Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
U.S. Government Runs Out Of Funding And Shuts Down; U.S. Government Shuts Down With No Deal In Sight; E.U. Leaders Meet IN Denmark To Discuss Ukraine, Defense; Federal Law Enforcement Officers Deployed To Memphis; Tensions Escalate As Trump Administration Ramps Up ICE Efforts; Family Of IDF Soldier Killed On October 7 Has A Message For Trump; Hollywood Is Fuming Over A New A.I. Actress; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired October 01, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:35]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. government shuts down and the political blame game begins. "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Democrats in Congress have dragged our country into another reckless shutdown.
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Republicans have adopted a my way or the highway approach.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: With the federal government officially closed for business, the finger pointing is kicking into overdrive. We'll have a live report from
Capitol Hill with the very latest.
And the world waits to hear Hamas' response to Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defends the proposal to
skeptical hardliners in his own government.
And an AI-generated actress has Hollywood crying foul. Why, Tilly Norwood ignited such a firestorm in Tinseltown.
Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World."
At this hour, there is a whole lot of finger pointing and very little talk of compromise on Capitol Hill. The U.S. government has run out of money and
hundreds of thousands of federal workers are being sent furlough notices.
The government shutdown is expected to quickly impact the federal courts, economic numbers, like the jobs data that is due out tomorrow, which will
not be reported with the shutdown and a host of other services that could also be cut.
Air traffic controllers, immigration officers and military personnel will continue to work, but will likely have to wait until the shutdown is over
to get paid.
The White House, meantime, says this presents a golden opportunity to continue its effort to shrink the federal workforce by firing non-essential
workers.
The major issue dividing the two sides is health insurance funding. Democrats say Republicans must negotiate on that or the government will
stay closed. The one thing both Democrats and Republicans agree about is this, it is the other side's fault.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Republicans thought that they could barrel us into a shutdown because they didn't want to protect the healthcare of the
American people. Well, now they've seen they can't bully us. They can't barrel us. They don't have the votes to push their partisan bill through
that did nothing to protect American healthcare.
So, the solution now is for both sides to sit down and come to an agreement that protects American healthcare.
JOHNSON: Rather than work with President Trump and Republicans to get this job done, as our party has done repeatedly in the same situation, over the
years, Democrats want to play political games with the lives and the livelihoods of Americans.
The simple truth is Democrats in Congress have dragged our country into another reckless shutdown to satisfy their far left base.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Let's bring in CNN's Arlette Saenz with the very latest from Capitol Hill.
Arlette, we note that the House Speaker is currently speaking with our colleague, Dana Bash, on CNN domestic. So many headlines that come out of
that. Obviously, we will bring to our viewers here.
But we're 12 hours officially into this shutdown. Both sides have their heels dug in. The president saying that there's actually some good things
that can come out of a government shutdown. Are you seeing any potential right now for compromise?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, 12 hours into this shutdown there appears to be no clear end inside, I can tell you. And talking to lawmakers
up here on Capitol Hill throughout the day, both sides remain dug in on their positions.
Now, there is a key moment that is playing out right now on the Senate floor. Senators are actually voting on a procedural measure on that
Republican seven-week stopgap funding bill. Republicans are hoping that they can get Democrats to cross the aisle and get on board with that plan.
But the majority of Democrats are holding firms saying that there need to be negotiations relating to Obamacare subsidies and other healthcare
issues.
Now, right now, there have been three Democrats or senators who caucus with Democrats who have crossed over with Republicans. That's Senator John
Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Senator Angus King of Maine, an independent.
That is -- those are the same senators who sided with Republicans last night. So, we're waiting to see whether another five Democrats might get on
board.
[12:05:59]
There is a very animated conversation playing out right now between some of those potentially swing senators -- swing democratic senators who could
potentially change their votes at some point down the road.
Now, we spoke with one of those swing votes and that Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. She remains a firm no. But back in March, she did side
with Republicans to keep the government funded.
She said she's been talking with Republicans and democratic senators to see if there are any type of compromises that could be reached. Here's what she
had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): I think what we need to do, as I said, is to negotiate here, to come together on how we can address the concerns on both
sides of the aisle. We are not that far apart. This is not that difficult to solve. People would just sit down.
