidate in this election. It's the first

time since the 1980s that the paper has not endorsed a presidential candidate.

ASHER: Yes. And making the announcement, the publisher defended the decision, saying, we see it as consistent with the values "The Post" has

always stood for and what we hope for in a leader, character and courage in service to the American ethic veneration for the rule of law and respect

for human freedom in all its aspects.

The world's richest man has apparently a friend in Vladimir Putin.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. After the break, we'll get reaction to allegations Elon Musk is having frequent conversations with the Russian president.

ASHER: Plus, could soon be released from jail nearly 30 years after they were sentenced to life for killing their parents.

GOLODRYGA: And a dream matchup in American baseball. The Dodgers taking on the Yankees in the World Series. Why it's become one of the most

anticipated contests of all time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Well, there are new reports this morning that Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the last two

years. This according to "The Wall Street Journal," which adds several current and former U.S., European and Russian officials confirming it.

However, this claim was disputed by Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, who told reporters, it is all untrue, absolutely false information

published by the newspaper.

The Pentagon says it does not comment on any individual's security clearance, review or about personnel security policy matters in the context

of reports about any individual's actions.

[12:25:10]

GOLODRYGA: Well, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is stressing the urgent need to get a diplomatic solution to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon as

he wraps up meetings in London with top officials from Lebanon, Jordan, and the UAE.

ASHER: Yes. Earlier, officials said negotiators will gather in Qatar on Sunday to resume talks on the Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages.

Israel says it plans to send the chief of Mossad to take part in the negotiations as well.

GOLODRYGA: Meanwhile, in Southern Gaza, emergency officials say at least 26 Palestinians were killed in deadly overnight strikes.

ASHER: North Gaza, where Israel ordered thousands to evacuate, a hospital is under siege. The World Health Organization says it has lost touch with

personnel at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. Jordan's foreign minister is using stark words to describe the conditions in Northern Gaza, saying there are

signs of ethnic cleansing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AYMAN SAFADI, JORDAN FOREIGN MINISTER: As we mentioned, the humanitarian situation is really difficult. We look at Northern Gaza and where we do see

ethnic cleansing taking place, and that has got to stop.

In Lebanon, I think the Lebanese government is clear now it wants to implement Resolution 1701, so that should be implemented and save, again,

hundreds, thousands of lives that are being killed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: There are troubling allegations that Israel is forcing Palestinians to act as human shields in Gaza to avoid putting its troops in

harm's way.

ASHER: Yes. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more with this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They walked through the rubble at gunpoint into potentially booby-trapped buildings and

down darkened tunnels. Some were teenagers, like 17-year-old Mohammed.

Others, like Abu Ali Asin (ph), were grandparents.

These five Palestinians, all civilians, say the Israeli military detained them and used them as human shields in Gaza.

(TEXT ON SCREEN)

Now, for the first time on camera, an Israeli soldier is coming forward with his own account describing how his infantry unit used two Palestinians

as human shields.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We told them to enter the building before us. If there are any booby traps, they will explode and not us.

DIAMOND (voice-over): We've blurred his face and changed his voice because he risks reprisals for speaking out. Breaking the silence, a watchdog group

which verifies soldiers testimonials provided photographs and facilitated the interview.

The soldier says a 16-year-old boy and 20- year-old man were brought to his unit this spring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their hands were tied behind their back and they had a cloth over their eyes.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The instructions from the intelligence officer who delivered them were clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told me to take them in the next attack, use them as a human shield. He told me that they have a connection to Hamas.

DIAMOND (voice-over): For two days, his unit followed those orders. This haunting photo captures the scene, the silhouette of a Palestinian man

flanked by two soldiers ordering him forward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we went to the attack before they enter a building, we took the cloth up so they could see. In my company, one of the soldiers

knew Arabic. He just shouted in Arabic, open the door, walk to this building or the other.

DIAMOND: They're using them because you think this building might be booby trapped.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. My soldiers didn't like that at all. And they refused to do this anymore.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The soldiers decided to take their concerns to their senior commander, telling him they believed they were violating

international law.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The commander told this fellow, a simple soldier doesn't need to think about international law.

