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One World with Zain Asher

Putin May Ask for 50,000 More North Korean Troops; Prince Harry, Others to Pay $13M in Initial Costs; Spanish Government Offers Amnesty to Migrant Workers; U.S. Navy May Rename Carrier that was Set to Honor Black War Hero; Growing Food Safety Concerns put Consumers on Alert; Two Fishermen Rescued, Spent Five Days Floating in a Large Cooler. Aired 11a- 12p ET

Aired August 21, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. Bianna off today. This is "One World". Ahead on the

show, Vladimir Putin could seek thousands more troops from North Korea to bolster his fight against Ukraine. We'll tell you what Ukrainian

intelligence is learning.

Plus, Africans flooding into a Spanish territory became fuel for Europe's right wing. But many other migrants play a vital role in the European

economy. CNN goes inside the continent's vegetable garden. And it's not just a gut feeling foodborne illness outbreaks are especially bad this

summer in the U.S.

All right, a stark warning from one of Ukraine's senior intelligence officials, Russia is looking for extra manpower and munitions as well, and

those calls are being answered by North Korea. Ukraine claims a new wave of North Korean troops contains a drone unit that could attack targets inside

Ukraine.

The official also says that Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon ask North Korea to contribute up to 50,000 more troops to aid in his campaign

against Ukraine. That number, by the way, is on top of the 8,500 troops that are already in Russia. Over the past year, Russian state media has

shown images of North Korean soldiers in training.

Ukrainian intelligence suggests the troops are not fighting inside Ukraine, but rather reinforcing Russia's rear positions. This military cooperation

comes at a time when Ukraine is running painfully short of air defenses. For many in the NATO alliance, North Korea's deepening ties with Russia are

troubling, to say the least. Nick Paton Walsh has the story.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It's a sign of North Korea's increasing comfort when it comes to flexing kind of

their global might, and also possibly to the growing relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang. Remind everybody, this all began back in October 2024

when North Korea, not acknowledging it, sent about 10,000 troops to assist Russia because of the Ukrainian invasion of Kursk, the first since the

Nazis.

But that relationship has continued to grow, and we now understand that there has been about 25,000 rotated through since that initial deployment.

Remember that first deployment suffered horrific casualties. Some suggesting about 4,000 of the 10,000 came back dead or injured. But they

taught other North Koreans what they learned about drone warfare, about the very different front lines in Ukraine.

Now more have since been. They are still on Russian territory, this senior Ukrainian intelligence official told me they're not heading into Ukraine,

but the interesting difference are the capabilities that these troops now have with them. 400 of these 7,500 troops that have gone in the latest

deployment are part of a drone unit that have learned from the previous guys and may well be using recon drones and possibly attack drones over

Ukrainian territory.

That's interesting because it suggests that they're perhaps getting involved in attacks on Ukrainian territory. At the same time, too, I should

point out the current understanding by Ukrainian intelligence is these North Korean troops will stay on Russian territory, but there are also

thought to be about 90 launch personnel from North Korea who've gone to a unit in Voronezh in Russia to help launch ballistic missiles at Ukraine.

Now that's particularly important because Ukraine has a massive lack of air defenses. Now these KN23 and 24 missiles are part of the launches we see

against Ukraine. There was an incident in Dnipro region in July where four children from the same family were killed by what Ukraine says was North

Korean missiles.

So, a sign here of expanding North Korean assistance to Russia at a time when ultimately Ukraine seems to be suffering from that lack of air

defenses.

ASHER: Many thanks to our Nick Paton Walsh there. All right, let's discuss all of this with the Retired Lieutenant General Karen Gibson, who is the

Former Deputy Director of National Intelligence. Karen, thank you so much for being with us.

Nick Paton Walsh, a reporter there on the ground, was talking about the fact that during the first deployment of North Korean soldiers to the Kursk

region back in October 2024, you had North Korea essentially sending about 10,000 soldiers, and 4,000 of them came back either dead or injured. That

is a very high casualty rate. Just talk us through what North Korea stands to gain from this partnership with Russia.

LT. GEN. KAREN GIBSON (RET.), FORMER DEPARTMENT, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Yes. Well, I think Zain, it's a great question. And North

Korea stands to gain a lot. You know, that first initial deployment did not have a significant effect on the battlefield. There were significant

language barriers, real challenges with integration and interoperability, and as you pointed out, some very high casualty rates.

