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One World with Zain Asher
Death Toll From Venezuela Earthquakes Rises To At Least 589; Rescuers Arrive From Abroad In Race To Find Survivors; Why Airfares May Stay High Despite U.S.-Iran Peace Talks; Women Who Were Sedated While Abused Share Their Stories; U.S. Supreme Court Rules Haitians, Syrians Can Be Deported; Texas Poised To Mandate Bible Studies In Public Schools; Woman Who Faked Diagnosis Sentenced To Prison; Humanoid Robots Raise Religious Concerns; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired June 26, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:32]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: A race against time. Rescuers in Venezuela are working around the clock to save survivors while they still can. The second
hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENS LAERKE, OCHA SPOKESPERSON: Top priority, search and rescue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Keeping hope alive. Experts say that the first 72 hours after an earthquake offer a golden window for rescue. What we're hearing from teams
on the ground.
New analysis says that the heat wave in Europe is the most severe ever recorded. Why it's so intense and when it's expected to cool down.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANTCHA ETIENNE, BLACK ALLIANCE FOR JUST IMMIGRATION: We're going to stick together. We're going to keep on fighting.
TESSA PETIT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FLORIDA IMMIGRANT COALITION: The battle is not over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Imagine fleeing to safety, only to be told to turn around and go home. Haitian immigrants found to fight the Supreme Court's ruling on
immigration.
And later, thanks to A.I., researchers are able to read these ancient scrolls for the very first time. What's inside the 2000-year-old text?
Straight ahead.
All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. Bianna is off today. You are watching "One World."
It's been some 42 hours in counting since two powerful earthquakes jolted Venezuela, triggering damage and destruction. The country's acting
president said that nearly 600 people have died. Thousands are injured. Rescuers are racing against the clock to reach people trapped under the
rubble. Those first 72 hours after a quake are critical. That's the golden window, which offers hope of finding people still alive.
Aid and relief. Teams are pouring in from all over the world, including the U.S., Spain, Germany and the Dominican Republic. There's an urgent need for
shelter, as many residents are forced to sleep outdoors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAERKE: Our thoughts are with the survivors. And I would say particularly with those who do not know if their loved ones are dead or alive in the
rubble. So search and rescue is the top thing that needs to be done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN anchor and correspondent, Isa Soares, has been following some of the developments and joins us live now from London.
Isa, I understand that you've been speaking to doctors. I mean, doctors are operating under extraordinary pressure in Venezuela right now, especially
when you consider that the infrastructure, the healthcare infrastructure was already under strain, and now, obviously, very overwhelmed.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes, spot on. Look, I think that you said it quite rightly, Zain, that this is a race against time with that
golden window.
And thankfully, as I've been speaking so many on the ground there, grateful to see so many countries, these rescue teams beginning to arrive from so
many countries from the Dominican Republic, Chile, Mexico, El Salvador and others. And that's the ray of light for so many.
I've been hearing from friends overnight over WhatsApp voicemails earlier this morning, arriving to me saying they -- they know someone who knows
someone who's missing. They've been hearing people screaming still under the rubble.
And that fear that I was talking to you about, just 24 hours ago, Zain, of shock has now turned to anger because many people were expecting, of
course, the -- the government of Delcy Rodriguez, or the interim government of Delcy Rodriguez, to put out the National Guard of the army, and that
doesn't -- hasn't happened yet.
And so what we have seen is many Venezuelans do what Venezuelans have learned to do over the years, and that is help each other in situations
like this.
You play the video now. We've seen it earlier, the top of the show. People just go into these locations moving rubble as fast as -- as they can
because they don't have the equipment or the skills necessary. And this is something I've heard time and time again this morning from people saying,
we are not prepared. We, Venezuela, the government is not prepared for something of this scale.
Now, let me tell you what. I've been speaking to a pediatric doctor today. Let me tell you what he's been telling me because he's been a pediatrician
for 40 years. He said, we've been predicting something like this for many, many years because, of course, they are on orange alert. They -- it's an
area that is prone to earthquakes. We said, we didn't prepare. We didn't stock up.
Let me give you a sense of what they are facing. At times, I'm quoting him here, there -- there isn't even aspirin available for patients arriving
with heart attacks.
[12:05:05]
Furthermore, when it comes to the operating room, there's a shortage of roughly 70 percent of the required supplies. Venezuela is missing more than
50 percent, he tells me, of hospital beds, a shortage blamed on blockade, as well as the pandemic.
As for the diagnostic imaging equipment, which will be fundamental for something like this, 70 percent is either obsolete or non-functional.
