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One World with Zain Asher
Document: U.S. Looks At Closing Overseas Embassies And Consulates; Sources: WFP Unable To Receive Yemen-Bound Food Aid; Fears Mount Over DOGE Plans To Cut Social Security Staffing; Grassley Urged At Iowa Event To Stand Up Against Trump; Judge: Probably Cause Exists To Find Trump Admin In Contempt Over Deportations; U.K. Supreme Court: Legal Definition Of Woman Excludes Trans Women; Bratz Doll Maker Facing Tariff Impact; Police Bodycam Video Shows Inside Actor Gene Hackman Home; Aired 12:00-1:00p ET
Aired April 16, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:28]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: America first. The Trump administration looks to slash foreign programs once again.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The second hour of ONE WORLD starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Our job is to rally the American people and to defeat Trumpism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: A document obtained by CNN says the Trump administration is thinking about closing almost 30 overseas embassies and consulates across
the globe.
ASHER: Also ahead, what does it mean to be a woman? It's a controversy felt all around the world and the U.K.'s highest court has just given its
ruling.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG AHEARN, PRESIDENT, THE TOY ASSOCIATION: No toys are currently being produced in China and there are reports that major retailers here in the
U.S. are starting to actually cancel orders. So Christmas is at risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Most of America's toys are made in China and manufacturers are sounding the alarm. We'll speak to the CEO behind the Bratz doll.
ASHER: And later, in her own words, Melinda Gates on motherhood, a high- profile divorce and why she thinks Kamala lost the election.
GOLODRYGA: Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching the second hour of ONE WORLD.
The Trump administration could be about to make a seismic shift to the U.S. diplomatic presence abroad.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. That is according to an internal State Department document that CNN has obtained. The Trump administration could close more than two
dozen embassies and consulates mostly in Europe and Africa. The document also suggests embassies in neighboring countries could cover the areas
impacted by the closures.
ASHER: All of this as POLITICO reports, President Trump is considering cutting the State Department's budget by nearly half. Secretary of State
Marco Rubio announced his department will cancel 139 grants worth $214 million.
Here's what the State Department spokesperson has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAMMY BRUCE, SPOKESWOMAN, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: Throughout the history of the United States, everyone has a budget plan. And everyone has ideas for
budgets. And every president has a budget plan and sends it to Congress. And then Congress, either accepts it or they have their own ideas, which
happens more often than not.
I can tell you that whatever you've seen in public was not released from this entity, was not released from this department. It was not released by
the secretary that there is no final plan, final budget, final dynamic. That is up to the White House and the president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Jennifer Hansler joins us now from the State Department. This is an issue we've been covering, especially as it relates to budget
cuts at the State Department, everything from USAID on down since the start of this administration.
Talk about the significance of these latest cuts from the documents CNN has obtained.
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well, Bianna and Zain, this would be a significant blow if the United States was to move ahead
with these proposed cuts. The document we obtained outlined 10 embassies and 17 consulates that were recommended for closure.
Now, the majority of those were in Africa and Europe, but there were some in Asia and the Caribbean.
And, of course, embassies and consulates around the world serve a very important purpose. They process visas. They will provide emergency
assistance to Americans abroad. They also gather information from that host country to relay back to Washington, D.C.
Now, all of these proposed changes are among a broader expected overhaul at the State Department. We've already seen the dismantling of the U.S. Agency
of International Development. And it is expected that that will be moved under the State Department's jurisdiction.
And this is all coming as the federal government and the Trump administration moves to shrink the workforce here in Washington, D.C. We
have seen similar cuts carried out across the board, across the federal agencies here in D.C.
Now, I should note that it is unclear on the embassy and consulates closures if Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed off on these closures
on this document that came from a particular office here at the State Department and they were outlined as recommendations.
Now, beyond just the closures of these particular embassies, there was also a recommendation to severely downsize the number of diplomats at our
embassies in Somalia and Iraq. These have served as important counterterrorism, hotbeds for activities to combat terrorism in the region.
There's also suggestions about downsizing and resizing other consulates rather than closing them. But this could mean a significant change in the
U.S. diplomatic presence abroad.
[12:05:03]
Zain, Bianna.
ASHER: All right. Jennifer Hansler, live for us there at the State Department. Thank you so much.