DIAMOND: He didn't say, you guys shouldn't be doing this, this shouldn't be happening.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said that we need to do this. He said that our lives are more important.

DIAMOND: So he didn't just tell you, don't worry about it. So he said, keep doing it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Eventually, the commander relented, telling his soldiers they could release the two Palestinians.

DIAMOND: Suddenly, you're allowed to release?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. It made it sure to us that they are not terrorists.

DIAMOND (voice-over): In a statement, the Israeli military said the IDF's directives and guidelines strictly prohibit the use of detained Gaza

civilians for military operations. The relevant protocols and instructions are routinely clarified to soldiers in the field during the conflict.

But the Israeli military's use of human shields in Gaza appears to have been widespread, so common it even had a name, Mosquito Protocol.

Both Israeli and international law ban the use of civilians in combat.

Israel also accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. There is ample evidence for it. Tunnels dug beneath homes and rockets fired from

residential neighborhoods.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, it's more painful with my own army. Hamas is a terrorist organization. The IDF shouldn't use terrorist organization

practices.

DIAMOND: And so when you hear, you know, spokespeople for the Israeli military, Israeli government officials saying, you know, the Israeli

military is the most moral army in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's bull (BLEEP). Of course, I don't believe that.

DIAMOND: Dr. Yahya Al-Kayali who worked at Al-Shifa Hospital, knows that all too well. Months after he says Israeli soldiers forced him to risk his

life, he cannot shake this terrifying experience.

YAHYA AL-KAYALI, DOCTOR WORKING AT AL-SHIFA HOSPITAL: A soldier asked me to come. He was talking to me to English. He told me, I will kill you if you

didn't enter there. I was thinking that I will be killed or die within minutes.

DIAMOND (voice-over): His brush with death and the day he feared he would never again see his family.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:00]

GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. It is a U.S. murder case that has captivated many people around the world for decades. It's been nearly 30 years since

brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life in prison for murdering their parents.

GOLODRYGA: And now, there is a possibility they will soon be released after an extensive reexamination of their case in California. The district

attorney for Los Angeles County says he'll recommend resentencing the brothers, making them eligible for immediate parole.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE GASCON, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: They have been in prison for 35 years. They have been model prisoners by all accounts. Not

only have they worked on their own self-improvement, but they have done a lot of work to better the life of those around them which is, that part is

unusual.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Jean Casarez has been following this story for us from New York. Jean, this is just stunning. Zain and I were discussing this earlier.

This is a story that dominated the airwaves, one of the first really public murder trials of its kind that captivated the nation.

[12:35:04]

Can you talk to us about this new development and the role specifically of two pieces of evidence that have recently come to the surface?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's an interesting point to this. First of all, we are learning. I want to tell you this. We are learning there

will be a hearing at George Gascon's district attorneys, many of them in the office in Los Angeles, are going to counter him in court when this gets

to a hearing.

So you're going to have the prosecution, which will be the attorneys that are countering George Gascon. And then you're going to have the defense,

along with George Gascon, saying that they should be able to get out at this point.

You know, what is interesting, you're talking about the two new pieces of evidence. George Gascon has been talking about this quite a bit, but in the

press conference yesterday, he didn't say anything about the new evidence. He was talking about rehabilitation, but let's make sure everybody knows

what he says his new evidence, one is a letter that Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin, Andy, right there. It is undated. There is no date on it. It

says that, I'm scared. I never know when my dad is going to come into my bedroom.

But he also says, I would love to talk to my mother about this, but I'm scared of that, too, because she always tells my dad anything I tell her.

And I'm afraid she'll tell him about this, which is an interesting aspect to this.

Now, that letter, I did some research. It's been around for a long time. It's not newly discovered evidence. The other is newly discovered evidence,

one could argue. The Menudos, one of the group members did a sworn affidavit saying that they had been sexually molested by Jose Menendez, who

was the father of Erik and Lyle.