And that is the challenge that we're going to see right now in Caracas, in Venezuela. A challenge for authorities, of course, for Delcy Rodriguez. And
a challenge for -- for these hospitals and doctors who, for so many years, you quite rightly said, Zain, have seen the hospital, the infrastructure
crumbling in front of the very own eyes over mismanagement and corruption under Nicolas Maduro.
ASHER: Isa Soares, live for us there. Thank you so much for your reporting, Isa.
All right. I want to bring in Loyce Pace, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Director for the Americas. She joins us
live now from Panama City in Panama. Loyce, thank you so much for being with us.
I really want people to understand the sort of tight window that rescue workers are in right now, because obviously there is that sort of critical
48 to 72-hour window.
When rescuers, especially international rescue teams, arrive in Venezuela, just talk to us about what a typical day looks like for them. What are they
-- what are they prioritizing at this point in time?
LOYCE PACE, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS, DIRECTOR FOR THE AMERICAS: Yes, that's a great question. I mean, first, they want to get a
lay of the land from the people who have been there.
There are a lot of people who are offering hands to -- to help out, but there are others who have been doing this from the first minutes, the first
hours since these buildings crumbled.
And we at the Red Cross have had these teams actually on the ground going to different provinces and parts of the city and Greater Caracas area that
understand, OK, this is where we saw 200 or more buildings collapsed or otherwise showed damage. And this is what we know where residential areas
versus perhaps businesses.
And so they can redirect or direct these teams to understand where they should go first and what they might find and who they might find more
importantly when they get there.
ASHER: For people who are experiencing so much fear right now, because they haven't heard from their loved ones since Wednesday, they're calling their
phones and they can't get access to them.
You know, the fear is obviously that some of the loved ones may or may not be trapped underneath the rubble. You know, it's going to be very tempting
for people to start digging through the rubble themselves, desperately trying to find --
PACE: Yes.
ASHER: -- their loved ones on their own. You don't -- you're not even thinking, let me just wait for the rescue teams to do it.
What are the risks --
PACE: Right.
ASHER: -- with that?
PACE: Yes. I'm really glad you're asking about this as well, because one of the -- the things we're trying to provide in a country is not just first
aid, right? Not just searching rescue support, but we're trying to provide this information and education.
It is very dangerous to enter these structures, even if they're still standing. They could still be precarious.
We, our national headquarters of the Venezuela Red Cross in Caracas, is damaged. And we haven't been able to safely work in all parts of that
building. And so we've had to keep our own worker safe.
And if we're doing that, everyone else should be mindful of that as well. I know it's very tempting to, not just try to find your people, but to
recover belongings and prized possessions.
And I know how critically important that is. I come from an earthquake from part of the world myself and I get it. And we need people as safe as they
can remain. We need to protect and save people's lives at this point.
And our first priority is that, first and foremost, help is on the way. People are coming to support these efforts, but ensuring that the experts
do are on the frontlines, remain on the frontlines, is critically important.
ASHER: You know, what do you say to family members after that sort of critical 72 window -- for the 72-hour window has already elapsed? I mean,
obviously, we always see miracles in these sorts of situations.
PACE: Yes.
ASHER: I mean, I've been at CNN for over a decade. I've seen so many situations whereby you see an earthquake and then four, five days later,
someone dramatically, by some miracle, gets pulled from the rubble.
PACE: Yes.
ASHER: But after the 72-hour window has passed, I mean, I imagine that rescue crews are starting to have really difficult conversations with loved
ones. I mean, that has got to be, for both people who are on the receiving end of those conversations, but people who are actually delivering the
news, that has got to be so incredibly heartbreaking.
PACE: That's very thoughtful of you Zain. You know, there's -- there's rescue and then there's -- there's recovery. And that both are hard, but
the latter, it's just -- it's even hard to talk about, but we have to.
[12:10:59]
So, we -- we addressed that in a couple of ways. Actually, to begin with, we're already implementing and delivering, through Venezuela Red Cross,
psychosocial support, emotional support, mental health counseling, even in the wake of this, because it's -- I mean, it's just been stressful to be
displaced and unhoused for two nights.
There are many people who don't want to be in any type of structure, even if it's a safe temporary shelter, right? So, there's a lot that goes into
addressing people's anxieties in this moment, particularly as time wears on, and they don't know where their families are or friends are.
It's very hard, but it's very important to lead with that psychological first aid and ensure that people have that support if we do have to deliver
bad news.
That's also critical for workers themselves. This is not easy work. And if you know anyone who's worked in Haiti and Turkey, in any part of the world
where this has happened, you have to tend to the mental health and well- being of people on the frontlines.