Actually, a number of my women colleagues and I have talked about the fact that if the women were in charge, we'd have done this back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator Shaheen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Senator.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Now, right now, there do not appear to be any conversations happening between democratic and Republican leadership up on Capitol Hill
or between congressional Democrats and President Trump. So there's major questions about how exactly lawmakers will get out of this shutdown and how
long it will last.
Republicans believe that the answer is for Democrats to get on board with that seven-week plan, but Democrats want Republicans to come to the
negotiating table on those Obamacare subsidies on other issues.
For now, things are still out of stalemate as there is no clear resolution in sight for this government shutdown.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Arlette Saenz on Capitol Hill for us, thank you so much.
Let's get some perspective now with CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. Ron, good to see you.
So, you've long argued that healthcare is one of the Democrats' most durable advantages. If the shutdown is framed around the ACA and extending
these subsidies, will this ultimately be worth it and a win for Democrats? Or is this an issue that the longer the shutdown goes on, healthcare will
sort of shift to the backburner --
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- and Democrats will be accused and blamed for a shutdown?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Kind of yes and yes. I mean, healthcare is the strongest issue Democrats have. At this point, the -- the cuts in the One Big
Beautiful Bill on Medicaid and the perspective expiring of the ACA subsidies in December are both really unpopular with the public.
And at a time when the democratic image is at low ebb, healthcare is one of the very few top tier issues, maybe the most significant issue on which
more Americans say they trust Democrats than Republicans.
On the other hand, as you're suggesting, you know, government shutdowns have never really worked to force the other side to do what the -- the
party shutting down the government wants. It didn't work for Gingrich in '95 against Clinton. It didn't work for Ted Cruz against Obama in 2013. The
2018 was kind of a self-shutdown that didn't really achieve its goals either.
So I'm assuming they will find a way out of this, how long it goes, what happens in the meantime. A wildcard, Bianna, is that Trump is threatening
to do things that we have not seen from presidents in previous shutdowns, and that could create more pressure.
One final point, you know, they're -- they're kind of -- Democrats, in some ways, are pushing against an open door because a lot of Republicans want to
extend these subsidies too.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And Democrats are arguing that it's all about keeping healthcare affordable and extending these subsidies for Americans.
Republicans are trying to act like the -- the voice of reason here and saying, listen, let's continue talking, pass a clean CR, and we have seven
weeks from potentially we can get something resolved.
Even "The Washington Post," in an editorial today, warned that Democrats are walking into President Trump's shutdown trap and also raising the point
that you did that he and his OMB director, Russ Vought, are taking an extra step here, basically unprecedented, and saying this could be a good
opportunity for us to permanently end some jobs and fire more workers, not just furlough them, but fire them.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Yes. And that was one of the reasons why Chuck Schumer, you know, didn't want to shut down the government in -- in the spring. The
fear that the administration would do that.
I mean, "The Post" has kind of repositioned itself. I'm not sure it's an even anymore in terms of that -- that advice, more -- more right of center
at this point.
But look, I think, demo -- the -- the -- the key factors here are this is an issue that Democrats feel they have the advantage on, right? And one in
which they do have the advantage on, I think objectively, in polling at a time when the public trusts Republicans more than them on many other
fronts.
Second, Democrats are facing, I think, insurmountable pressure from their own base to draw a line against Trump somewhere. I mean, as I wrote in my
column today, it's easy to understand why they are focusing on healthcare. It's hard to argue that healthcare is the biggest problem facing the
country when Trump is telling generals to prepare to fight the enemy from within. But nonetheless, they had to draw a line somewhere, I think, or
they would have faced just utter revolt from their core voters.
[12:10:06]
And third, I mean, as I said, you know, if you look at what we're specifically arguing about, I don't think the Medicaid cuts are really in
play here about reversing what they did only a few months ago. It's about extending these in large subsidies that were created during the pandemic to
help more people buy health insurance.
Those are very popular. They've been very effective. We have more people covered at this point than at any point in our history. And the take up,
Bianna, has been the most dramatic in Republican states like Florida and Texas and Georgia.
So there are a lot of Republican voters who would benefit from an agreement here as well. And so like all of these things kind of argue for finding a
way out of this, but you just don't know how much -- you know, how much (INAUDIBLE) has to be broken in the interim.