So -- but what the DA is really focusing on is rehabilitation. Saying that they have been in prison for, as he just said, in custody for 35 years,

that they were young when this happened, there was trauma. And this would include the sexual assault that has been alleged from the defense at the

point of trial and on. It wasn't -- it wasn't public before that. And that they have been stellar in prison. They should be released.

It's really revolutionary because this is the highest count in California. It was premeditated, intentional murder, conviction, life without any

possibility of parole. So you are changing the structuring system here and ultimately it will go to the parole board. This may last longer than you

think it's going to because there's a lot involved.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And it's interesting that you say there's internal pushback from some --

CASAREZ: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: -- of the DA's own colleagues as well.

Jean Casarez, thank you so much.

CASAREZ: Thank you.

ASHER: All right. Thank you, Jean.

Time now for The Exchange. Joining us live now is CNN legal analyst, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, Joey Jackson.

Joey, always, always great to see you. So essentially what the L.A. district attorney is saying is that, listen, he's not going to excuse

murder here. That's not what he's trying to do. These were brutal, premeditated murders. So it's not about excusing what happened.

What he's essentially saying is that given this evidence that these boys may indeed have been molested, that they were appropriately sentenced at

the time, that they've served enough time in prison so far. Just give us your thoughts on that, Joey.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Zain, that's exactly right. And so I think what the prosecutor is saying is he's really centering his statement

around three pieces that are very important in our system. One is punishment. The other is deterrence. And the last part is rehabilitation.

Punishment with respect to what is appropriate, what is fair. If you've been in jail for 35 years, is that appropriate punishment? Maybe some will

say no. He's mentioned, right, that there was some discord in his office even, in the prosecutor's office, in terms of whether or not that's fair

and appropriate, and should they still stay in. And so the punishment can be debated.

However, you also have to look at other issues, such as deterrence, right? Would this deter, I think, 35 years, might deter many people from the

commission of murder?

And then you look at a very centerpiece of our system, which is rehabilitation. What have you done in prison? Many times in prison systems,

people who are there for life, there's no incentive to do anything, to improve yourself, much less others, as we look at their photos there.

But to the extent that they actually, both of them, did improve themselves by enhancing their learning and their ability to grow as people, in

addition to assisting others, developing others, forming these groups, that weighed very heavily.

And so at the end of the day, what the prosecutor did is say, look, I'm going to make a recommendation to the court of 50 years, two life

sentences, right, for the mother and the father. And based upon their ages at the time 21 and 18 years old, at the time, they will be eligible for

immediate parole.

And so if a judge buys into this and says, hey, you know what, I'm with you, then it goes before the parole board presuming the parole board votes

favorably then certainly they could be released which is a big development.

[12:40:07]

And last point if you have the prosecutors really of support, that gives a lot of authority with regard to whether this will happen. And so it's

looking likely that it will happen and may happen very soon.

GOLODRYGA: As we heard from Jean on that specific point, the DA may have more experience and thus clout here and authority. But Jean noted that

others in the office were against this decision and that there will be a hearing just on that front as well. How unusual is that?

JACKSON: So what happens, Bianna, is that's true. So what will end up happening to Jean's excellent point is that there's never going to be, and

I shouldn't say never, right? That's pretty exclusionary, but very rare instances are you going to have everybody in any office, on any occasion

regarding any issue on the same page.

Ultimately, the prosecutor, the district attorney makes the call. And that call is that he's filing and has filed the issue of their release.

And so in terms of that, there'll be a hearing with respect to the merits of that. And whether there should be a release and there'll be some tough

questions asked about the appropriateness of punishment, about the issues of newly discovered evidence, about the issue of rehabilitation, about the

issue of deterrent, et cetera.

And thereafter, to the extent that a judge, after the hearing, believes that this is appropriate, then they would be eligible for immediate

release.

So it's not like in our system of government in the United States, a prosecutor can wave a wand and say, goodbye, you're released. There's a

process. There's a protocol. And, yes, it could take time. There are steps, and that's as it should be, because you want those checks, you want those

balances.