[11:05:00]

But I think the relationship has transitioned. And let's not forget that North Korea has also provided a lot of munitions, now ballistic missiles,

and as you just reported, potentially drones. And the relationship is evolving from a more transactional, you know, send us bullets and people,

and we'll give you money for food and fuel, to a more operational, genuinely complementary military relationship.

North Korea stands to gain a lot. They have not been engaged in active combat operations for 70 years. They are gaining real-world experience in

conducting operations with modern technology. Each time one of their missiles is used, they get a chance to assess its range, its accuracy, its

reliability, as well as learn about Western, Ukrainian, and U.S. defense systems and how those are operated.

They have a potential to gain some advanced military technology from Russia. There's talk of S-400 air defense systems, maybe Pantier surface-

to-air missiles, and it's really; I think the real story for me is less the impact on Ukraine, which is real. But the real story for me is in Northeast

Asia and what this does in terms of accelerating Korea's military modernization.

ASHER: That's really interesting. And just sort of going back to what you said about the valuable combat experience. It sounds like what you're

saying is essentially that the sort of shipments that North Korea. I mean, obviously, as a communist country, it's of course in dire straits when it

comes to sort of guaranteeing food security for its people.

And so, the sort of shipments that it's getting from Russia when it comes to food, and oil, and sort of Russian military technology, that's

important. But what is more important for the North Koreans is that hands- on combat experience.

GIBSON: Yep, there's no other way for them to gain this. It is a terrific battle lab for them using against real modern Western defenses, systems,

and operating methods.

ASHER: And when it comes to NATO, you know they're sort of looking at this partnership between North Korea and Russia. I mean, it comes at a sort of

strange time because we just had Donald Trump essentially separately sort of talking about this idea that the U.S. is going to sort of scale back on

its joint military partnerships and drills with South Korea in some kind of strange rapprochement with Kim Jong-Un.

Even though when he tried that eight years ago, it didn't really bear fruit. But just sort of talk to us about the timing of this and how NATO

views this partnership?

GIBSON: Yes. So, I think it is interesting. We've often talked about the relationships that Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran have as being

somewhat transactional. There's nothing like NATO's Article Five, which requires allies or partners to commit forces, and we've never really seen

the kind of operational partnerships, certainly, and integration that you have on the NATO side.

It would take a long time, decades, for North Korea and Russia to gain that kind of interoperability if they chose to do so. I mean, we even -- we all

kinds of ways in which NATO is stronger together than North Korea and Russia. But it does provide every time North Korea provides some kind of

capability, whether it's people or material.

And even when they're still employed within Russia and not directly, perhaps against Ukraine, it allows Russia to take its own assets and

allocate those to areas that are perhaps more important to it, particularly against Ukraine.

So yes, NATO should definitely view this very carefully, cautiously, and consider that in a future fight with Russia, that there could be -- they

could also be facing either North Korean capabilities directly, or that Russia would be enhanced by these additional North Korean assets.

ASHER: Yeah, I mean that was going to be my next question. This idea that you know right now you touched on this. This idea that right now these are

sort of -- these North Korean troops are supporting Russia's rear positions that effectively frees up Russian soldiers to go into Ukraine.

More Russian soldiers to go into Ukraine. I mean, how likely is that to change? I mean, are we likely to see at some point North Korean soldiers

directly fighting inside Ukraine?

GIBSON: I would think not. I would think that Russia would always prioritize using them in a rear area again, so that they could employ their

own assets directly in Ukraine. They have significant rear area security concerns. I mean, Ukraine has demonstrated an incredible ability to strike

targets within the Russian state. So those rear area requirements are not to go away.

[11:10:00]

I think that the North Korean assets will continue to be used in an economy of force in the rear areas again to free up more specialized or more

accurate Russian forces and resources against Ukraine directly.

ASHER: If you look at the sort of advantages of both sides here. You know, we'd always sort of thought that Russia's direct advantage was always

manpower. That it's not just manpower in terms of sheer numbers, but manpower in terms of their willingness to allow their own soldiers to die

on the battlefield, the readiness to do that.

I mean, we've covered in this program many times how they, at one point, were bringing soldiers from Africa. By the way, not necessarily soldiers,

even sort of luring them to Russia with a false sense of you know we're going to hire you in these positions. We're going to pay you thousands of

dollars a year, and a lot of the people that came ended up being recruited directly onto the battlefields and dying.

But the fact that they now need assistance from North Korea here, what does that tell you about the state of that manpower?