And it's a reminder for anyone watching this who is humanitarian worker to take care of yourself first. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
The last thing I'll mention is our Restoring Family Links Initiative. So, countries from Mexico down to Argentina have set up services for people to
report missing loved ones, to try and work through Red Cross, to identify or find those missing loved ones.
And it's -- it's worked. It's worked in circumstances like in Jamaica and the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. We -- we do this all the time all over
the world.
So, I want to encourage people to reach out to those Red Cross societies in those countries as well to be -- to agree that people in the diaspora
really are facing that anxiety as well being outside the country.
ASHER: You brought up such a good point about people just not wanting to be in any building after work. Because they didn't just experience one
earthquake. They experienced not -- like two earthquakes literally back-to- back and then --
PACE: Yes.
ASHER: -- a lot of aftershocks. And so it just even sleeping at night in a building, something we take for granted all the time must --
PACE: Yes.
ASHER: -- just be terrifying. And that's going to take a long time to get over.
Loyce Pace from the IFRC, Director for the Americas. Thank you so much, Loyce.
PACE: Thank you, Zain.
ASHER: All right. Russian-installed authorities have declared a state of emergency in Crimea. Long queues are building up at the bridge that
connects Crimea to southern Russia as thousands are waiting to leave.
This comes as Ukraine intensifies strikes on Crimea and people are facing air raid alerts, fuel shortages and power outages as well.
Kyiv is targeting transport links and supply routes connecting the peninsula to southern Russian forces, part of a broader push to increase
pressure on the Kremlin, a tenuous interim ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran maybe in jeopardy.
The U.S. President Donald Trump is calling a strike on a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, a foolish violation of the truce.
It comes as Iran warns safe passage through the waterway cannot be guaranteed and it's lashing out at a joint statement by the United States
and Gulf Cooperation Council.
On Thursday, a U.S. official accused Iran of striking a vessel near the Oman coast.
Meantime, the interim deal appears to give U.N. nuclear watchdog inspectors access to Tehran's nuclear science. Earlier, the agency's chief spoke on
the process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL GROSSI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY: They have established like an executive committee or supervisory committee,
which will include technical working groups, including one on -- on nuclear.
So, there is some process that they are trying to define, to channel the discussions within this 60-day period that they have given to themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: And one of the fallout after this war and also the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has, of course, been volatile oil prices. We've seen that
over the past four months.
Joining us live now to discuss all of this is David Goldman.
David, one of the things that I find quite interesting is that despite the fact that at this point in time, we have seen oil prices come down after
this sort of interim deal, after this memorandum of understanding.
One of the issues is that we're still seeing high airfares. Why is that?
DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, it's mind-boggling. I mean, considering how much oil has come down.
Jet fuel has come down significantly as well. Look at this, 42 percent since April, right? So, you would think, well, obviously, airfares are
going to come down too. The whole reason that they're up is because air -- because jet fuel was so high. No, not the case, 15 percent to 20 percent
higher over the course of the past year.
Now, C -- now, the CEO of Delta, Ed Bastian, said, this is it. We're not going to lower these rates at all. What's the reason for that? Well, it's
demand.
[12:15:06]
Look at all these people in the airport. If you have had the displeasure of going to an airport lately, you have seen this kind of scene with people
all over the place that are trying to get on flights because people want to travel in the summer.
So, what's going on? Well, you would think that this would be a big factor here because consumer sentiment just fell to its lowest point ever.
Well, it's actually just a little bit higher. I don't know if you can see that on my little line chart there. It just crept a little bit higher.
But people hate this economy. So, what are they doing? They're spending. They're going to the airport and they're leaving. This seems to be why jet
prices are up, even though jet fuel prices are down, Zain.
ASHER: All right. David Goldman. Thank you so much for explaining that to us. Appreciate it.
GOLDMAN: Thank you.
ASHER: All right. A new study has found that the extreme heat currently scorching Europe would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago. It says
the heat wave is the most severe ever recorded and that human-driven climate change is to blame.
Records across Europe have been broken as a stubborn heat dome traps in hot air. The U.K. has seen its two hottest June days on record.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GWILYM TUDUR, PHD STUDENT: Think of houses built for this kind of temperature. We're thinking of buying an air con for a -- for a flat and,
you know, they're very expensive.
It's just June at the moment. So what is going to be like next month or August? I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: It's just June at the moment and that is exactly right. That's part of the issue here.
Let's bring in CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar. I think the big question though, yes, it's these temperatures are happening earlier and earlier. But
when are the Europeans going to get a break?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. So, let's -- let's first let's kind of break down here what we're talking about in terms of that study.
OK?
So, let's kind of show you this bill curve that we've got here. So, you've got your cold temperatures on the left. You've got your warm temperatures
here on the right. And we picked an arbitrary point to say, 35 degrees Celsius is kind of the -- the high end limit.