All right. I want to turn now to another example of the impact of Trump administration's staffing cuts. The merchant ship, full of what could be
life-saving wheat is on its way to Yemen from the U.S.
But due to Trump's move to decimate U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, the aid may actually never reach those who need it.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Sources say the World Food Program will be unable to receive the shipment both in terms of its authority and its funding. That
means the wheat could instead rot or be pillaged.
The World Food Program estimates that half of Yemen's entire population, about 17 million people, are food insecure. Now, this follows more than 10
years of brutal civil war.
ASHER: Let's bring in CNN's MJ Lee who's in Washington for us with more of the stories. MJ, walk us through what we know at this point.
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Let me first tell you, everything that we know about this ship, what I was told by
sources, is that there is a carrier ship that is currently making its way to Yemen. It left Oregon sometime earlier this month and it is carrying
tons and tons of wheat.
And it was intended to go towards the people of southern Yemen who are, as you were just saying, insecure when it comes to food.
Basically, we are talking about millions of hungry people. Now our understanding is that this ship was set to arrive at the port of Aden in
Yemen around mid-May.
Now, the headline here that we discovered is that when that ship eventually arrives in Yemen, there is a very good possibility that the wheat on that
ship is either going to rot or it is just going to be pillaged and stolen by people.
And the reason for that, according to sources, is the sudden decimation of USAID, which of course we have been reporting on over the last couple of
months, that of course includes the cancellation of a number of USAID contracts going towards countries like Yemen and Afghanistan. And those
contracts included funding for the UN's World Food Program.
So what all of this means is that barring some kind of intervention or some kind of decision about bringing that funding back, once that ship docks in
Yemen, the World Food Program is not going to have the authority or even the funding to do the things that it would typically do, like receive the
wheat on that ship, distribute it, make sure that people actually get it, make sure it is stored properly, which is why these sources are telling me
that there is a very good chance that the wheat could end up just going to waste.
Now, we are talking about, again, tons and tons of wheat that would be life-saving for the millions of people who are living in a country that has
been completely devastated by civil war for many number of years.
And, of course, as you know very well, this is just a very small piece of the broader story of the sudden decimation of USAID that has really been
stunning for so many people that work in the space of humanitarian aid.
I've been talking to people that work at companies in this area, different organizations, and they are just reeling from the billions of dollars in
funding that has been canceled.
We've talked to folks who have said, you know, we've only been partially paid or the payments that we've -- we were supposed to receive from USAID.
They are trickling in really slowly.
And I would say, you know, in terms of the broken ecosystem here with the humanitarian aid, irreparable, guys, is the word that I keep hearing over
and over again from my sources.
ASHER: MJ, live for us. Thank you for bringing us that really important story. I appreciate it.
GOLODRYGA: Thanks, MJ. It's good to see you, my friend.
All right. Former President Joe Biden is speaking out against the Trump administration's cuts to Social Security staff, and action, he says, is
destructive.
ASHER: And now Biden mentioned Donald Trump by name, necessarily, but he accused the current administration of taking a hatchet to the organization.
He also criticized the scale of the changes that have taken place since Trump just took office in January.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Fewer than 100 days, this new administration has made so much damage and so much destruction. It's
kind of breathtaking it could happen that soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Rene Marsh reports on how the new administration has some families fearing they could lose their Social Security benefits.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he will not touch Social Security benefits, but he and Elon
Musk, often and without evidence, claim fraud is rampant in the system.
TRUMP: Government databases list 4.7 million Social Security members from people aged 100 to 109 years old.
[12:10:04]
ELON MUSK, SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Social Security is the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.
MARSH (voice-over): Trump's Commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, has even suggested it wouldn't be a big deal for Americans to miss a monthly Social
Security payment.
HOWARD LUTNICK, COMMERCE SECRETARY: My mother-in-law, who is 94 -- she wouldn't call and complain. She just wouldn't. She'd think something got
messed up and she'll get it next month.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
LUTNICK: A fraudster always makes the loudest noise.
MARSH (voice-over): Meanwhile, the agency that pays retirement and disability benefits to more than 70 million Americans is undergoing a
massive reorganization that is sparking fears the system could collapse.
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, plans to slash roughly 7,000 from the agency's workforce, at a time when staffing is at historic
lows. Aging computer systems are plagued with outages and new anti-fraud measures are causing widespread confusion.