GIBSON: So, I would make two points here, Zain. I actually think I do believe these reports that Russia is becoming desperate for manpower, but

the employment of North Korean forces themselves is not evidence of that desperation, I think.

I look back to America's deployments, very large-scale combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, in which we were joined by dozens of other nations.

The fact that dozens of other nations joined us was not a sign that the United States was desperate for manpower, but the strength of the alliance.

And each time a partner nation joins you, it allows you again to use your own resources somewhere else. So yes, I agree that Russia is desperate for

manpower. The fact that North Korea is providing assets is not in itself a sign of that desperation. I think the more important thing to look at there

is the evolving relationship with North Korea.

ASHER: That's such an important nuance because at face value, it looks as though yes, maybe this is a sign that they're desperate for manpower. But

I'm glad you gave the example with the U.S. and Afghanistan because what it does show is essentially the strength of the alliance, and it does free up

Russian soldiers to do other things. Karen Gibson, live for us. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed that conversation. Appreciate it.

GIBSON: Thank you, Zain.

ASHER: All right, a new message from Iran's President, reported by Iranian media, Masoud Pezeshkian says it would be better if the war ends now while

Tehran is in a position of strength and dignity. This comes a day after the U.S. President announced what he calls economic D-Day on Iran.

He also threatened economic consequences against countries that continued to do business with Tehran. U.S. Treasury Secretary doubled down on that

message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: If you insist on doing business with them, either transferring money, buying their oil, they are doing

seaborne ship transfers, then the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. government they will put its full might and force toward enforcing against you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: All right, Iran's foreign ministry condemned President Trump's threat of an elevated economic campaign as unlawful. And the Islamic

Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that it could deploy more destructive weapons if the fighting restarts.

Separately, the Trump Administration has imposed new sanctions on Hezbollah in Lebanon and redesignated the group as an Iranian proxy. The move is

meant to signal that Hezbollah is acting on behalf of Iran's IRGC Quds Force, and is not a standalone operation. Hezbollah calls the move unjust.

It comes as the White House works to broker peace talks between Israel and Lebanon.

All right, in the past few hours, the legal bill has been revealed, rather not revised, revealed for Prince Harry and other high-profile figures in a

failed case against the publisher of "The Daily Mail". The Duke and Duchess, rather the Duke of Sussex, rather, and six others, including Sir

Elton John, and his husband, will have to make an initial payment of $13 million.

They accuse the mail's publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited or ANL, of gathering information unlawfully, claims the publisher strongly denied. A

judge dismissed the cases last month.

Max Foster is in London. So, Max, this is essentially Prince Harry and others, Sir Elton John, et cetera few other celebrities, as well as Doreen

Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, effectively being ordered to pay the legal bills for "The Daily Mail's" publisher, and this sort of initial

$13 million is a staggering amount.

Not everybody in this group, I heard you speaking earlier, can afford that kind of money. Just walk us through, you know, what we know so far about

this sum?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, essentially Harry and several others, including Elton John, Liz Hurley, accused "The Daily Mail" of using

illegal tactics in their reporting.

[11:15:00]

And then the judge, when came to the judgment, said there was no evidence of it. They didn't present it, and actually, they should have dropped some

of these examples that they were using. So, more than 50 news stories they were using said there was either bugging or hacking involved there, and

none of those complaints were upheld.

So, the judge was quite scathing about this case and whether or not it should have reached that point. And is actually offering not the standard

sort of compensation you'd see in this. So, associated newspapers actually asking for something like 37, 35 million pounds, so nearly $15 million in

legal costs.

The judge hasn't ruled on all of that, but has ordered this initial payment of $13 million. If it goes up to the 50 million, then that is very

difficult because only part of that, about $20 million, is covered by insurance. Anything above that, the group will have to pay.

Also, they will have their own legal costs to pay, which could be well above $10 million as well, unless the lawyers agree to no win, no fee.

We're not clear on that. But either way, Harry is going to be left with a bill of millions. And this campaign against "The Daily Mail" has really

backfired because actually he's the one now being accused of making up claims about their reporting, which he couldn't actually prove.

ASHER: And speaking of this complex relationship that the royals have with the British media, I mean, obviously, you know, this all comes at a time

when Harry and Meghan are moving back to the UK.

And I understand that they have sort of separately to this appeal to some of the publishers of the largest newspapers in Britain to sort of not

publish where their kids are going to school, not reveal to the public where they're going to be living as well. It is all part of a very

difficult, complex relationship that they have with the British press.