Basically, the vast majority of the temperatures you're going to see fall in this average range right through here. This is where the most frequent
temperatures are going to occur for a particular place, especially when we're talking about Europe.
Well, now, thanks to climate change that is shifting farther to the right, meaning, those warmer temperatures are more and more likely. And a
temperature like 35 degrees, for example, is three times more likely to happen now because of climate change.
And also too, all of the record temperatures that we've been seeing across not just one country, but many countries in Europe, those are also reaching
more extreme limits than they would have just a few decades ago.
And you can still see some of those incredibly hot temperatures on this map. We've got a single triple digit there, but a lot of them that are in
the upper 90s in terms of Fahrenheit, then we switch it over to Celsius. Again, you can kind of see mid to upper 30s still across areas of Spain, of
France, of Germany.
And it's likely going to continue for these places at least through the remainder of the day today. And then finally, some locations will start to
get a break. But others, it's going to continue well into the weekend.
You take a look at the forecast highs. Now, Bordeaux, Paris, those temperatures are going to come down at least a little bit as we head into
the weekend and early next week. But for Berlin and Vienna, again, it's still going to stick around even into the early part of next week.
And the Madrid, we actually may start to see the temperatures go back up again next week. That's because that original dome of high pressure is
going to shift east. That's what's going to keep areas of central and Eastern Europe at least dealing with those at high temperatures for a few
more days.
Whereas the central portion here, especially areas of around Germany, they're going to start to get a little bit of a break.
However, notice the red color starting to tick back up again across areas of Portugal and Spain. So, that little reprieve may end up being very brief
for the Iberian Peninsula, specifically before we start to see them rebound.
However, Berlin quite a different story, again, very warm still again this weekend, but then we finally start to see those temperatures dropping back
down closer to where they should be by the time we get to next week.
ASHER: All right. I'm sure a lot of people can't wait. Allison Chinchar, live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. Coming up, why millions of students could soon be reading Bible stories and Bible verses in Texas public schools.
Plus, the Supreme Court rules that Donald Trump can deport Haitians and Syrians who are in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons. We'll show you the
impact it's having on communities.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA STANHOPE, SURVIVOR OF DRUG-FACILITATED SEXUAL ASSAULT: You were the first person that I knew who'd experienced the same. And I felt, for the
first time, not alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: An emotional meeting. A CNN investigation helps survivors of sedated abuse to come together with the woman they say inspired them to speak out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:20:38]
ASHER: A CNN investigation brought to light the cases of two U.K. women who were sexually abused while sedated by their partners.
Inspired by Gisele Pelicot, they found the strength to speak out. And for the first time, all three have met to share their stories.
CNN's Saskya Vandoorne has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STANHOPE: We're meeting another survivor.
SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Amanda and Zoe learned of each other's existence three months ago.
VANDOORNE: Good to see you.
STANHOPE: Hello.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): After they revealed in a CNN investigation how they were sexually abused by their partners while sedated.
Today, they're back together for a moment they've long been waiting for, a chance to meet the woman who's more than just a fellow survivor.
GISELE PELICOT, FRENCH ACTIVIST (trough text translation): I'm going to wear my glasses. And now I can see you.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Gisele Pelicot paved the way in waving her anonymity when her husband stood trial and was convicted of drugging and
raping her repeatedly and inviting over a dozen men to do the same.
When I first told her about Zoe and Amanda, Gisele was moved.
PELICOT (through text translation): You're making me cry.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): They're all part of a sorority they didn't want to belong to. Their stories marked by harrowing parallels including being
filmed during their abuse, but now, they found comfort in each other.
STANHOPE: I would like to say that you gave me the strength personally to go through my police investigation. You were the first person that I knew
who'd experienced the same.
And I felt, for the first time, not alone. And I said, I will do the same as Gisele, I will speak out.
PELICOT (through text translation): I understand because without all the women who came to see me in Avignon, I don't think I could have seen the
legal process through. I think that when we're all connected, we can achieve great things.
So, I say well done, ladies. Keep up the fight. And I find it extraordinary that they had the courage to file a complaint.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Zoe's former husband is now serving 11 years in jail, after he confessed to crushing sleeping pills into her tea and
filming while raping her according to authorities. She suspects the abuse may have been going on for a decade.
But like Gisele and Amanda, she feared that devastating impact the revelation would have on her children.
[12:25:05]
VANDOORNE: What did Gisele coming out so publicly mean for you?
ZOE WATTS, SURVIVOR OF DRUG-FACILITATED SEXUAL ASSAULT: I'd already had my case. It had been and done. And I received such a negative press from my
community, my town, which made me hide because me and the children were bullied.