JUDITH BROWN, RECEIVES BENEFITS FROM SSA: This Musk and Trump plan is what I call slash and crash. It would really destroy the services that families
like mine rely on. Our entire existence is on the line.
MARSH (voice-over): Social Security is a major source of income for elderly Americans. For more than a third of people over 65, it accounts for more
than half of their income.
The administration has moved to cut off benefits for some by listing thousands of immigrants as dead in a Social Security database even though
they're still alive. The White House insisting they're on a terror watch list or have criminal records.
And DOGE is also pushing against court orders for sensitive personal data held by the agency, including employment, pay history, and home addresses
in hopes of using it to help the president's immigration enforcement agenda.
MARSH: On Tuesday, a federal judge in Baltimore heard arguments on whether she should continue to restrict DOGE's access to American sensitive
personal data at the Social Security Administration.
The judge had asked that the agency's acting commissioner attend the hearing to answer her questions about why DOGE needs such broad access and
what specifically they plan to do with the data.
But the acting commissioner didn't show up and the judge wasn't very happy about it. The judge has previously issued a restraining order blocking DOGE
from Social Security systems, but that expires this Thursday.
So the clock is ticking for her to decide whether she will extend that, but it is worth noting, though, that DOGE has continued to push for access
despite the court order.
Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Tempers flared at Republican town halls across the country on Tuesday, a sign of growing anger, at least among some Americans
with President Trump's policies.
GOLODRYGA: But even in the face of testy constituents, those lawmakers continue to show loyalty to the president.
In suburban Atlanta -- in suburban Atlanta, disruptions by protesters at an event for Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene led police to arrest three
people.
Now, instead of answering questions face to face, Greene required that they be submitted in writing ahead of time and mocked some of the critical ones
she read out loud.
Senator Chuck Grassley faced his own crowd of frustrated voters in Iowa and was repeatedly urged to stand up to President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to bring that that guy back from El Salvador?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-IA): I'm not going to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not?
GRASSLEY: Well, because that's not over. That's not a power of Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Supreme Court said to bring him back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We would like to know what you, as the people, the Congress who are supposed to reign in this dictator, what are you going to
do about?
These people have been sentenced to life imprisonment in a foreign country with no due process. Our government do not do anything.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: We're joined now by CNN political commentator and democratic strategist, Paul Begala, as well as former governor of Arkansas,
Republican, Asa Hutchinson.
It's been a while since we've had the two of you back on. So thank you for joining us. It's going to be an interesting conversation.
As always, Governor Hutchison, let me start with you, because what we saw there with Senator Grassley was not on the upper west side of Manhattan or
in Washington, D.C., and the suburbs anywhere close to there. This was in Iowa.
And yet, you're hearing some constituents, you know, not necessarily supporting these migrants themselves, but supporting the rule of law and
quoting that one voter saying, why aren't you standing up in the face of -- how he described the president to be a dictator? How do you react to that?
ASA HUTCHINSON, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS: Well, my reaction to it is that the opposition, those that are on the left, are going to be the most
vocal at those town hall meetings. And I think that's what you saw there with Senator Grassley. I've been in Iowa. It is a very divided state in
many ways. You're going to hear from both sides.
[12:15:09]
But the overarching message that I think the senators are getting is you need to exercise the power of the legislative branch and just not roll over
for the president. So that message is being conveyed, not just by those on the left, by those on the right as well.
And I think that's the expectation that there will be some growing independence from those on the Republican side in Congress. As you see,
Trump become more visceral in his attacks and disregard for the law.
ASHER: Paul, let me bring you in, because we heard one, as Bianna was just touching on, one voter essentially described President Trump as a dictator.
And Asa was just saying that a lot of people are saying, listen, we can't all just roll over for the president. There has to be people in Congress
who stand up to him.
What do Republicans in Congress risk, Paul, by standing up to Donald Trump?
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, they risk the wrath of Mr. Trump, who within the Republican base is of course very powerful. He also
now, President Trump, is aligned with the richest man in the whole wide world. But they risk more by not standing up.
Look at what happened in Wisconsin. They had a Supreme Court race, a state that Mr. Trump won very narrowly by about a point. The liberal there won by
over 10 points, even though Elon Musk spent millions of dollars of his own money in support of the conservative.