FOSTER: Yeah, I mean they're a high-profile couple, but they want their privacy. And this appeal to the British Newspaper Editors was focused on

the children. So they were, you know, this letter to the regulator, which was distributed to the editors, basically said, as you know, the family

will be coming to the UK, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are appealing that no one reveals their address or indeed the school the children are

going to because they want to protect the children.

So, this wasn't an appeal for the couple's privacy. This was directed at the children, saying they deserve a safe and happy upbringing. And if their

school is exposed, then that there could be an invasion of privacy, tied, of course, to the fact that they feel they aren't getting the police

protection that they deserve.

So, we'll wait to see what actually happens, Zain, because it will be interesting. There will be photographers. There might be some freelance

reporters who do identify the house and the school. Will the newspapers repeat that? It's going to be a huge test, and I think the Sussexes are

going to go in very hard to protect their children if that's the case.

ASHER: Yeah, they obviously wanted a much different experience this time around. We'll see if they get one. Max Foster, live for us there. Thank you

so much. All right, still ahead on "One World", there were scenes that stunned Spain and reignited fiery debate around migration to Europe.

But there is a side to the story that isn't always seen. We take a look at the vital economic role migrants are playing when it comes to feeding

Europe. A U.S. aircraft carrier was expected to bear the name of an African American war hero, but sources say the carrier could instead be named after

Donald Trump. Details in an exclusive report ahead.

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[11:20:00]

ASHER: All right, after weeks of living in limbo, hundreds of migrants in the Spanish territory of Ceuta have been moved to temporary shelters. Many

migrants have been living at a makeshift beach camp since crossing the border from Morocco to Spain illegally three weeks ago.

Image of those crossings set off outrage across parts of Europe, even though many of the same areas rely heavily on migrant labor. Jomana

Karadsheh traveled to southern Spain to meet some of the people who help feed the continent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chaos and utter human despair at Spain's doors, scenes that fast became fuel for the far right

and growing anti-immigration voices on both sides of the Atlantic. But behind these images lies a more complex reality, as we found on our journey

to try to understand Europe's immigration debate and what drives so many to risk everything to get here.

KARADSHEH: We are in the middle of a sea of plastic so vast it's visible from space. Greenhouses everywhere you look. This is Almeria in Southern

Spain. It is often described as Europe's vegetable garden because of this concentration of greenhouses. It produces millions of tons of fresh fruit

and vegetables every year, enough to feed half a billion people.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): In the shadow of one of Europe's agricultural heartlands exists a darker side, rarely seen, slums like this one that have

been around for years, home to part of the massive African workforce helping feed this continent. In a scene of squalor in modern-day Europe, we

find migrants from North and West Africa.

In his previous life, Amoateng Foster was a math teacher in Ghana. Two years ago, he left it all behind, saying he paid smugglers about $2,300 for

a perilous journey through Libya and across the Mediterranean, eventually making it to Spain.

AMOATENG FOSTER, GHANAIAN MIGRANT WORKER: Then I'm not going to recommend anybody to do so. Very dangerous.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): He shows us around this rundown shack he shares with another worker.

FOSTER: So, this man, please.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Amoateng's story is that of so many parents enduring these subhuman conditions, all for the future of his kids he says

to save enough to put them through college.

KARADSHEH: A lot of people are saying we don't want any migrants. Close the borders. I mean, how does it make you feel?

FOSTER: It becomes a little bit worried. Everything that they are doing here is funny, and the workers that they are using is all of us. We are

immigrants. These white people, they can't do it. The governor has saw the need that we are helping them. They are also helping us. It's a mutual

benefit.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): The Spanish economy relies on migrant workers so heavily that the government announced an amnesty in April, offering legal

status to hundreds of thousands already in the country. Amoateng hopes being here legally would bring him rights and respect.

FOSTER: If you are outside the fence, you may think that it's rosary here. It's not rosary here. Look at environment that we live in. But when you are

outside, you may think that oh, Europe is Europe. No, no, no, no. There's no resistance here because you suffer before you can get a scent.

Do you know how much they are giving us? How much they give us here to work in this farm for one hour? They give you five euro. This hot environment

like this, you kneel down like this. Work continuously just like that and they give you five euro.

[11:25:00]

KARADSHEH (voice-over): We get a glimpse into that grueling reality Amoateng described inside one of the countless greenhouses. These men spend

hours delicately planting tomatoes. Their hard labor will soon fill the shelves of European supermarkets. In the sweltering summer heat,

temperatures must remain constant in here.