However, I saw a world where someone could come forward. There was hope now that someone could come forward and wave their anonymity. Because when it
happened to me, I did not receive the same encouragement.
PELICOT (through text translation): It's not the victims who should be ashamed, it's the accused, the perpetrators who should bear that shame.
Yet, even today, we live in a society that's in denial. And that's why we see the reaction of your neighbors, your loved ones. Because naturally,
you've revealed a secret that raises many issues within a family, even among neighbors and friends.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Gisele's case exposed deep gaps in understanding of this crime, including missed medical signs when she sought help, believing
she may have had Alzheimer's.
Amanda says she's faced similar ignorance but from police. She believes she was abused over a five-year period by her former partner. She says she
would often fall asleep without remembering how and would wake up to bruises on her body and in different clothes without any memory as to why.
Her partner was charged with rape and sexual assault, but took his own life before the case made it to trial.
STANHOPE: I felt like I was an inconvenience with -- with the police. I didn't feel listened to, heard, that there was no urgency whatsoever, and
to be left with trauma for years waiting for charges.
And, of course, I didn't get to court. So, the police have got a lot to -- to do to prioritize these cases.
PELICOT (through text translation): Yes, because he was cowardly enough to go through with it. It's true that for you, it must be very difficult to
rebuild your life. Because right now, the justice system can't do anything. You did nothing wrong.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Since the documentary, Zoe and Amanda say they've been contacted by women in 55 countries who say they too have experienced
drug-facilitated sexual assault. They've launched a campaign called "End Eye Check" named after a hashtag used on porn sites to check if women are
asleep before they're abused.
And both women were invited to speak in Parliament after a special session was convened in response to CNN's investigation with lawmakers now
questioning whether existing laws are fit for purpose.
VANDOORNE: What would you tell survivors who are watching right now?
WATTS: To speak up and to speak out, if they feel brave enough to go to the authorities. It's difficult because some women don't get the support from
the police, but to find the support network where they're not being judged, because there's a lot of work to be done in that area still.
PELICOT (through text translation): I always say, don't be afraid to speak up. Confide in a loved one, a psychiatrist, a doctor, a lawyer. It's the
only way you'll heal.
So we have to help them. And it will feel like we're passing the torch from one woman to the next.
VANDOORNE: Gisele, is it the first time that you were meeting survivors of drug-facilitated sexual assault?
PELICOT (through text translation): I'd heard of them, but I'd never put a face to their name. And I see they're very young. They're young women. And
I find them courageous.
What they did is truly amazing. Bravo. Bravo, ladies. You were right to do it.
VANDOORNE: Is there anything else you would like to say to Gisele?
STANHOPE: I want to say it's an absolute honor and pleasure to -- to speak to you. It's a dream for me. Someone who actually got me through the worst
time of my life. And now, I'm -- we're actually having a conversation, so thank you.
PELICOT (through text translation): Well, listen, I'm delighted. At least I know why I came to this planet, to share hope and courage with others.
Thank you very much, ladies. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:38]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Zain Asher.
The United States may soon deport hundreds of thousands of people who have been living in the country as part of a humanitarian program.
The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration can end temporary protected status for Haitians and Syrians in the United States.
That status allows people from countries affected by war or natural disasters to stay in the United States. The court's decision could also
affect people from 11 other countries.
Florida is home to a large Haitian community. Reporter Christine Vazquez shows you how they're taking the news.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE VAZQUEZ, REPORTER (voice-over): News of the Supreme Court's decision rippled through members of South Florida's Haitian community
gathered at Miami City Hall to protest the city's agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of these battles are -- are intertwined.
PETIT: My people, they can't go back. It's real. The reality in Haiti is real.
VAZQUEZ (voice-over): In a six to three vote, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the green light to end temporary protected status for
more than a quarter of a million Haitians.
PAUL CHRISTIAN NAMPHY, POLITICAL DIRECTOR, FAMILY ACTION NETWORK MOVEMENT: There is no grounds for terminating Haiti TPS. Based on the country
conditions inside Haiti, this is absolutely absurd.
VAZQUEZ (voice-over): But with the State Department Level Four Do Not Travel advisory still in place for Haiti, TPS Haiti advocates say the
Supreme Court's decision is cruel. They described forced deportations to the gang riddled nation like a death sentence.
ETIENNE: I would not say we would likely going back. We're going to stick together. We're going to keep on fighting.
PETIT: The battle is not over.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Time now for The Exchange. Joining us live now is Todd Schulte, President of Social Advocacy Organization, FWD, Forward.US. He
opposes Donald Trump's immigration changes. He's also an advocate for modernizing the U.S. immigration system.