GOLODRYGA: And this is an area you pay a lot of attention to. Which group is more at stake here? Is it the swing voters who are worried about
premiums? Or is it working class voters who are more worried and focused on the upheaval and chaos that's involved in every government shutdown,
especially if this is one that can go on for as long as the last one did, which I think set a record at 35 days?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, I -- I think the Democrat -- look, the -- the core argument that -- what is the core argument the Democrats want to run on in
2026? Their core argument is that Donald Trump said he was going to solve your cost of living problem. And he hasn't done that. All he's done is
further enrich his wealthy buddies. That is the case they want to make, higher premiums and lost coverage.
Sixteen million people will lose health insurance as a result of the cuts in the bill last summer and the expiration of the subsidies according to
the Congressional Budget Office. Those are like prime exhibits in that case the Democrats want to make. So this is on ground that they want to fight
on.
But as you pointed out correctly, and I think history shows very clearly, eventually the practical consequences of shutting down the government
become untenable for the side that is seen as precipitating it.
Now, Republicans have unified control of government and the early polling shows that more people, slightly more people blame them than Democrats for
the shutdown. That may persist. But I do think that, you know, this is one where the -- the ultimate resolution is not that hard to envision, right?
I mean, it's not like Ted Cruz demanding the repeal of the Affordable Care Act in 2013 or Newt Gingrich demanding that Bill Clinton sign a budget that
block grants Medicaid in 1995. There is a path out of here, and one that I think some Republicans would be happy to take in the end.
But I do think that as in all of the previous shutdowns, eventually the practical consequences, the practical im -- impositions and inconveniences
for Americans become too difficult to sustain.
GOLODRYGA: What do you make of the narrative and argument that Republicans and even some Democrats are making in terms of why Chuck Schumer felt that
he had no other choice but to agree to the shutdown now given all the pushback and heat he received by the last CR and supporting that?
As you noted, I mean, it looks like the president is threatening to do the very things that -- that Schumer justified in pushing that CR for at the
time. And the argument being that he's afraid of being primaried by someone more progressive, specifically AOC.
BROWNSTEIN: And it's not -- it's not just him, really. I mean, really across the board, democratic voters are overwhelmingly frustrated and
dispirited that the congressional leadership, in particular, has not been able to mount more effective resistance to Trump on any front.
Like I said, healthcare is the strongest issue for Democrats. It's hard to argue it's the most urgent threat facing the country when, you know, the
FCC is strong arming ABC to take a talk show host off and Trump is firing prosecutors until he finds the ones who will indict the person he wants or
he's sending the National Guard into more cities and telling the military to prepare to fight the enemy from within.
But this is the ground they have chosen to fight on. And I think the demand from the party base to draw the line somewhere and show that you can push
back against Trump is simply insur -- and it's not just for Schumer, it's for other democratic senators and other democratic legislators.
The level of frustration among democratic voters is really hard to overstate. It's why someone like Gavin Newsom and J.B. Pritzker to a lesser
extent have captured so much attention because they do seem to be pushing back against Trump.
So they had to do -- I mean, there was just no way they could -- they could simply accept this. They had to do this.
How long it goes on is another -- is another question? Because eventually, the public does get exhausted by this. And as I say, the history is not
that you get the other side to simply buckle under, you know, in the end.
But I do think that some agreement to, you know, begin a negotiation that will lead to an extension of the ACA subsidies is not hard to imagine at
some point as an eventual kind of resolution of this.
GOLODRYGA: Right. Especially, as you see, Republicans really trying to pressure Democrats by holding these daily votes. Americans are going to be
seeing this as well, and at some point grow exasperated, I would imagine as well.
[12:15:12]
Ron Brownstein, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: Well, European Union leaders are meeting in Denmark today to discuss the war in Ukraine and European security. The talks include a
proposal to use frozen Russian assets to fund billions of dollars in loans to Kyiv.
This summit comes as Denmark is on high alert since last week's suspicious drone activity at several airports and military sites. The nation has
temporarily banned civil drone flights.
The Danish Prime Minister says Europe is in the most dangerous situation since the end of World War II.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
METTE FREDERIKSEN, PRIME MINISTER OF DENMARK: I hope that everybody recognizes now that there is a hybrid war and one day it's Poland, the
other day it's Denmark, and next week it will probably somewhere else that we see sabotage or we see drones flying or we see -- yes, you can -- you
can -- there are many different kind of episodes.
