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One World with Zain Asher
U.S. Official: "Positive" U.S.-Iran Talks Via Mediators; This Hour: Trump And Top A.I. Executives Meet At The White House; Migrant Children Appear In Texas Court, Most Without Lawyers; Pivotal U.S. Election Is 35 Days Away; Investigation Reopened Into Cornell Gang Rape Allegations; Violence Returns To Tigray Four Years After Peace Deal; Trump's Ban on Canadian Alcohol Kicks in Today; Texas Rollercoaster Leaves Riders Dangling; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired September 29, 2026 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[12:00:52]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. The second hour of "One World" starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. We're going to win that war very soon. That'll be over. And
the gas -- gas prices will come tumbling down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it's time for the American people to change their administration.
ASHER: Also ahead, war has returned to Tigray and the battle lines have changed, why former enemies are now joining forces.
GOLODRYGA: And later, midair scare. Moments before the thrill of a lifetime, this roller coaster stopped in its tracks. We'll show you what
happened later this hour.
But we begin with Iran's foreign minister saying that he expects a formal response by today to Tehran's latest ceasefire proposal. Abbas Araghchi was
speaking to Iranian state-run media earlier, insisting that his government's position on its nuclear program has not changed.
Over the weekend, Donald Trump told reporters that he was rejecting Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week if the U.S. met
certain conditions. It comes as mediators continue to hold talks separately with both the U.S. and Iran, as the war now enters its eighth month.
ASHER: Yes. Trump, meantime, is denying reports that he was willing to offer Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear concessions. But
earlier, a spokesperson for Iran's Revolutionary Guard made this blunt statement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOSSEIN MOHEBBI, IRGC SPOKESPERSON (through translator): I feel that the American people are unaware of this reality. If they were aware of these
realities, they would definitely think differently and they would definitely put pressure on their administration. This lying administration
must be changed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Alayna Treene joins us now live from the White House.
So, the president insisting over the weekend that no deal was -- was within sight for a -- a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a lifting of the
blockade, though there have been subsequent reports suggesting that he may have other ideas. What is the White House saying today, Alayna?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, look, what they were saying, I spoke with a U.S. -- U.S. official who is very close to these
negotiations and where the president's head is at, Zain and Bianna, and they told me and our colleague, Kristen Holmes, that essentially the
president is willing to give Iran sanctions release -- relief and release frozen funds as part of a final deal, as long as they would make certain
commitments on the nuclear negotiations. And clearly, that's just not where things are right now.
So far, I would remind our viewers, where the negotiations have really stood was to first focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, coming
together, laying out a number of different steps that the U.S. and Iran would take to ensure that the Strait could be reopened and then to turn to
the nuclear program.
But from the conversations I've been having with people at the White House, it does appear that the president now wants this to be all in one and
essentially wants nuclear to be front and center of any final agreement and really any short-term agreement as well.
But, of course, this has been changing very rapidly. And I will say something that is different in where we are now than where we were a couple
months ago, certainly during the summer is that the president is in no rush at this point to really get a deal re-formalized.
I think before we had seen a lot of pressure that this administration was putting on Iran, really trying to force them to the negotiating table in a
meaningful way. But now, they've reverted to this wait-and-see approach, especially as the Iranian, the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports has really
been effective in the short-term.
And also this idea of they might as well wait until after the midterms to see what path they want to take. I remind people as well what we heard
President Trump say during his State of the Union address last week where he essentially said, we see two pathways here. It's either a deal with the
Iranians, likely after the midterms, or potential annihilation.
But to give you a little bit more of what this U.S. official told us, they said that there are positive and constructive discussions through the
mediators that are taking place, notably the same players that have been involved in a lot of these talks, still the same players now, people like
Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and the Vice President J.D. Vance being really crucial to these discussions with the mediators over how to proceed.
[12:05:16]
The president continues to argue that the Iranians and the proposal that they are offering, including the ones that Trump rejected over the weekend
are -- it's a deal that they are not ready to make. He's essentially saying, I don't like the deal that they're bringing forward. They need to
give us more. I am told "the more" he's referring to is on nuclear and any concessions being made there.