KARADSHEH: We've been here for a few minutes, and this heat is intense. I'm sweating, and I can't begin to imagine what it's like for these guys

working in these conditions in this heat. Apparently, it hit 44 degrees or 111 fahrenheit earlier today. And they have to do this for hours and hours.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): The owner of this greenhouse told us he only hires documented workers and pays the legal minimum wage. But across Almeria, you

find so many who are undocumented, vulnerable to exploitation. Some of it happening in plain sight, at roundabouts and street corners, they wait to

be picked up for off-the-book jobs that pay well below the minimum wage.

Off-camera, business owners told us they pay what they can afford to still make a profit. The arrival of foreign labor helped revive a region that was

once in decline. All around here, you find thriving migrant communities that have left their mark on this place, and the far right has seized on

that.

In suburbs like La Canada, that overwhelmingly voted for the populist radical right party VOX in the last election, we find pensioners echoing

the rhetoric of these parties. If they can work and have papers, great. The rest is an invasion they tell us. They are people who don't want to

integrate.

It's a narrative that's been gaining traction across Europe. Fears of demographic change in migrants being blamed for the rise in the cost of

living. Scattered graffiti hints at brewing tensions. This one read, no Muslims, no NGOs. Perhaps a message for the groups on the front line of

this crisis, like the Mercedarian Sisters of Charity.

The calls for help to this Catholic NGO helping migrants get back on their feet seem nonstop during our visit. Sister Francisca turned 80 this month,

but there's no rest for this woman on a mission.

KARADSHEH: So, they come saying we're hungry. We want a sandwich.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

KARADSHEH (voice-over): At the food distribution center, the hungry queue for donations from local supermarkets. Amal tells us she hasn't eaten

today. Sometimes she doesn't have money to buy water and bread. She had to leave her six and four-year-old children in Morocco she tells us, and came

here on a contract to pick strawberries.

After a dispute with her employer, she found herself on the street begging for any work. It was poverty that brought me here, she says. If I had

something back home, I wouldn't have come. Sister Francisca remembers a time when there were no migrants here. Then the greenhouses came.

The road to a better life has led so many to this miserable place. It is in this land of plastic and shattered dreams where Europe's paradox is laid

bare. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Almeria, Spain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Very powerful piece there by our Jomana Karadsheh. All right, still to come here on "One World", together again, Donald Trump and Michael Cohen

had a very public falling out, but they've apparently let bygones be bygones. Details of their reconciliation coming up. And another Trump

relationship in the spotlight as well. This one with his aide Natalie Harp. Lots of stories going around about them. We'll tell you what we know.

(COMMERCIAL BRAK)

[11:30:00]

ASHER: All right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are some of the headlines we are watching you today. U.S. Vice

President J.D. Vance says economic pressure is the most effective tool against Iran, but that is a delicate dance. He says that the best way to

prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear capacity. His comments come a day after President Trump threatened to further tighten economic screws on

Iran.

And Britain's Prince Harry and other high-profile figures, including Sir Elton John, have been ordered to pay an initial $13 million in legal fees

after their failed case against the publisher of "The Daily Mail". The group alleged that Associated Newspapers Limited gathered information

unlawfully, and a judge dismissed the cases last month.

At least 17 people have been killed from the latest Russian attack on the Kyiv region. That's according to Ukrainian authorities. Meantime, Ukrainian

intelligence suggests that North Korea is boosting support for Russia by sending them more drone operators.

USS Abraham Lincoln is now heading home that's according to a source. It follows reports of the crew's worsening mental health and harsh onboard

conditions. Another ship, the USS George Washington, is in the Middle East to relieve the strain on Lincoln.

All right, now to a CNN exclusive report. Sources say the U.S. Navy is working to rename an aircraft carrier that had been slated to honor an

African American war hero. They add that there are now conversations about naming the vessel after Donald Trump. The ship was set to be named after

Doris Miller. He was a mess attendant, one of the only jobs in the navy open to black men at that time.

Despite having no training, he manned an anti-aircraft gun and helped his wounded commanding officer during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Source says -

- Navy has stopped calling the under-construction vessel the USS Doris Miller and instead just using its hull number.

CNN's Haley Britzky is on this story, joins us live now from Washington. So, this idea that the U.S. President, or rather the Trump Administration,

is effectively removing Doris Miller's name from this vessel and actually potentially naming it after Donald Trump. Just explain to us why.