So I see this from a European perspective. There is only one country that are willing to threat us and it is Russia, and therefore, we need a very
strong answer back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Clare Sebastian has more on Europe's proposed plan to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The issue of these frozen Russian assets has been a big source of debate as you know. Since the very start of
the war, since the Central Bank assets were seized by the West, in the first place, they are already using them to an extent. They're using the
interest they generate and funneling that to Ukraine, but that is in much smaller amounts.
What they're proposing to do now is essentially transfer the cash and use that as a loan to Ukraine that would be repaid in the event that the war
ends.
Ideally, the European Commission feels that would get around some of the legal questions that still abound about this issue.
But take a listen to the E.U. Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen in how she explains this.
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: We have to increase the pressure on Russia. And this is why I have proposed reparation loans
for Ukraine on the basis of the immobilized Russian assets.
We are not confiscating the assets, but we are taking the cash balances for loan to Ukraine. Ukraine has to pay back this loan if Russia pays
reparations.
SEBASTIAN: So look, there are still questions about this. It's clear in Europe support is building. Chancellor Merz of Germany backed this idea in
an opinion piece in "The Financial Times" last week.
But the questions obviously related to international law, related to what this would do to the credibility of the -- the Belgian banking system where
these assets are held.
The European banking system as a whole, the euro, they are still there, even though legally as the commission presents this this would not be
confiscation, but more a loan structure.
And the Kremlin today made it very clear that they don't differentiate between this plan and outright confiscation saying they would see this as
theft and would seek legal action against those involved.
But this, I think, at this stage in the war is not just about pressuring Russia, this is about Europe now without the financial backing of the
United States finding a way to fund Ukraine, to fund its military through this ongoing war in a fashion that does not involve going back to their own
taxpayers and asking for more money which, of course, is politically difficult.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Clare Sebastian for that.
Well, flashfloods in Ukraine's Odesa have left nine people dead, including a family and one child. Emergency services say the family of five were
trapped in their home engulfed by water earlier today.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X calling it a horrific situation in Odesa. More than 500 workers are involved in the rescue efforts.
And in the Philippines, rescuers are frantically searching for survivors after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit on Tuesday. More than 60 people were
killed as the quake brought down buildings and left infrastructure badly damaged. Officials say local hospital was overwhelmed as medics received
dozens of injured people.
Rescue crews in eastern Indonesia have located six children who were trapped under a rubble of a collapsed school -- collapsed boarding school.
The children are still trapped but rescue workers have been running food, water and oxygen to them. Officials say three people have died, 100 are
injured and 91 are missing.
Well, efforts were hampered after a strong earthquake struck nearby on Tuesday packing the debris tighter. Authorities say the century old
building was undergoing construction as they investigate the cause.
And still to come for us, a build-up of federal forces in the city of Memphis, Tennessee is making many residents nervous. It's part of President
Trump's move to use those forces to help fight crime. We'll have details, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:20:39]
GOLODRYGA: Well, residents of Memphis, Tennessee are watching and waiting amid a surge of federal officers to their city.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says the federal operation is already underway with nine arrests made on Monday alone. The deployment comes
alongside similar actions in cities like Chicago and Portland, where U.S. President Trump claims crime has gone unchecked.
Tennessee's Republican governor says troops would not make arrests or be armed unless local authorities request it.
CNN's Ryan Young has more on the reaction in Memphis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is a mix here, especially when you're dealing with the city's dealt with so much violent
crime. When you talk to some folks who work in the police department, they're saying violent crime is down. In fact, they're seeing five and six
years lows.
A lot of crimes spiked after the pandemic. You know that. We've covered it all across this country.
What people are concerned about is violent crime. But before I get too far into the numbers here, I really want to set the scene for what we're seeing
as we speak. This build-up really of federal resource as in folks coming into the city is something that we've been able to witness ourselves.
If you look over here, you can see all the heavy machinery that's been brought in. And these are command posts that have been brought in from the
outside. We also see the TBI is here, which is the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. We've seen FBI agents here as well.
We also have to note that in the last 48 hours, of course, Pam Bondi saying they've made some 53 arrests. But this does make some folks in the
community nervous because they're not sure how this works.
The mayor has said they want more federal resources. They want more resources for the community to keep this violent crime streak going down.