According to the U.S. official that we spoke with, they said that Iran has indicated that they are flexible on nuclear issues, but they have not come
to any sort of agreement.
We did hear from the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, who said, at present, the only issue that the Iranians are really focused on is on the
Strait of Hormuz. So, they're kind of at this impasse right now about how to proceed.
But again, at least from my conservations with people in that building behind me, it does appear that this administration is willing to wait to
really come back to negotiating table in a meaningful way until after the midterms, unless, of course, they think that there is a real deal to be had
and one that is really attractive to this administration.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, willing to wait, as there are reports that more oil is now being able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, thanks to U.S. assistance
from the U.S. Navy there and ships guiding those tankers than has been since the Iranians blockaded and shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
We'll continue to monitor all developments. Alayna Treene, thank you.
ASHER: All right. Both sides are now confirming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the president of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin
Zayed, during an unannounced visit to the Emirates over the weekend.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, Netanyahu's office has talks focused on strengthening relations between the countries and discussing regional challenges. The
visit took place exactly one month before Israel's election and amid a growing political controversy over reports that Sheikh Mohamed had warned
Netanyahu of a major Hamas operation just days before the attacks on October 7th.
ASHER: Yes, this hour Donald Trump holds a key meeting with industry titans in the artificial intelligence business and the chilling warnings about the
risks posed by A.I. as it grows even more powerful.
GOLODRYGA: Now, the heads of some of the biggest names in A.I., Meta, Anthropic, Palantir, OpenAI, NIVIDIA, are among those expected to join
Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Sources say the meeting is designed to get the government and top tech on the same page, as incidents of A.I. agents going rogue pile up.
ASHER: Yes, this as a new report finds A.I., as well as automation could force some 11 million American workers into entirely new careers in the
next decade. That's over six percent of the current labor force.
Let's bring in CNN's A.I. correspondent Hadas Gold joining us live now from New York. So, this meeting between Donald Trump and tech executives comes
as we just got word from Reuters this morning that Anthropic essentially, according to its IPO prospectus says that A.I. models pose a catastrophic
risk or existential risk to humanity and actually can resist shutdown.
There is this interesting dichotomy, Hadas, where you have some members of the industry themselves essentially saying we need more regulation, we need
to slow down. OpenAI, obviously, delaying its latest model because of its own safety concerns, while the government is almost on the other side of
the spectrum focusing on competing with China.
Just walk us through what we can expect in terms of any breakthroughs at all in terms of what might come out of this meeting, Hadas.
HADAS GOLD, CNN A.I. CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I think this meeting is in direct reaction to the sort of summer of A.I. safety panic we've had over the last
few months, where these types of conversations about the existential risk posed by A.I. went from the corridors of Silicon Valley into the
mainstream, where you have Saturday Night Live parodying Dario Amodei, who most people six months ago probably had no idea who he was, now it's firmly
in the minds of the American voters.
And that's why I think you see the White House trying to convene this meeting, because, you know, we don't even have national standard, even
industry standards, any sort of agreement on even things like how to best test your A.I. models in a way that they won't escape their lab environment
and hack into other companies.
And so as you noted, sources familiar with the meeting tell me and our colleagues that this meeting is mostly just an effort to get the government
and the industry, at least talking to one another and somewhat on the same page.
And listen, they have a who's who of the industry and government attending the meeting. So, this is sort of the best-case scenario of getting all
these people in the same room. You have the president, you have the vice president, you have the chief of staff, you have the Speaker of the House,
you have the treasury secretary.
From the industry, have Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Elon Musk. You have Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Google's Sundar Pichai,
Microsoft's Satya Nadella, and OpenAI is sending its president, Greg Brockman, because Sam Altman, its CEO, is at their once a year dev day in
San Francisco.
[12:10:02]
And I think what's been really interesting is just this morning, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who has been very resistant to any sort of
congressional oversight of the industry seemed to move a little bit on the issue and started to talk about, you know, voluntary -- voluntary audits,
voluntary oversight.