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah, Zain. So, we don't exactly know why the Navy is taking this step. There's certainly

people within the Navy community who believe that aircraft carriers should only be named after presidents or senior-ranking officers.

But that's not a hard and fast rule for the Navy and how they name these ships. But that certainly something that that people have pushed for.

[11:35:00]

We've reported that Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao is looking at updating that guidance for specifying who can be the namesake for some of these

ships. But the Navy has not informed, had not informed Doris Miller's family about this. I spoke with one of his great nephews yesterday, who

said that they had not heard an update about this.

The Navy has also, as we reported, is planning to name a different warship after Doris Miller instead of this aircraft carrier. And they've submitted

him for the Medal of Honor, which is the nation's highest military medal for valor. But the family said they had not got an update on that, either

of course, that is something that the family has been pushing for, for quite some time, is for Doris Miller to receive the Medal of Honor

posthumously.

But as you mentioned, you know the sources that we spoke to said that there has been some internal conversation about this carrier being named after

President Trump. That would be sort of unprecedented. I mean, there you don't see these carriers named after sitting presidents.

Like I mentioned, there are carriers named after presidents generally, the George Washington, the Abraham Lincoln, as you just mentioned, which is

coming home from the Middle East, but not a sitting president. So that would be a break in precedent.

Certainly, all this to say, this carrier is not expected to be commissioned into the Navy until roughly 2034. So still several years out here from when

we'll see this ship active. But there is a very public ceremony expected to be happening at the end of this year, which would be kind of important for

the Navy to have the name settled and to have this issue settled.

So certainly, something that we will be seeing over the next few months and how the Navy sort of navigates this Zain.

ASHER: All right, Haley Britzky, live for us. Thank you. All right, they were friends, then enemies. Now they're friends again. We're talking about

the reunion of Donald Trump and his fixer turned critic, Michael Cohen. You'll recall that Cohen was Trump's personal attorney for many years.

And during the president's first term, Cohen went to prison for taking part in covering up what he called Trump's dirty deeds. The two have attacked

each other in the press ever since until Thursday, when Cohen interviewed the president on his radio show. Trump chalked it up with to Cohen

essentially being weaponized.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized, like few have been.

MICHAEL COHEN, RADIO SHOW HOST: Well, maybe just you and I, sir.

TRUMP: And you, yeah, me too. But I don't consider mine. You know, mine was -- mine was at a level that nobody's ever seen before. But they weaponized

you. They weaponized a lot of people. And I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said. And that's a big, that's a big thing that you

did. That's a very big thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: That's not the only presidential relationship that is gaining attention right now. Today, for the first time, deeply personal letters

written to President Trump by one of his closest aides are being revealed in full this as questions swirl about how much influence she has in the

White House.

"The Daily Beast" has obtained two gushing letters that Natalie Harp wrote in 2023, either during or after a trip to Scotland and Ireland. In one of

them, first reported by "The New York Times", Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, and detailed in their book Regime change.

Harp writes, I never want to bring you anything but joy. I'm sorry I lost focus. You are all that matters to me. I don't want to ever let you down.

Thank you for being my guardian and protector in this life. And she signs off, with all my heart, Natalie.

White House Spokesperson Davis Ingle describes Harp as one of the most loyal and hardest working aides on President Trump's team. He adds the

media should focus on reporting real news and stop trying to smear dedicated public servants.

Kevin Harp, sorry, Kevin Liptak joins us. I'm so sorry. Joins us live now from the White House. I was going to go on to make another joke, but let me

not go there. So, Kevin, this is not really how people talk to their bosses. You know, you don't really -- you're not really that gushing and

enamored with your boss. So, just walk us through what do we think is actually going on here?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: You speak for yourself, Zain. I don't know what the letters are.

ASHER: I'm in love with my boss.

LIPTAK: No, it is. It's unusual. It does give you a better picture and a better window into what this most unusual relationship is actually like.

You know, we know Natalie Harp is sort of omnipresent around President Trump, when he's traveling, when he's at the White House, when he's being

bundled into a catering container on the tarmac at the Ankara Airport.

She's around almost all the time. And I think this gives you a better picture of what exactly the relationship is, at least from her perspective.

You know, she does seem to have developed this sort of father, daughter connection to President Trump.