The Musk money, the Trump endorsement actually hurt the conservative, didn't help. And I was watching that clip you have that town hall. You
know, Asa ran for president, spent a lot of time in Iowa, to say our country and his party would have been a lot better off if he'd have won.
But Lee County, where that was, where that town hall was, it's in the southeast tip of Iowa for international viewers, it's right on the
Mississippi River. It's beautiful country, just beautiful.
My old boss and Asa's fellow Arkansans in Bill Clinton won that county by 30 points. Guess what? Donald Trump just won it by 30 points. It is exactly
one of those fulcrum places where American politics has been turning.
And so if a legend like Chuck Grassley, who has been in the Senate for 44 years, if he's catching hell in Lee County, Iowa, that's a terrible sign
for those Republicans.
GOLODRYGA: Can I stick with you, Paul? Because as we noted, the issue at hand in that town hall was the treatment of Abrego Garcia, and the fact
that this is an administration that is defiant despite, however vaguely, they are wanting to interpret what the Supreme Court said. They are defiant
not to bring him back to the United States.
But this is clearly a battle that President Trump prefers and would like to have. And I'm wondering if you think, as we saw Senator Van Hollen actually
travel to El Salvador, I don't know what he'll be able to accomplish there, but he's a constituent of his, so that is why he is going.
Do you think that they're falling into a trap by going into this battle with the president? I'll quote you a line from "POLITICO" this morning,
which said, the White House believes it has public opinion on its side and that every time the Democrats or the judiciary or the media complain about
the treatment of the deportees, they're walking deeper into a carefully set trap.
What do you make of that argument?
BEGALA: I'm sorry to laugh. They don't do anything carefully in the Trump White House. OK? I mean, the E1, fair and square. I'm not an election
denier. I'm a Democrat.
But come on, they're not being careful about this. They took a man who was legally in America, who had no charges against him, and didn't only deport
him, which would be problematic, they put him in one of these supermax prisons run by some eccentric leader in El Salvador? Come on. So no, I
don't -- I'm not worried about that.
And actually, at that town hall, to come back to that, they not only were criticizing their beloved Senator Grassley about the status of this one guy
who'd been deported and incarcerated, they were -- they were hammering him about tariffs, which are killing our farmers or kin, about veterans, about
Social Security, about Medicare and Medicaid.
In other words, it's a whole cluster of things. But I think the Trump people are selling American short. If they believe that we don't care about
the rule of law, that we were founded on the notion that we don't want a king and a tyrant. And Mr. Trump, in the eyes of many, and not just
Democrats, a lot of independents, it has gone way too far.
ASHER: Asa, since Paul brought up tariffs, I want to pose that question to you, a question about tariffs. The thing about tariffs is that not only is
there so much confusion, but it changes by the day. From one day to the next, you have no idea which tariffs are going to be on hold and which
tariffs are going to be implemented.
In fact, there was a Bloomberg reporter who essentially said that he typed into ChatGPT, explained on Trump's tariff strategy to me. And what ChatGPT
-- what ChatGPT gave him was essentially nonsense. It was just -- it just sounded like nonsense in terms of what it looked like when he read it out.
[12:20:09]
So just walk us through how all of this is actually going to affect Republicans when it comes to the midterms. You're thinking about the
possibility of a recession, of layoffs, of consumer spending slowing.
Later on this year, how -- later on this year, how is all of that going to impact the midterms do you think?
HUTCHINSON: Well, Trump has the advantage in simple language that by and large many Americans support. For example, be in tough on illegal
immigrants into our country or reporting those that have gang affiliation or post arrest.
That's broadly supported. And you get into the nuances about, well, did he have due process? You know, was he really a gang member? You know, that has
to be resolved in the courts. And it should be versus simply being a political issue because that's not a winning issue for Democrats.
In terms of tariffs, it's the same boat. We ought to have tougher tariffs on China that are targeted. But the broad-based tariffs and going after our
allies is confusing. It is disruptive and not just to our foreign friends, but it's also disruptive to our farmers and in ChatGPT obviously doesn't
know what makes sense of it.
And so simple language is in Trump's favor in the end, he wants to be able to control the dialogue, I think, over time, as people understand it more
and get hit by it harder, then you're going to see that support way.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And to be clear, Paul, this is the -- what I meant when I said that Trump would rather focus on deportees than on the tariff
conversation, because he knows at this point, at least, this is a losing proposition for him as he sees his poll numbers continue to go down in
terms of how he's handling the economy.