Todd, you know, obviously, for a lot of Haitian -- Haitian immigrants who are in the United States under TPS, I mean, the news that they got
yesterday would be heart-wrenching.
I mean, when you think about the situation in Port-au-Prince. And this is something I really want our viewers to truly understand. You're dealing
with a situation whereby not all of Haiti, but parts of Haiti, certainly a lot of parts of Port-au-Prince, at least the capital, suffer from severe
gang violence.
[12:35:04]
It's not even safe for schools to be open in certain parts of the country. Hospitals as well. When you think about food shortages, there's issues with
that, food insecurity.
And a lot of aid agencies have actually suspended their operations in Haiti because it's too -- too dangerous. I mean, when you're dealing with a
situation, that's when you know you're in trouble as a country. When even the aid workers are like, we cannot do this anymore.
So, just talk to us about the situation that awaits some of these immigrants in -- in their native country.
TODD SCHULTE, PRESIDENT, FWD.US: Well, that's right. And you don't have to take my word for it or your word for it. You can take the word of the
United States government who also has terminated TPS, who has that level four warning.
This says, do not go to Haiti under any circumstances. If you have to go, if you have to go to Haiti, they advise people to do dental x-rays so their
bodies can be easily identified. This is a country that is in severe crisis. It is not safe.
And this government won't even pretend to say it is safe to be on the ground. And yet, they have violated the law in their efforts to try to
force people out of the workforce and to return to Haiti.
And that is a -- a tragedy. And our hearts should go out to hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been thrown into chaos by this
decision.
ASHER: I think one of the things that -- especially as a black woman, that breaks my heart the most in all of this, is, yes, of course, we know that
the situation in Haiti is terrifying for a lot of people to go back to.
But we're in this sort of weird situation in the United States, whereby certain nationalities and, if I'm honest, races deserve protection and
others don't.
You're dealing with a situation whereby immigrants from Haiti and Syria are losing their protection, whereby at the same time, this administration is
doubling the number of white South African immigrants and refugees that they allow into the United States.
What are we doing? What is -- what is America doing as a country, Todd?
SCHULTE: Well, and, Zain, you've covered this before. We have created a whites-only refugee program, 99.99 percent of the people who are coming
through our refugee program are white South Afrikaners.
We are saying to hundreds of thousands of Haitians. This is the president who, we should be really clear, is not allowed to terminate TPS if he shows
racial animus.
And the court is asking people to suspend disbelief and to forget what he has said about Haitians, to forget that he has lied and said they're eating
cats and dogs, to forget the curse words I won't say on your air about them.
And so we are pursuing a policy here that is racially motivated, it is racial animus. And the Supreme Court has found a legal way to say, ignore
all of that, and instead, that the hands, the black hands of Haitian healthcare workers who may be holding the hands of white Americans, as they
give their last breaths in this world, we are going to say those people can't work legally and they have to go back. It is a trap state, we should
be clear about that.
ASHER: And when you think about people who are being asked to leave, I mean, you know, you're not just dealing -- you're dealing with a situation
where people have spent the past few years building a real community in the United States.
SCHULTE: Right.
ASHER: I mean, some of them have American-born children. I mean, they go to church, they have lots of friends, they have a social calendar, you know,
they work in the United States.
And so just this idea from one moment to the next, being told actually, you have to leave. I mean, that must feel, that must -- and probably doesn't
even feel real to them. And I'm sure a lot of them are going to spend a lot of mental energy figuring out various ways that they can somehow manage to
stay in the country, which is, I imagine going to be quite difficult, but I'm sure a lot of them are going to be rolling up their sleeves desperately
trying to do whatever it takes.
SCHULTE: So -- so let's talk about what this means. There are 1.3 million people who have TPS. There are over a half million people who have TPS who
have lived in this country for over a decade.
There are a quarter million people who have lived in a country for 30 years or more from a country where it's not safe to return people. There's
800,000 U.S. citizens who are their direct family members and live in a household for them.
The reason this does not feel real to people, in some ways today, is because this is the largest effort to create an unauthorized population in
American modern immigration history.
This is without precedent. There are hundreds of thousands of people today from Haiti, from South of North, from Venezuela, from Honduras who are
waking up and saying, what does this decision mean for my family?
And they are thinking about that between they are getting their U.S. citizen kids in school, between their nobel work for a U.S. citizen
employer, and they are building a life here, and this is what we're supposed to do. And we are ripping that away all to be cruel to these
people.
ASHER: So, for people who are watching. I mean, if -- if one of those people who are in the situation that you laid out so well is watching this
program, the question they're going to have is, what are my options? I mean, what are their options?