[11:40:00]

And you'll remember she actually credits him with saving her life when she had bone cancer, and he enacted new rules that allowed experimental

treatments. She was able to take advantage of that, and she credits him with her not dying. And so, this is a relationship that has been forged

over many years and is clearly very deeply felt, at least on her part.

And I'll just read one of the other letters that she wrote. She said, please, when I fail, will you tell me you have the absolute right to cuss

me out, if need be, when I deserve it, because no one knows or cares about me more. And then she goes on to say, to modify a classic, I could not have

parted with you to anyone less worthy, and I will add, it is I who is unworthy.

I think that's from Pride and Prejudice from Jane Austen. And so, you know clearly, she has this very deep connection to the president. It has sort of

erupted into the public view this week because of that comment that the Senator Jon Ossoff made, sort of offhand, although it was from a

teleprompter at his rally last weekend, and it has just sort of exploded.

And one of the reasons why it continues to be of public interest was the outsized response by the White House earlier this week, really defending

her very ardently and going very fiercely after reporters who were covering the story. And so, it has gained sort of a spotlight in that way. She is

someone who does have enormous access inside the White House.

She's someone who is known to have communications with foreign leaders, for example, who are trying to get in touch with President Trump, so she is a

very important figure inside the White House, but also a private one. But clearly, someone who has a very deep connection, at least in her own mind,

to the Commander-in-Chief.

ASHER: I mean, it is an -- it's an odd story to say the least.

LIPTAK: Yeah.

ASHER: And you and I are now going to have a private joke with me referring to you as Kevin Harp coming forward. Oh, quite the slip of the tongue.

Kevin Liptak live from the White House. Thank you.

LIPTAK: Very good.

ASHER: OK. All right. Still ahead on "One World", from frozen treats to salads, food safety concerns are piling up across the U.S. Ahead the latest

recall putting consumers on alert.

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[11:45:00]

ASHER: All right, growing food safety concerns across the U.S. are putting consumers on alert. This, as another food recall is issued, outshine frozen

fruit bars are being pulled from the shelves for possibly containing glass. The recall covers five flavors, including grapes, strawberry, tangerine,

watermelon, and black cherry, along with a 24-count variety pack.

The recall is just the latest, actually, in food safety concerns for the United States Food and Drug Administration. So far this year, there have

been more than 1,000 cases of illnesses associated with outbreaks, other than the cyclospora outbreak. And the U.S. is still dealing with that

cyclospora outbreak.

They've been dealing with it for the past few months. It's linked to iceberg lettuce sold at restaurants and grocery stores. The parasite has

killed at least two people, but sickened thousands more. Here to talk about all of this is Infectious Disease Specialist and Epidemiologist Dr. Celine

Gounder.

Dr. Gounder, thank you so much for being with us. So essentially, it's not in our imaginations. Aside from the cyclospora outbreak, this summer has

been particularly tricky for foodborne illnesses. Can you explain why?

DR. CELINE GOUNDER, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST & EPIDEMIOLOGIST: Yeah. So, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group review counted some 320 food

recalls in the past year, which is versus 296 the year before. So, there's been an increase in food recalls. Some of this is related to more sensitive

tests.

People may recall the use of PCR tests for COVID. PCR tests have become much more widely used, in part because that technology was scaled up

dramatically during the pandemic. Those tests detect these kinds of outbreaks better, and also the number of recalls is not the right measure

to be using here.

So, a recall means that somebody found the food and it got taken off the shelves. But if you don't find the food, there's no recall, and people may

keep getting sick. And to put this into context, FDA investigators closed about 40 percent of their outbreak cases over the past five years without

ever naming a food. So almost half did they not find a food for an outbreak in the past five years.

ASHER: So, this is actually terrifying. And essentially what you're saying is that it could actually be worse than we even realize, because it's not

just the outbreaks that we're aware of; they're the outbreaks that we're not aware of. There's situations where the food item in question isn't

actually identified, so people still keep eating it.

So, if you are a consumer and you are listening to all of this, I mean, you know, I did away with iceberg lettuce as soon as I heard of the cyclospora

outbreak. But for -- aside from that, there are obviously other outbreaks that we're talking about here. How do we, as consumers, keep ourselves

safer in that kind of environment?

DR. GOUNDER: Well, you know, I've heard a lot of people say, oh, I'm not going to eat produce, fresh produce. And I don't think that's actually the

right answer here. The more processed the food, the more steps there are in the supply chain, the more places that food has been, the more likely that

food is to be contaminated at some point along the way.