But more often than not, I will tell you that if you have the prosecutor's real, not only authority to do this, but you have their support, it really

gives cover to judges to do it.

And I also think we have to talk about this in the context of the times now. I think there's been a reevaluation with respect to sexual abuse and

sexual assault and what that means. And it doesn't excuse murder at all.

The issue is whether or not it's what we call mitigation. That is, does it provide some insight into your state of mind when you did it? And really,

you never want to excuse murder unless it's justifiable you had no choice.

But in this instance, whether or not it was something that motivated and compelled them to do it, and it's something that the law can take into

account in maybe facilitating their release. And that's where we're at now.

But it really looks likely, based on all the support that they have, including public support, that this really could happen.

ASHER: Yes. I mean, it's interesting because after the first trial ended in a mis -- in a -- essentially a mistrial.

JACKSON: Mistrial.

ASHER: The first trial. Sorry. I was going to say something else, but mistrial.

The second trial, it's important to note that much of the evidence about the fact that they may have been molested was actually excluded.

And as you point out, times have changed dramatically since 1996. And, of course, you know, society has changed, but as you point out, the murders,

the premeditated murders are not being excused here.

As the DA is saying, they have served enough time from his perspective. That is what is being said here. So, Joey Jackson, live for us there. Thank

you so much.

GOLODRYGA: Thanks, Joey.

JACKSON: Absolutely. Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come for us, President Biden plans to issue an apology to Native Americans. We'll explain why, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:00]

ASHER: All right. Next hour, President Joe Biden is expected to apologize for the federal government's role in Native Americans boarding schools.

Mr. Biden will make this announcement during a visit to Gila Crossing Community School in Arizona. Before departing, the president described this

apology as something that should have been done a long time ago.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Between 1819 and 1969, over 18,000 Native American children were taken from their families and placed in boarding schools. The 2021

review found at least 973 died while attending these schools.

Arlette Saenz is following the president at Gila River Indian Reservation and joins us now.

Arlette, this is a tragedy that I would imagine many Americans have never even heard of. I'm just curious why we're hearing this apology from the

president now.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Biden is traveling here to the Gila River Indian community to make this historic

apology for the federal government's role in these Indian boarding schools, which forced thousands of Native American children to assimilate over a

150-year period.

The U.S. either ran or supported many of these schools, which were ultimately aimed at trying to strip these children from their ties to their

tribal communities and also of their cultural practices resulting in abuse and neglect, and for many, ultimately, death.

Now, this is all stemming from a review that Department of Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, who was the first Native American to serve as a

Cabinet Secretary, ordered back in 2021 to review the federal government's practices in these Indian boarding schools.

A report was released over this past summer really detailing the level and the scope of the abuse that had occurred at these more than 400 schools

across 37 states and then territories. They found that at least 973 children died while in custody. They found unmarked and marked burial sites

of about 74 individuals.

And, ultimately, they've been able to identify at least 18,000 children who were taken from their families and forced into these boarding schools.

Though the government acknowledges that the number is far higher than that.

Now, the first recommendation that stemmed from this report was that the U.S. government formally acknowledged and apologized for those actions. And

that is what President Biden is trying to do today, trying to correct some of the wrongs of this very assorted period of history in the U.S.

Now, Haaland, yesterday, spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One, and she grew quite personal, as her own family had gone through some of these

boarding schools. And she said that, at some -- in the past, it had been a far-fetched idea that the U.S. would ever apologize to the survivors and

their descendants for these actions, but that is, in fact, what President Biden will be doing today.

Now, it does come less than two weeks before the election, when the Native American vote could prove critical here in the battleground state of

Arizona. Native Americans make up about six percent of the population, but they do represent a significant slice of the electorate. They are hoping to

further highlight some of the work that President Biden and Vice President have done together for this community, but really here today as it is

expected to be an emotional moment for so many in the community of survivors, families, their descendants, as they are hoping to turn the page

on what was a very dark chapter in the U.S.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Arlette Saenz, following the president for us in Arizona. Thank you so much.