There are some people in neighborhoods who are tired of the violent crime.
So, yes, they want to see more, but they're scared that young boys and young men might be targeted by this. And that's something they're trying to
deal with.
In fact, take a listen to the mayor talking during a town hall just last night.
PAUL YOUNG, MEMPHIS MAYOR: I think we're still working through how they're going to fold into some of the things that are working within MPD. And so
we do have every reason to believe that they're going to be collaborative and work with our police department.
YOUNG: And I want to say this especially for our international audience. It's not often that we show up to an area in a city like Memphis, and
there's this build-up. There's a federal build-up. All the cars that are in this direction are pretty much attached to this operation.
And we're still trying to find out the details about what neighborhoods they may be targeting because, of course, with violent crime, there are
certain areas of the town that routinely have historically bad violence.
[12:25:07]
And that's something that the community is wondering about. Where will this targeted enforcement end up? Where will it go? How will it interact with
the community?
People have watched the video in D.C. And they're worried that people will occupy streets and that they won't be able to move and do business the way
they normally do.
Now, look, Memphis is one of those cities that has a strong tourism area. We know Beale Street, we know Elvis, we know all those things. So people
are concerned about how this will move.
But let's be clear here. There are people in the community who want the extra resources.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Our thanks to Ryan Young for that.
Meanwhile, tensions are escalating as the Trump administration ramps up efforts by agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as
ICE, to deport immigrants.
ICE agents were seen on video grabbing journalists at a New York court on Tuesday. The journalists were documenting an arrest when they were shoved,
according to the New York Immigration Coalition. At least one journalist was injured.
Well, critics are condemning these aggressive tactics used by ICE while the agency says that the safety of agents is at risk.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has more on this incident and the recent situation in Chicago involving protesters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There have consistently been clashes now between protesters or people standing by, as you saw there, with the
journalists in that immigration court who are, again, coming up against ICE agents who are similarly carrying out their duties of arresting immigrants.
And this has been the case in Chicago. Chicago has been the target for the Trump administration for weeks, if not months. But recently, they had
ramped up resources in that city. So they have a heavier presence there and they are carrying out multiple arrests, using aggressive tactics the way
that was done in Los Angeles.
And protesters have swarmed outside of the facility in broad view. It's about 10 miles outside of Chicago, where over the weekend, for example,
there were also clashes with federal law enforcement in tactical -- tactical gear that deployed these non-lethal munitions while pushing the
crowd.
Now, the administration announced this week that four of those protesters now face federal charges.
And just yesterday, the acting ICE director sent a letter to local -- their -- sorry, to local city officials saying the following, quote, "These
rioters are laying siege and interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations. Failure to help provide relief makes you a party to the
obstruction of justice. There will be no change in our operational posture until these unlawful activities cease."
So this has been the tone and the tenor from the Trump administration, not only in Chicago, but also in Los Angeles and also in Portland, where they
have similarly forcefully responded after protests outside of an ICE facility. And some of what is being protested is, again, the tactics that
are being used to arrest immigrants.
Now, you showed their earlier video of what occurred at the New York Immigration Court just yesterday. These arrests are different in the way
that the administration is arresting those who come to the U.S. Immigration Courts where they are supposed to be and then are arrested. And it is these
clashes, in particular, that have really set off a firestorm.
And yesterday what occurred is that a journalist was shoved down, this after an immigrant was shoved last week.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents were in the process of arresting an immigrant and they say that this journalist got in
the way.
In a statement to CNN, they said the following, quote, "Rioters and sanctuary politicians who encourage individuals to interfere with arrests
are actively creating hostile environments that put officers, detainees, and the public in harm's way."
Going on to say that, "We are urging the media and politicians to stop fanning the flames of division and stop the demonization of law
enforcement."
There is concern on both sides of the aisle of the dangers here, both for immigrants, but also for ICE agents. Of course, we saw the shooting at the
Dallas ICE facility just last week. But all of it appears to continue with these clashes.
And it's also worth noting that given -- even in light of the shutdown, immigration enforcement activities will be continuing in all of these
cities.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come for us, the parents of a man killed in the October 7th Hamas terror attacks have a message for President Trump
about his Gaza plans. We'll hear from them, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:19]
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan hangs in the balance this hour, as the clock ticks down to a fast approaching deadline. We're
told that Hamas is reviewing the agreement and will deliver a response following consultations with Palestinian factions. On Tuesday, Trump gave
the militant group three to four days to make a decision.