Can I ask you, in terms of leadership and new blood in the Democratic Party, to get you to respond to 25-year-old David Hogg who's the DNC vice
chairman announcing that the DNC will actually invest about $20 million in electing younger leaders and perhaps even primary challenges in what they
say are safe democratic seats for what he, at least, and I would imagine many others view as an ineffective party leadership right now?
Your response to that. Are they onto something?
BEGALA: Well, look, I think both parties need generational change. OK. Mr. Trump is a lot closer to 100 than he is 50. Joe Biden is the same. And
you're seeing that generational change in the Democratic Party.
I do not like, though, an official of the Democratic Party taking sides in a primary. That's not their job. He is a First Amendment right to support
anybody who likes it. And Mr. Hogg, I've met him. He's an impressive, impressive young man, really spoke out heroically after surviving a mass
shooting at his high school at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Florida. So I admire him personally.
But I just say, politically, it's a mistake. He's the vice chairman of the party. If you take a role like that of leadership within the party, you
need to stay neutral within primaries. And I think voters can figure this stuff out themselves.
But I guess I just don't like seeing somebody who's supposed to be a neutral official for the entire party choosing up sides within a primary.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Asa Hutchinson, Paul Begala. Good to see you as always. Appreciate the time.
ASHER: Thank you both so much.
GOLODRYGA: And we have news to bring you just into CNN. A U.S. judge has found probable cause to find the Trump administration in contempt over
deportations.
We want to bring in Paula Reed for more on this breaking news. And this involves Judge Boasberg, who, as we noted, just now are ruling that there
is probable cause existing to hold the administration in criminal contempt for violating its -- his orders back in mid-March halting the use of the
Aliens Enemies Act.
Talk about the consequences and the impact of this ruling now.
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: This is significant because, of course, this case has become a political flashpoint with
President Trump repeatedly attacking Judge Boasberg, even calling for him to be impeached, which got a rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts.
Now, here, the judge is saying he's still deciding punishment at the next steps. He's even giving the Justice Department a chance to weigh in.
But here, he has found probable cause that the Justice Department defied his order when they were litigating. They were going back and forth about
the administration's use of that act to deport Venezuelan migrants. The administration alleged, we're affiliated with the gang, to El Salvador.
Order the planes to be grounded and then to be turned around.
Now, the administration did not turn those planes around. Instead, they continued on to El Salvador after stopping in Honduras. The judge should a
finding that it ultimately determined that the government's actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its order sufficient for the court
to conclude that probable cause exists to find the government in criminal contempt.
[12:25:17]
They say that the court did not reach this conclusion lightly or hastily. Indeed, it has given defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain
their actions. None of their responses have been satisfactory.
Now, spoke to sources inside the Justice Department, they argue that they do not believe that a district court judge has the ability to dictate what
the administration does once it is already in international skies or in international territory. So they do not believe that this was an
intentional effort to defy this judge.
They were also trying to move very quickly because they anticipated litigation related to the use of this act. So it'll be interesting to see
how the Justice Department responds to this, but I think we can also expect to hear from the president who has been heavily vested in all of this, and
again, has repeatedly attacked Judge Boasberg.
ASHER: All right. Paula Reid live for us there.
I mean, it's interesting. Just this idea of finding the Trump administration in contempt of court over these deportations. We've seen
time and time again that Donald Trump has defied court orders. So we'll see what happens on that front.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. We'll be following that story closely.
And still to come for us, America's top cop announces a lawsuit against the state of Maine for refusing to ban trans athletes from girls sports.
ASHER: Plus, new details around the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, including a new police body cam video.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELINDA GATES, AMERICAN PHILANTHROPIST: it's not something I would wish on any family ever. It's painful for everybody involved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's one-on-one with Melinda Gates. She opens up about her very public divorce and much more. That's ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: In London, women's rights activists celebrated a landmark ruling by Britain's Supreme Court that legally defines a woman as someone born
biologically female. The court unanimously ruled that transgender women, even with a gender recognition certificate, are not entitled to legal
protections as a woman under the terms of the UK's Equality Act.