[12:40:03]
I mean, the idea of sort of trying to seek asylum or trying to get some kind of work permit, I mean, that is -- that's very tricky in the America
that we live in right now.
SCHULTE: That's right. So, it is very -- and this is such an important point. It is very challenging to start an asylum claim if you have been in
this country for a year or longer.
For some of these people, they may have other immigration avenues. They can go to Forward U.S. and check us out and we'll have resources they can look
at to find a lawyer for a screening.
But if they just have TPS, one, they are likely to lose their work authorization as these (INAUDIBLE) come up. That -- that's throwing these
people's lives into chaos and making life force for everybody there.
So, I can't -- I can't give legal advice kind of across the board here. What I do want to say to people who don't have TPS, we want to know what
they can do is, we're going to have to stand up for our neighbors. We're going to have to stand up for our friends and our coworkers.
And if people lose their jobs, we're going to have to demand Congress Act and give these people a pathway to citizenship. We're going to have to say
to the administration and the people around them, this is wrong.
And we're going to have to show up in ways like mutual aid and helping out for families who are our neighbors and our friends. It's going to be an all
of community approach.
ASHER: Right. Because they're losing their jobs. And so the -- the employers have been ordered to terminate any employee they have from those
two countries who are working at the behest of the TPS program, which is in a such a difficult position to be in as a boss and, you know, obviously, if
you are an employee.
Todd Schulte, we have to leave it.
SCHULTE: And (INAUDIBLE) future covering. I'm sorry.
ASHER: No, no, no. What were you saying? I'm so sorry.
SCHULTE: I just -- I want -- in particular for Haitians, I want to say they play a disproportionate role in home healthcare. And think about if you
care for a parent who is going through late stage life diseases, that is -- this is people who have come who are doing that work and they're doing that
work well.
And this is going to put a burden on those families in so many ways who have TPS and so many families who have come to rely upon the talents and
the hard work of these people. And so it's something we're all going to have to fight on.
ASHER: Absolutely. I mean, healthcare workers are doing God's work anyway.
Todd Schulte, we have to leave it there. Thank you. Thank you so much.
And we'll be right back with more.
SCHULTE: Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Texas is on the verge of requiring more than five million public school students to study Bible stories and Bible verses in the
classroom.
[12:45:05]
The State Board of Education is expected to vote today on the measure, which would apply to students in kindergarten through 12th grade starting
in 2030.
CNN's Ed Lavandera is following this story from Dallas. I mean, obviously, this is extremely controversial. And you have members of the community who
are on both sides of this. Some people are vehemently in support of this, but a lot of people also are questioning the separation that should exist
between church and state essentially here, Ed.
Ed, walk us through what the reaction has been.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been an extremely contentious debate throughout the week. Hundreds of people have
testified in public testimony before what is known as the State Board of Education here in this state. And this is a board that is dominated by
conservative Republicans here in Texas. And they are in the process of debating the final amendments and all of this.
And essentially, what they would be doing is creating a new reading curriculum that would be infused at many levels from kindergarten all the
way through 12th grade up to the college level with biblical teachings.
And this come as -- as critics say this is an obvious violation of the separation of church and state that it does so, it pushes a Christian point
of view at the expense of other religious denominations and -- and other religious practices as well.
But supporters of this say that what they are trying to do with these teachings is put the U.S.'s historical context in its proper context
through that -- that the -- the Christian traditions were crucial to the foundation of the -- of -- and the creation of the United States.
So, that is kind of the basis of what has been a very contentious debate that you can listen to a little bit here over the last few days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RABBI DAVID SEGAL, FIELD ORGANIZER, RELIGIOUS ACTION CENTER OF REFORM JUDAISM: The First Amendment does not permit the state to anoint one
religious tradition above all those.
Texas students deserve an education that broadens their understanding of the world's religious tradition rather than narrowing it. If religious
texts are included, they should reflect the diversity of our society.
SUSAN PEREZ, FOUNDER, CITIZENS FOR EDUCATION FORUM: Our nation wasn't founded on all religions. And we don't need to apologize for that. We don't
have to incorporate every religious belief in our history or in our literary works because our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Zain, this is a board that is currently debating the very specifics and of the specific titles right now.
The vote is expected to take place at some point today. But right now, they are still debating which of these titles and these books will be on this
reading curriculum list.
ASHER: All right. Ed Lavandera, live for us. Thank you so much.
A woman who admitted faking cancer and running various scams has been sentenced to time behind bars. Haleigh Morgan Knight pleaded guilty in
March to stealing nearly $20,000.
At her sentencing, the judge said Knight needed to serve time to match the seriousness of her crime. Jane Davenport has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDGE JESSICA PETERSON, EIGHT JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, NEVADA: You changed people's lives for your own selfishness and your own greed.