We're also learning the Israeli Prime Minister defended the proposal before hardliners in his government. But the Israeli cabinet still needs to
formally vote on the initiative.
Meanwhile, the IDF appears to be escalating its takeover plan for Gaza City. Earlier, the Israeli Defense Minister issued a final warning for
Palestinians to evacuate the area.
And the Red Cross has just announced that it is temporarily suspending operations in Gaza City as Israel has threatened to cut off northern Gaza.
Well, among those fighting for the release of the remaining hostages, the parents of Omer Neutra, he's the American Israeli man who was killed on
October 7th, 2023. His body is still being held in Gaza.
His father, Ronen Neutra, had a message for President Trump. This was when we first learned about this peace plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONEN NEUTRAL, FATHER OF OMER NEUTRAL, KILLED ON OCT. 7TH, 2023: We are almost two years in. The war needs to end. The world is looking at you. The
hostage families are looking at you. This is the time to bring Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government to the negotiation table, to bring
Hamas to the negotiation table, and materialize your plan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[12:35:00]
GOLODRYGA: Time now for "The Exchange." Joining us once again are the parents of Omer Neutra, Ronen, and Orna Neutra. Welcome back to the program
both of you. It is really good to see you again.
Ronen, that video was posted on September 28th. It was Sunday, just one day later, was when we heard the prime minister of Israel standing there at the
White House, with President Trump officially accepting and agreeing to this peace plan.
Obviously, as we note, the onus is on Hamas now to -- to agree to it as well and to follow through on what they agreed to.
But when you heard those words from the prime minister, I'm just wondering what went through your mind?
R. NEUTRA: Well, Bianna, we -- we've been waiting for this moment for -- for close to two years. It's -- it's a pretty historic moment where
President Trump understood that he needs to put the pressure on both parties and really say enough is enough.
We could have been in this place earlier, but having experienced the -- the tragedy that is ongoing, both in the Israeli side on -- and also on the
Palestinian side, really is a historical moment. And we are very grateful for President Trump for his strong commitment, for negotiating a historic
deal that he brought that Prime Minister Netanyahu to agree to. And now, obviously, we're all waiting on Hamas to give a response.
GOLODRYGA: Orna, I have raised this with the both of you, both personally, privately and in interviews over the last year or so. And that is how
unusual it seems to be for President Trump to continue to show such emotion and deference towards you, the hostage families, and the hostages
themselves.
Any single time this issue over the war comes up, it is the first thing that he raises. He was so clearly moved by meeting with the hostages who
have thankfully been able to come home.
And also, I have to say, with families like yours who tragically have lost their loved ones, but they remain held hostage in Gaza. He keeps saying
that he has just blown away at families like the two of you who continue to fight for Omer as if he were still alive and how important it is for you to
have closure and bring his body home.
When was the last time you spoke with the president? And what -- what is it like for you when you hear him become so emotional?
ORNA NEUTRA, PARENTS OF OMER NEUTRA, KILLED IN OCTOBER 7 ATTACK: First of all, Bianna, you're absolutely right. We don't take this lightly. The
president has shown a huge amount of compassion. He's also very attentive to the hostage families and to the people of Israel.
In his statement, he also mentioned how he's seeing the people on the streets in Israel that are speaking directly to him. And that's absolutely
true because they feel that they have an ear with the president, that he does care about what happens in Israel and that he really, really wants
what is good for Israel and for this war to end and for the hostages to come home.
And, you know, we've been in touch with the -- with the people around the president's inner circle ongoing. And we know that he's receiving messages
from families and from families such as ours.
He personally reached out to us. This is almost a year ago when we were sitting (INAUDIBLE) for Omer to share his condolences. And he was, at the
time, a bit surprised that we were saying, you know, this is not over for us. We still need to bring him back.
And he was so, you know, taken by it that he said, you know, I really -- I really commend you. And -- and he's heard that from other families. We
have, you know, almost 30 families that are in our situation that have unfortunately lost their loved ones that are not alive, probably -- even
though we're not 100 percent sure, right? This is all based on intelligence.