ASHER: We'll be right back after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:12]

GOLODRYGA: Well, after seven months aboard the International Space Station, NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts are back on Earth, splashing down in the

very early morning off the coast of Florida.

From there, the crew of four headed to a local hospital for additional checks. NASA says out of an abundance of caution.

ASHER: The Dragon spacecraft goes to the SpaceX facilities at Cape Canaveral. While in space, the crew traveled over 100 million miles and

orbited Earth more than 3,700 times.

GOLODRYGA: Well, I don't know when the next time I will be speaking with my baseball-loving 12-year-old because we are just hours away from a highly

anticipated matchup in American baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers will face my son's team, the New York Yankees in the opening game of the World

Series.

ASHER: It's a contest between the two biggest cities in America, the sports two most valuable franchises, and the men widely considered to be the two

best hitters in the major leagues. CNN's Natasha Chen looks at the major hype it's generating.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's go Yankees.

(CHEERING)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): East versus West. Shohei Ohtani versus Aaron Judge. It's the dream matchup 43 years in the making.

MIGUEL JIMENEZ, KADI PROMOTIONS: Because it's Yankees versus Dodgers. You know, nobody wants to miss this game.

CHEN (voice-over): Miguel Jimenez is a ticket reseller in Los Angeles -- with high rolling clients hoping to score seats.

JIMENEZ: What kind of seats are you looking for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this case, I'm just looking for the best deal. Whatever the best deal is.

JIMENEZ: OK. You know, the cheapest ticket is 1,100.

CHEN (voice-over): Seats closer to the action are going for thousands, the most expensive tickets to a World Series ever. Jimenez says that's partly

because prices, in general, have jumped since the pandemic but also because of who's playing.

CHEN: The interest in this epic World Series matchup between an East and West Coast team from the two largest metro areas in the U.S., really

extends beyond our borders to countries where fans may have historically rooted for the Yankees.

JIMENEZ: We have to let you know in Mexico, 80 percent of the population go for Yankees. A lot of people -- the north side of Mexico, they go for

Dodgers.

CHEN (voice-over): Gary Lee, founder of the Dodgers Nation fan site says similarly in Japan after World War II, there had been a tradition of

rooting for the Yankees, but now Shohei Ohtani is their nation's superstar.

GARY LEE, FOUNDER, DODGERS NATION: Shohei turning into a Dodger right now and then having to face the Yankees, this is going to be -- there's going

to be some discussions between grandpa and his grandkids at the dinner table.

CHEN: Fans from Japan poured into L.A. during the regular season to see Ohtani play, staying in L.A.'s Little Tokyo, where businesses have seen way

more customers this season.

VALENCIA HEMMINGS, MANAGER, POPKILLER: Like we thought we ordered enough, but then people got -- you know, the word got out and all of a sudden

they're here all the time.

When he hit the like 50-50, when he broke the record, tons of people just swarmed downtown just to like celebrate.

[12:55:03]

CHEN (voice-over): Very different dynamic than the last Dodgers World Series appearance in 2020 when the pandemic prevented most fans from

attending any of the games played in Texas rather than at the team's home stadiums.

LEE: That feeling -- we didn't get a parade, nothing, you know, it was more of like a, yay, we won, you know, stay home. You know, you keep your mask

on.

CHEN (voice-over): This time, the series starts in Los Angeles and people are seizing the moment. Even if many can't afford a seat.

MASTER CARTOON, ARTIST: It's a classic clown face, you know, a little bit of pinstripe. Your know, bring car culture into it.

CHEN (voice-over): They're buying merchandise and treats with cultural touches the way only a melting pot of a city can do.

DEANNA DUCTOC, OWNER, LOS ANGELITOS BAKER: It's even more meaningful because we're bringing our culture and what we love and part of our city

together.

CHEN (voice-over): Natasha Chen, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: This is all the country's going to be focused on next year, then the election maybe.

ASHER: All right. That does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher.

GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back here with "AMANPOUR" after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END