JANE DAVENPORT, REPORTER (voice-over): The victims of Haleigh Morgan Knight say her lives began several years ago. The Henderson mother claimed to be a
successful content creator and wanted to help her friends find that same success.
CYDNEY FINK, VICTIM OF HALEIGH KNIGHT: What I know now is that much of what Haleigh presented to me was a lie.
DAVENPORT (voice-over): The Fink family shared the betrayal they experienced from someone they thought was a close friend.
FINK: Caleb and I gave up our bedroom and slept in our children's rooms so their family could be comfortable.
During that time, she continued scamming us while sleeping in the fairy bed we gave -- we'd given up for her.
DAVENPORT (voice-over): Cydney and her family say Knight posed as several different people to further her scam and continue to make money off her
lies by selling content creation trips. Trips that always fell through while Knight provided excuse after excuse.
They add that she even went as far as faking a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
FINK: She played on our emotions and faked cancer as an attempt to take the heat off her. We held back and didn't press her for the deposit returns.
Instead, meals were taking to her, her children were babysat for her, donations were given, all in trying to help her with her cancer.
DAVENPORT (voice-over): As part of her plea deal, Knight is ordered to pay back the full amount reported stolen, $19,787.12 cents.
HALEIGH KNIGHT, SENTENCED FOR FELONY THEFT: Over the last year, I've continued working, supporting my family, getting the help I need to better
understand the choices I made and make sure I never find myself in this position again.
I respectfully ask the court to give me the opportunity to continue moving forward, make restitution, support my family and prove the reactions that I
can learn from this and be a better person.
DAVENPORT (voice-over): But Judge Jessica Peterson said restitution is not enough.
PETERSON: Absent this court's ability to be able to take some of those things into consideration. You'll be going to prison tonight.
DAVENPORT (voice-over): Due to the plea deal and court laws, Judge Peterson said she could not impose the prison sentence she desired, but the sentence
she imposed, 30 days in the Clark County Detention Center and 24 months of probation came as a pleasant surprise to the victims who thought she could
get away with no time behind bars.
[12:50:12]
SOPHIA HERGENRADER, VICTIM OF HALEIGH KNIGHT: It was just really great to see that the judge saw what we've seen the whole time and that the remorse
isn't real.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Robots made to look like humans are appearing all over the world. Some have even been seen in religious buildings and mosques such as one
robot in the United Arab Emirates. But with distinctions blurring between humans and machines, the Vatican is urging caution.
Ben Hunte has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the UAE, a humanoid robot made its debut last year. The robot is named Bu Sunaidah and wears
traditional Emirati dress.
The human-like machine went viral on social media earlier this year, after its creator company posted it, appearing to pray at a mosque.
The robot's social media comments filled up with those saying, robots cannot follow a religion. The robots creator agreed, saying it wasn't
intended to be a believer.
YOUSIF LOOTAH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LOOTAH GROUP: A robot is not -- cannot be Muslim or cannot be a -- in a religion. It's a robot. We take it.
We take it to improve our life, to help the elders, to educate our kids, to help people, you know, through hospitality.
HUNTE (voice-over): In South Korea, robots can even become official Buddhist monks. Last month, four humanoid monks led the procession of
Seoul's annual Lotus Lantern Festival. One of those robots, Gabi, became the country's first robot monk when it was ordained last month.
Like the other religious events with robots, the festival also came with mixed opinions. Some on social media said, robots are not appropriate for
the religious ceremony, while others praised the inclusion.
VENERABLE JIN-YONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YEON DEUNG HOE PRESERVATION COMMITTEE (through translator): I'm putting robots and A.I. working
alongside people all over society. Buddhism is about embracing and accepting everything, so I thought, why not include robots in our parade?
HUNTE (voice-over): Pope Leo XIV joined the debate last month. In an official letter, the Pope said, A.I. cannot be involved in religion the
same way that humans can.
"So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through
relationships and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean."
[12:55:13]
As for the future of humanoids, production around the world is speeding up, and so the questions about their role in a human life.
Ben.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Ben Hunte reporting there.
All right. Some ancient scrolls are giving up their secrets, even though they were burned by the eruption of a Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago.
Preserved under mud in a villa that could have been home to Julius Caesar's father-in-law. Parts of the scrolls are now readable, thanks to some help
from artificial intelligence.
Scientists say the scrolls are filled with discussion about stoicism, keeping your eyes on the prize and not letting harmful behavior undermine
your goals.
The ancient text is also keen on the arts and ethics as well.
All right. That does it for this hour of "One World." I'm Zain Asher. Thank you so much for watching. "Amanpour" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