Take a listen to what he had to say earlier this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Each of them have said in their own ways, in their own words, that, you know, they -- they -- they welcome oversight.
And I think what's going to come out of the meeting today, I hope, is that we have an agreement of the mind, so to speak, around the table.
Congress can't go in and just, you know, and take a knee-jerk reaction to overregulate this, because the frontier labs are ahead of where members of
Congress are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLD: So, we're not expecting any sort of major policy announcements as a result of this meeting, but I think just getting everybody in the same room
to start having these discussions is seen as a major important step and an important signal to the American voters ahead of the midterms, guys.
ASHER: All right. Hadas Gold live for us there. Thank you for that.
GOLODRYGA: Well, political showdown unfolding on Capitol Hill this hour as former special counsel at the U.S. Justice Department, Jack Smith, is
testifying for the Senate Judiciary Committee, defending his historic and highly controversial federal investigations into President Trump.
ASHER: Yes, those cases involved Trump's alleged role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and charges that he mishandled classified
documents by removing them to Mar-a-Lago.
Both cases were dismissed. Republicans have accused Smith of potentially illegal tactics. And they've been grilling him on those allegations today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): You sought just the records of the Republicans. And you knew that violated the speech and debate cause, didn't you?
JACK SMITH, FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: That is incorrect. We sought to comply with --
KENNEDY: Did you take Con Law?
SMITH: I'm sorry, Senator.
KENNEDY: Were you in the quad playing Frisbee during Con Law at Harvard Law School?
SMITH: I did take constitutional law, yes.
KENNEDY: Yes. Well then you had to know it violated the speech and debate clause. In fact, when -- when you went to Judge Boasberg, you -- you didn't
even tell him you were seeking the phone records of members of Congress, did you? Because you knew he wouldn't agree.
He -- he would -- he would say, hey, counselor, anybody who knows the law book from a J.Crew catalog knows that this violates the Constitution. But
you didn't tell him, did you?
SMITH: We sought non-disclosure orders from the court --
KENNEDY: You didn't tell him, did you?
SMITH: In seeking non-disclosure orders, we did not disclose --
KENNEDY: You didn't tell him but you're unbiased. You -- you -- you have no personal feelings. You make me want to throw up in my mouth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Just one of a number of highly charged exchanges during that testimony.
All right. We turn now to a CNN exclusive. Young migrant children, some as young as two years old, are appearing in immigration courts nationwide. The
majority of them appear before the judge without lawyers.
ASHER: Yes, in Texas, 25 children appear in one court on Monday as officials try to wrap cases at an unprecedented pace. Under the Trump
administration, these kids have to navigate a complicated court process with dwindling health.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Migrant children are increasingly going through immigration court alone, the place where an immigration judge
will decide if they stay in the United States or if they're removed.
Our colleague, Norma Galeana, visited a Texas immigration courtroom today, where 25 children appeared before an immigration judge, she was accompanied
by a sketch artist who gave us an inside look as to what is happening in the courtroom.
You'll see these images here, a three-year-old who had an attorney beaming in. In the meantime, the three-year-old playing with the mic as he was
asked questions by the judge.
A 13-year-old who was ordered deported. He burst into tears. An eight-year- old and a nine-year-old also without attorneys as they face the immigration judge.
And this is the reality, according to multiple sources I spoke with that is playing out nationwide in immigration courts. These are children who
crossed the U.S.-Mexico border alone or were taken into custody after a family member or guardian was detained by ICE.
Now, the administration allowed a contract for legal service providers to lapse earlier this year. They have since struck another contract. But the
sources I've spoken to say it's not enough and more often there are children who are facing the courts alone.
A Health and Human Services Department spokesperson, the federal agency charged with the care of migrant children, said that the federal agency
will continue to facilitate the ability for children to appear in their immigration proceedings and that they will also continue to do so with
representation by attorneys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[12:15:02]
GOLODRYGA: Priscilla for that report.