ASHER: Some critics are saying it's a huge setback for transgender rights, but this campaign are welcome for court's decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[12:30:58]
SUSAN SMITH, ACTIVIST, FOR WOMEN SCOTLAND: This is not about prejudice or bigotry, as some people would say. It's not about hatred for another
community. It's just about saying that there are differences and biology is one of those differences. And we just need protections based on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has more on the story from London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How do you define a woman by law? The United Kingdom's highest court just ruled that the legal definition of a
woman excludes trans women. The British Supreme Court's unanimous decision also says, quote, that the concept of sex is binary, a person is either a
woman or a man, end quote.
This is as it pertains to the application of the country's equality laws. Transgender people will still have legal protection, the court says.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010, refer to a biological woman and
biological sex.
But we counsel against reading this judgement as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another.
Outside the courtroom, it was For Women Scotland that was celebrating, the campaign group that brought the case, which challenges guidance from the
Scottish government, that a trans woman with a gender recognition certificate is legally a woman and therefore entitled to sex-based
protections.
The group argued, those protections only apply to people that they say are born female.
J.K. Rowling, a supporter of the group, has donated to them according to U.K. media outlets. The Scottish Greens, the political party, said the
ruling was a huge blow to some of the most marginalized people in our society and concerning for human rights.
While the ruling stems from a debate in Scotland, it is a decision that will have sweeping consequences for how equality laws are applied across
all of the U.K. and its impact will be closely watched by transgender activists around the world.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Meantime, here in the US, the Justice Department is suing the state of Maine because it is defying the White House's ban on transgender
athletes competing in girl sports in high school.
ASHER: A U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi claims that Maine is breaking federal law by discriminating against women.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM BONDI, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have exhausted every other remedy. We tried to get Maine to comply. We don't like standing up here and filing
lawsuits. We want to get states to comply with us. That's what this is about.
We have repeatedly notified Maine of its infractions and urged them to remedy the situation to protect women.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Officials in Maine refused to back down. Democratic government Janet Mills has rebuffed threats of lawsuits, telling president, quote, see you
in court.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come for us, the founder of one of the world's biggest toy makers fears huge price increases as a result of
Trump's tariffs. We'll speak with Isaac Larian, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:43]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.
There is concern within the U.S. toy industry that inexpensive products could quickly become luxuries for American families. That's because unlike
Donald Trump's first term, Chinese made toys won't be exempt from tariffs and are set to be hit by the whopping 145 percent duty on Beijing.
ASHER: Given nearly 80 percent of all toys sold in the U.S. are manufactured in China. There are fears from one CEO that Christmas is being
put at risk by the global trade war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHEARN: Ninety-six percent of the manufacturers here in the US are considered small or medium sized businesses. So when you think about these
businesses and a 145 percent tariff being put on them, it's untenable to them.
They don't have the cash flow. They don't have the access to capital. And it's basically locking up production in the toy industry. No toys are
currently being produced in China. And there are reports that major retailers here in the U.S. are starting to actually cancel orders. So
Christmas is at risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Time now for the exchange today. I'm joined live now by Isaac Larian. He's the founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment, the world's largest
privately owned toy company and a maker of popular doll brands like Bratz and LOL Surprise.
Now, Larian, see several problems with Trump's tariff policy. He's not the only one, especially the challenge of sourcing in the U.S. the raw
materials needed to make dolls hair. Leaving him to say, quote, what am I supposed to do? Sell bald dolls?
Isaac --
GOLODRYGA: One solution.
ASHER: Yes. Isaac is -- you know, we laugh, Isaac, but it's obviously no laughing matter, right? Because --
ISAAC LARIAN, IRANIAN-AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN: Yes. Thank you.
ASHER: -- 145 percent tariffs, you know, could completely destroy certain companies and, you know, lead to layoffs and obviously higher prices.
Just walk us through what it means for specifically your business and the toy industry as a whole in America.
LARIAN: Thank you. Bianna and Zain, thank you for having me.
So I've been doing this for 46 years, making toys. We have the largest toy factory in the USA called Little Tikes, and we make -- I'm going to show
you something. This swings it in USA.
However, what people don't understand, not everything can be made in USA. This rope comes from Mexico. These parts here, I don't know if you can see
it, comes from China. And this item alone has over 30 different parts. Cozy Coupe has over different -- 50 different parts.
So look, I think President Trump really cares for America. And I like him. But I think he is surrounded by certain people, especially a guy named
Peter Navarro. I call him mad professor or economic terrorist because he is the architect of this terror.