And so for us, we need -- we need Omer to come back. All the families are waiting for their loved ones to come back, whether alive or deceased to be
able to rehabilitate the living ones and for us, the families to have closure and -- and give the deceased the proper burial that they deserve.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And without getting political, I do have to just say repeatedly, I've heard from a number of Israelis, and you can see it on
social media, that they have noted that, at times, it is the U.S. president who is more emotional and speaks more about and with hostage families than
even the prime minister of Israel. I'm just saying that objectively as something that many people have noted.
[12:40:12]
And for you, especially as dual citizens, I would imagine it's something that's really important for you as well to highlight.
Ronen, there's no easy way to ask this question. And I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. Because tragically, we've been here many, many times
before. As we approach the two-year mark of the horrific October 7th attacks and then the -- the -- the tragic war that has ensued since.
Have you thought about what you plan to do once -- because I know, I have to say, and I have to believe it will happen once you do have Omer back
home in terms of the burial, in terms of commemorating his life that was taken all too soon and getting the closure that you and Orna and your son
Daniel desperately need.
RONEN: Well, Bianna I have to be honest, we are very focused on getting this deal through. There are 20 living hostages that are starving, that are
in deep tunnels in the darkness, they're abused and they can die any minute, any hour, any day.
We feel somehow that Omer is with us pushing us to do everything in our power being Americans, being Israelis here in the United States to continue
to push the administration and to bring all those living hostages back home.
And also, of course, to make sure that the deceased hostages like Omer will have a proper burial. So now, we are not thinking much about, you know,
where we're going to bury and how we're going to do it and what's going to be Omer's legacy.
Although a lot of people are -- are kind of asking us and -- and want us to get involved. We are very focused on getting people back.
And you know what, when we're getting a call back from a female soldier that came back after 400 and some days in the tunnels and she tells us that
she saw us on CNN speaking up for her and making sure that she will not stay there and pushing and doing everything we can, that's our reward.
This is where we get our motivation and energy to continue to -- to -- to go on until they're all back. And we're very close. But we should not
forget the urgency and the responsibility right now on Hamas to accept this deal.
And the world must put all the pressure on Hamas now. We expect Qatar to deliver. We expect Turkey and Egypt to deliver because this is money time.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
R. NEUTRA: They -- President Trump achieved is to box Hamas and to box Netanyahu. And this is a huge achievement with a good deal that will bring
peace and stability to the Middle East.
But now, it's the time to have Hamas accepted without bringing too many issues and we say yes, but, and the butts will not -- never happen. We need
to bring this war to an end. We need to bring stability and prosperity to the Middle East and -- and for the people in Gaza and the world including
the pro-Palestinians here in the United States, needs to say enough with Hamas. This is the time.
We are calling on anybody and everybody to stop this war. And Hamas is now responsible and will be very responsible for their people if there is no
end of war.
GOLODRYGA: Ronen and Orna Neutra, I -- I can see where you're getting your strength from wearing the shirt there with the image of your son Omer. You
call him your heroes.
I have to say that as we get ready to commemorate the most solemn and important Jewish holiday tonight and that is Yom Kippur, the -- the Holiday
of Atonement, you know, I'm so sorry that we the world has failed you.
And in the sense that you've lost your son, you haven't had him home yet with you for proper closure and this tragic war continues now for nearly
two years. So thank you so much for joining us. Hopefully next time we'll have better news.
O. NEUTRA: Thank you, Bianna.
R. NEUTRA: Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: Orna and Ronen Neutra. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:15]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's go check on how the U.S. markets are doing right now. The markets are basically flat right now. The Dow slightly in
the red while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ are slightly in the green.
Notable because Futures had been significantly lower this morning as we are entering the first day of this government shutdown.
Well, a lot of uncertainty on Wall Street now about that shutdown, but investors, as you can see right there, aren't too worried just yet. Now
here's the business breakout.
The latest attempt to break the government shutdown has just failed. Moments ago, the Senate once again failed to pass a funding extension.
Democrats and Republicans are each blaming the other side. At the moment, there are no talks planned in the hopes of reaching a compromise.
The U.S. economy lost 32,000 private sector jobs in September according to a payroll company, ADP. This data is heavily estimated and often revised,
but it can be a good indicator of the labor market's trajectory.