Meantime, immigration is just one of the issues on the minds of voters as we are just 35 days away from the U.S. midterm elections. And Vice
President J.D. Vance is acknowledging political headwinds the Republican Party is facing, but he argues that even voters frustrated with them should
consider the alternative.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Are there headwinds? Of course there are. I'm a realist about this stuff.
Is it hard for the party that controls the House, the Senate, and the presidency to win a midterm election? It almost never happens, but this is
very different. Number one, we have a very unique president. Number two, we have a bunch of crazy people running on the other side.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Meantime, democratic House Representative, AOC, Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez says she hears there is worry among voters about the democratic base ahead of the midterm. She recently made comments while asked if she had
bigger future plans for the Senate or even the presidency ahead
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congresswoman, it sounds like you're running for something, are you running for president?
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I am running for reelection to be the congresswoman, to continue being the congresswoman for 14th congressional
district here this year.
And, again, you know, I think one dynamic that we are seeing emerge and that I'm hearing from a lot of people is that there's a lot of outreach to
persuadable voters, but there is worry about the democratic base and enthusiasm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Here to discuss is CNN political commentator, Maria Cardona. Maria, good to see you.
So, look, judging by all of the polling, it does appear that Republicans are quite concerned about the outcome of the midterms, a number of pressing
issues that voters are very upset with this administration, the president, about first and foremost the economy.
And we've seen Democrats outvote Republicans in primaries in a number of states, from Texas to Michigan.
What tells you that this is Democrats perhaps expanding their coalition as opposed to those that are just supercharged and eager and most committed
coming out for the -- for the primaries?
MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That's a great question, Bianna, and great to be with you both.
I think that this year is very unique for Democrats for so many reasons. Number one, the economy. Americans have had it with Trump and the
administration and Republicans who think that the affordability crisis is a hoax. Trump has said that many times.
He is talking about a golden age in America while American families cannot even make ends meet. Why can't they make ends meet, Bianna, you ask?
Because Trump and Republicans have completely betrayed the promises that they made during the '24 election.
In the '24 election, they promised to bring down prices, to bring down the cost of groceries, gas and rent, to bring down inflation. What have they
done? Every single policy pronouncement that they have put in place have done exactly the opposite.
The horrific tariffs have brought up prices. Even the -- the gross criminal, chaotic, thuggish ICE enforcement mechanisms have completely
decimated workers, business, restaurants. So many workers have either been detained, deported, or have left on their own and businesses are suffering.
Families don't even want to go outside in their own communities.
The war in Iran, which no one wanted and no one needed, has exploded prices at the pump. Americans can't even fill up their cars to go to work.
And so these are the situations where Democrats have been seeing for quite some time, because it didn't just happen over the summer, the -- the
Democrats in the last year and a half have won or overperformed in over 90 percent of the elections that have taken place since Trump took office.
So, the souring on Trump and his policies and his priorities happened almost immediately, because the American people understood pretty quickly
that this was not an administration that had their interests at heart.
And so Democrats are now talking about or have been talking about for quite some time actually, that they're going to focus on fighting for an
affordable America and holding the crooks accountable.
Because the other issue that Americans are really worried about, Bianna and Zain, are that this president, his family, the administration, and
Republicans are focused on self-dealing, are focused on corruption. That has also increased prices for families. And that's what Democrats are going
to continue to talk about.
ASHER: But that's not enough, is it? Just in terms of why -- this is -- this is just talking about the trajectory for Democrats in this country
over the long term. It's not enough just to say, well, we don't like what Trump's policies are, therefore we're going to vote for the other side.
We're going to react against, you know, the lack of affordability that has happened under Trump or the Iran war or the fact that we believe that Trump
is or and his -- and those he surrounds himself with are corrupt, therefore, we're going to react against that to vote for Democrats.
[12:20:27]
There has to actually be a reason to actually want Democrats in power. There -- there needs to be democratic candidates -- and this is just not
for, you know, 2026, but even as we're talking about --
CARDONA: Right.
ASHER: 2028. The kind of candidate that you would not mind standing in the rain for, for six hours in order to vote for. There's -- there's nobody
like that in terms of the pool of Democrats right now.