And, frankly, he doesn't understand what it makes, what it doesn't take to manufacture anything.
Since the Mongol times in 1200, people were making different parts of toys or products and assembling them together. I think these tariffs are wrong.
It's not the way to do business.
[12:40:10]
Many, many toy companies are going to go out of business. A lot of why tax the children? Why tax the children. And I think it's wrong and time is
running out. I hope -- I hope that he's watching or listening to this. And except, at least toys.
GOLODRYGA: Isaac, you just laid it out there so clearly for us. And I would imagine that this could be a campaign issue for Democrats. If any are
watching, why tax the children. You don't have to have a PhD in economics or know-how supply chains work to figure out that given such a shocking
tariff policy, the consequences would be enormous.
I'm just wondering -- we speak to many small business owners who likely don't have a connection to the White House and to some of those advisors
around the president.
Given the size and scale of your company, I'm curious if anyone reached out to you. Have you been in touch with anybody in the government there to let
them know this is the impact this is having on your business and the ripple effect it's going to have on consumer spending and again, children?
LARIAN: So far, they have not. I don't know if you saw my interview with "New York Post," where I invited President Trump. J.D. Vance is from Ohio.
Please get on the plane and come and see our factory.
It will be honor. I show you what it takes to make a toy. Come, come and visit. Nobody has done that. I hope they reach out.
ASHER: Isaac, you know, I guess what is sort of counterintuitive about all of this is that the Trump administration is saying that the end goal here,
one of the many end goals, is to bring back manufacturing to the United States to make sure that these jobs actually stay in America as opposed to
these jobs being overseas.
And the irony is, of course, that that's not only not going to happen, but if these tariffs continue to be in effect, that you are actually going to
have to lay people off. It's literally going to have the opposite effect of what the administration is trying to achieve here. Just talk to us about
that.
LARIAN: Well, very good question, Zain. We have, as I said, we have a factory in Ohio, Little Tikes that makes many different toys. And we were
planning to expand that factory by adding another 220,000 square feet, to bring more toy making to USA.
We have put that on hold now, because the money we were going to get, the profit of the import toys that we were going to get was going to fund
building this new factory and increasing production. So it is frankly counterproductive.
Now, not only we have put that on hold, if this continues, our business is going to be shrinking by 40, 60 percent, and we have no choice to lay off
American workers. We have 700 people working in Little Tikes factory in Ohio. And their jobs is at risk.
Common sense is free. And, you know, they say, oh, let's bring everything to America. I like to joke. I used to have a big afro when I came to
America. And I always tell people I want to have my afro back. It's not possible.
GOLODRYGA: Well, Isaac, you know, if briefly, we only have a few seconds left. Briefly, one would imagine this 145 percent tariff is somehow
negotiated down. But at this level, or from your forecast, what percentage increase can you expect, can consumers expect for your average product in
the months to come, especially around the holiday shopping season?
LARIAN: The prices are going to go up high double digit. That's what's going to happen. High double digit. And we're going to have inflation in
America like never before. And consumers are strained. They don't have money already.
So a lot of people are not going to have toys under the Christmas tree for this fall. So and the time is running out. The time is running out.
Somebody has to make a decision.
And this thing here is childish. We have this big thing. Oh, let President Xi pick up the phone or call me. Oh, let me call him. Come on, guys. The
life and livelihood are people are on the line. Pick up the phone and talk to each other.
ASHER: Isaac Larian, thank you. Thank you so much for laying out just how this is really impacting the industry as a whole. And especially your
business. We appreciate it. Isaac, thank you. We'll be right back with more.
[12:45:06]
LARIAN: Thank you. Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Authorities have released more police body cam video from inside the House of late actor Gene Hackman.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. The bodies of Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, are called or found in their Santa Fe home in February. A warning, you may find
the following footage disturbing. Investigators found a dog near the body of his wife who died of a rare respiratory disease that spread by rodents.
Now, Hackman was found in another room. It's believed he died a week after his wife of heart disease.
CNN correspondent Veronica Miracle is in Los Angeles with much more. Really disturbing details here and a tragic end of life for such a beloved and
talented actor. And so sad, obviously, for his wife as well.