Now, our supply chain for fresh produce is international. A lot of it comes from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America, for example. But I think with

fresh produce, the key is you want to peel it if it's something peelable, or cook it if you can. If you buy locally, it's going to have fewer steps

in the supply chain, so fewer opportunities for contamination.

So that's also helpful. But bigger picture, you know, some of what we saw with the iceberg lettuce, for example, is a good example of processing

where you're shredding it. So that introduces an extra step than if you're just buying ahead of lettuce.

ASHER: OK, this is really interesting. So yes, the more processed the food, the more ingredients, the more steps, et cetera. When you're dealing with

natural products, healthy, I hate to say healthy, but yes, we're talking about fruits and vegetables here. The less steps there are, therefore, the

more likely it is to be pure.

No guarantees, of course. But you know, I always, for example, I buy my kale. I'm obsessed with kale and spinach. I buy my kale and spinach, bagged

always. Is that something that you think you know people like me should stop doing? Should we just sort of buy the head as opposed to making sure

it's already bagged?

DR. GOUNDER: Well, you've added another processing step, right? By having something that's bagged, if it's shredded, if the leaves are taken off,

that is an extra step. And that is an opportunity for some kind of contamination to occur.

ASHER: And so, just in terms of the food safety efforts. You know, obviously we've had processed food in America for many decades, for

example. But you know, you sort of trust that there is enough food safety efforts to eliminate or drastically reduce the chances of something being

contaminated.

[11:50:00]

Explain to us what is going wrong here in those efforts.

DR. GOUNDER: Right. So, you know, some of what I described, which is the testing has gotten better. So that is part of it, and our food supply has

gotten more global. But you also have some of what's happened in terms of public health funding cuts. So, you had cuts at the FDA.

You have some 1000 or so foreign food inspections last year, which was down by about 30 percent. So, a lot fewer foreign food inspection. About one in

five FDA investigator jobs were sitting vacant last year. So, you have FDA. You have the CDC, which is part of something called Food Net. So, you have

FDA, CDC, USDA, and others.

And Food Net tracks different foodborne infections across the U.S. partly as a result of funding cuts. They cut the number of infections that Food

Net tracks from eight to two. Among those cuts were cyclospora. So cyclospora, of course, being the one that causes the explosive diarrhea

linked to iceberg lettuce.

You also have dramatic cuts that were made to state and local health departments, so they're the ones that interview people who got sick to do

the trace back to figure out what food was involved. So, their budgets got thinner. So, it's really at every step of the way.

And then on top of that, there was something called the food traceability rule that was supposed to go into effect earlier this year. And what we

know is that in March the FDA announced a delay in implementation of that rule, and it was right around the time that happened that Taylor Farms

Parent Company.

So, Taylor Farms was the one implicated with the iceberg cyclospora outbreak, the parent company gave a million dollars to the pro Trump to a

pro-Trump super PAC, that donation is in FEC filings. We don't know if the two are connected, but there is a coincidence of timing.

And that rule, this traceability rule, would require companies to keep lot by lot records of where the food has been. So, that if you have an

outbreak, instead of taking weeks, months to try to figure out what food was implicated and what the source was, you would have those records in

detail. So now the enforcement of that rule has been punted to 2028.

ASHER: Gosh, you really do know your stuff. Dr. Celine Gounder, thank you so much, and you gave me so many layers there, just in terms of some of the

issues with food safety, and obviously the important point about the potential link.

We don't know for sure, but the potential link between Taylor Farms and obviously the Trump campaign. All right, Dr. Celine Gounder, thank you so

much. We'll be right back with more after the short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:55:00]

ASHER: All right; two fishermen were rescued 150 miles off the Pacific Coast of Mexico after floating adrift in a large fishing cooler for five

days. Take a look at these incredible images of basically pure survival, right? We're talking about no food, no water, just literally waiting to be

found in the open ocean.

The Mexican Navy launched a massive search by sea and air, finally spotting them. Both were quickly hoisted to safety and airlifted to port, receiving

medical attention before being reunited with their families. Incredible.

Finally, before we go this hour, Ethel Caterham is celebrating her 117th birthday today, and what a special birthday it is? Guinness World Records

has crowned her the world's oldest person. And says she's the first British person to actually ever live to 117.

She was born in 1909. She says her secret to a very long life is to say yes to every opportunity because you never know where it will lead. All right,

stay with CNN. I will have much more "One World" after this short break.

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