ADP's data could be especially important this month since we might not be getting the government's official jobs report on Friday because of the
shutdown.
Well, Peloton has unveiled new products focused on cross-training and artificial intelligence. The company says its new machines have better
speakers and improved Wi-Fi connectivity. They include Peloton IQ, an A.I. assistant that serves as a personal trainer, giving feedback on form, rep
counting, and weights.
Customers with older models can access the service via a software update. Peloton also announced its monthly subscription was increasing by $5.
Well, Hollywood is fuming over an artificial intelligence-generated actress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TILLY NORWOOD, A.I. ACTRESS: Let's get to know each other and thanks for watching.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Her name is Tilly Norwood. And as you can see, she looks very real life-like. She has a demo reel online, she says, in hopes of getting
an acting job.
Well, real actors, you know, the ones with flesh and blood say that this is technology that could steal their livelihoods.
Tilly's creator, a company called Particle6, responded to the backlash saying she's not meant to replace actors and is merely a work of art.
Someone who A.I. can't replace also is our CNN tech reporter Clare Duffy who is joining us live. So tell us more about Tilly. And is this the future
of Hollywood actresses?
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Yes. This is exactly what so many in Hollywood have been worried about, not just actors, but also writers and
directors and musicians who have worried that their work was used to train A.I. systems that then could be used to replace them.
[12:50:00]
I mean, you can see why a Hollywood studio would find it potentially attractive to hire an A.I. actress that they don't have to put up in a
hotel, pay for their travel, pay for their work to begin with. And that is what these actors are really concerned about.
We saw just an outpouring of frustration and anger from many top voices in Hollywood after a report over the weekend that talent agents in Hollywood
are looking to sign Tilly Norwood.
And I want to just read to you some of the comments from these actors on the Tilly Norwood Instagram account.
Actor Cameron Cowperthwaite said, "This is incredibly thoughtless and frankly disturbing. I hope this backfires in every way humanly and, well,
non-humanly possible.
Mara Wilson says, "You didn't even make this. Hundreds of real workers, real photographers, camera operators and heck, even farmers made this. You
took their work and pretended it was yours." And then Sophie Turner had this very curt response. She says, "Wow. No thanks."
The actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, has also spoken out about this saying SAG- AFTRA believes creativity is and should remain human centered. The union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.
And they also say that they think that people don't want to watch this A.I. generated media. They want to watch real people with real emotions acting
in films and T.V. shows.
Now, as you said, the creator of this, her name is Eline van der Velden. She's the founder of this AI startup, Particle6. She says that this wasn't
meant to replace human actors. I want to read to you from her statement. She said, "To those who have expressed anger over the creation of our A.I.
character Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work, a piece of art, just as animation, puppetry or CGI opened
fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting. A.I. offers another way to imagine and build stories."
But I think these concerns are only going to accelerate because we're seeing more and more A.I. companies roll out new A.I. generated video
features that look so real.
I mean, just yesterday, OpenAI released its Sora 2 A.I. video generator. And the images, the videos that are people are creating, even if CEO Sam
Altman are pretty stunning. And so I do think this is something that Hollywood, especially, is going to have to continue to confront as this
technology advances.
GOLODRYGA: It is spooky. Wow. And she just looks so real, like, the -- the British accent too. Let me know.
All right. Clare Duffy, good to see you. Thank you.
Up next on "One World," who is the most popular bear? We will tell you which furry fatso swam away with the crown in the 2025 Fat Bear Week
contest. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:55:15]
GOLODRYGA: And finally today, a beary (ph) good update on a story we brought you yesterday.
The winner of the 2025 Fat Bear Week competition is, drumroll please, or maybe a salmon roll would be more appropriate.
All right. The moment you've been waiting for, Chunk 32. The online contest is run by officials at Katmai National Park in Alaska. And Chunk's story
was especially compelling because he actually broke his jaw earlier this summer. But, of course, that didn't keep him from continuing to gorge on
delicious salmon.
By no means is this fat shaming. These bears actually need to get chubby to survive with the long winter hibernation ahead.
Katmai Park rangers have been holding the contest for more than a decade to educate people about bears and promote preservation of their habitat.
All right. There's always next year, now that I know about this contest. Where have I been?
This does it for this hour of "One World." Meantime, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thank you so much for watching. "Amanpour" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:00]
END