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Zain and Bianna. It's just so heartbreaking to see these final moments. Authorities released hours of
footage from their body cameras. They also released more than 700 photos of the scene and it really gives further details into the final moments of
their lives.
When deputies first arrive on scene, you saw those heartbreaking images of one of their two living dogs guarding Betsy's body. They spent a lot of
time trying to get that dog to get away from her and coax it out as they made their way further in.
There was a cage, a kennel, where one of three dogs had died. That dog we later learned died from dehydration and then they go further into the
property. They're searching for Gene's body and they find his body later on in the video.
So we now know that based on the autopsy results, Betsy died from the Hantavirus. That's a disease that you can get from contact with rodents. So
she was -- his main caretaker, she was Gene's caretaker, according to authorities. And when she died, there was no one to care for him. He had
advanced Alzheimer's and heart disease and was unable to care for himself.
Now, Hantavirus is a rare disease that, like I said, you can get from contact with rodents, and it shows up in flu-like symptoms. And according
to the trove of documents that was released in her final days, she was looking online, searching for COVID-19 symptoms. She was also looking up
flu-like symptoms, what causes some of those issues.
She was also looking for medical services on the morning of February 12th, which is when authorities believe she died.
We also found this week in a health assessment that there were rat nests and dead rats on the outbuildings of the property, though the home that
they lived in was clean.
Zain, Bianna.
ASHER: All right. Veronica Miracle, thank you so much.
And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:30]
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Abby Phillip sat down for a wide-ranging one-on-one with billionaire philanthropist, Melinda Gates.
ASHER: Yes. The two talked about everything from politics to Melinda's very public divorce from her ex-husband, Bill Gates, and what it took for her to
step out on her own. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GATES: We had a board. We also had -- there were two of us. There were co- chairs. And so we all, you know, we had to agree. But now, you know, doing it on my own, it just feels right. I can step fully into my own voice, use
my own resources, make my own decisions. And that feels great.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST: You have three beautiful children. And you experienced this divorce when they were -- most of them were older.
What has it been like to go through an incredibly public separation and walk your kids through that process too?
GATES: I speak in the book a bit about this divorce. And the only reason I did that is because my book is about transitions. And I didn't feel like I
could talk about a transition without talking about this huge one I had, which was a divorce.
And it would be inauthentic to not speak about it. And unfortunately, so many American families go through it.
All I can say is it's not something I would wish on any family ever. It's painful for everybody involved.
PHILLIP: You write about being with your daughter at Phoebe, and she was scrolling through her phone. She was a little younger then.
GATES: Mm-hmm.
PHILLIP: Watching these headlines. You also talk about how Bill, you said, betrayed your values.
When you realized that for yourself, how did you explain that to Phoebe?
GATES: She understood. She knew what had happened. She had enough information about what happened that she understood that I needed to move
along. And it was sad for all of us.
PHILLIP: You supported Vice President Harris who lost the election, which I'm sure was disappointing to you.
Do you have a sense -- what's your theory of why she was not successful? Was it sexism? Was it the economy? Was it all of the above?
GATES: Well, I think there were several factors. And we don't have all the data yet. I'm a data hound to know.
But look, I do think Americans wanted to change, right? And they weren't happy with the economy. And I don't know all of the other factors. But
people clearly voted.
And so my job, I was absolutely disappointed in the election. But my job is to say we have a functioning democracy. How do we keep it functioning well?
[12:55:04]
Because again, I've traveled to many, many countries. And if you don't have a healthy press, you cannot have a healthy democracy.
PHILLIP: We have a functioning democracy. There are people who would hear you say that and say, I don't know. They're seeing things that scare them.
Are you worried? I mean, you've operated in all kinds of -- in political environments across the world.
GATES: I think we are seeing our democracy being pulled at by the seams, but I trust the people who are in some of the key roles.
The Founding Fathers set us up as a system of checks and balances. And so it takes all of us to use our voice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Really interesting conversation there. Melinda Gates really seemingly opening up a lot in this book.
ASHER: Yes. So it must have been so difficult to have that divorce play out so publicly. And obviously a lot of the details were shielded initially,
but it is really inspiring actually to talk about -- having her talk about just really striking out on her own. And what that meant and what that
meant for her daughter as well.
GOLODRYGA: All right. That does it for this edition of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. "AMANPOUR" is up next.
GOLODRYGA: People say addition.
END