Just explain what Democrats stand for this time around and also for 2028 beyond just being anti-Trump.
CARDONA: That's a great question, Zain. Thank you. I started to address that at the end of my answer before which is, but -- but it absolutely
merits repeating all the time, and Democrats need to continue to talk about this, because Leader Jeffries, hopefully soon to be speaker Hakeem
Jeffries, unveiled a proactive economic agenda that Democrats are going to be fighting for and have been talking about since the summer, and that is
fighting for an affordable America, bringing down prices at the grocery store, getting rid of the tariffs, getting us out of Iran to bring down the
prices of gas, and holding the crooks accountable.
This proactive agenda, Zain, to your very important point about how Democrats need to be talking about fighting for something as opposed to
just fighting against Trump, is incredibly popular. Seventy percent of American voters absolutely support this proactive agenda that Democrats
have been talking about.
That's why you're seeing that, in fact, in the last Gallup poll, you see Americans identifying more with the Democratic Party by 10 points, 49
percent to 39 percent versus Republicans. We haven't seen those kinds of numbers since 2008.
So, what that tells me is that Americans are starting to not just go to the polls and register and mobilize and get their friends and family to vote
for Democrats to be against Trump and Republicans, but they are voting for Democrats because they like what Democrats are talking about, because
Democrats are talking about how to help families make ends meet, how to help them afford prescription drugs and being able to pay the mortgage at
the same time.
They talk about wanting to rescind this big, horrible bill that Republicans called the Big Beautiful bill that they passed a year ago that ripped
healthcare from millions of Americans, Bianna and Zain.
You now have families that cannot afford healthcare because of what Republicans did. That is something that is top of mind for Democrats. They
can go in there when they take the majority.
And by the way, to your point about expanding the map, Bianna, we are starting to now expand the map. You now have political experts saying that
it is very possible that Democrats can now take over the Senate, where six months ago, that was almost talked about as an impossibility.
And so that tells me that Americans really are starting to understand that it's Democrats, the ones that are talking about the real economic interests
of American families, while Republicans have had no idea how to stand up to Trump.
Even those that have been worried about what he is talking about have had no courage backbone spine to stand up against Trump and to stand up for
their constituents, for the families that they know are hurting.
And Republicans are really concerned about that because now you have some Republicans who are trying to make that break with Donald Trump, but it's
way too late.
So, this is what Democrats are going to continue to talk about for the next 35 days up until Election Day.
GOLODRYGA: Maria, always good to see you. Thank you so much.
Asher: Thank you, Maria.
GOLODRYGA: We'll be right back.
CARDONA: Thank you so much for having me.
GOLODRYGA: We'll be right back.
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[12:25:54]
ASHER: All right. A judge in Plymouth, Massachusetts courtroom did not hear arguments today on Lindsay Clancy's motion to dismiss her murder case.
GOLODRYGA: That issue has now been moved to a November 2nd hearing. Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague told the judge the state needs more time to
respond to the defense motion which argues Clancy's case should be dismissed on double jeopardy grounds.
ASHER: Meantime, we're hearing more from the juror who helped deadlock the jury in Clancy's trial which ended in a mistrial earlier this month, but
here's what that juror is now saying about the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL DESRONVIL, JUROR IN LINDSAY CLANCY TRIAL: I know the whole focus has been on me, but we want to reel everything back and put the focus on
the three angels that is at hand. The ones that can't speak for themselves, the ones that can't defend themselves and the one that can't fight their
battles.
I want to thank God for my Catholic faith. I want to thank God for blessing me with the ability to love my daughter. And I'm foremost, I would like to
thank everyone, every individual that have supported me throughout this difficult situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Clancy's case has sparked a national conversation about postpartum mental health. According to jurors who have spoken out since the
mistrial, 11 of them were prepared to find Clancy not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. But as you just heard, that juror
disagreed, keeping the jury from reaching a verdict.
ASHER: A grand jury will hear the alleged gang rape case of a former Cornell University student. This comes after the accuser filed a civil
lawsuit alleging that seven fraternity brothers raped and drugged her.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, and a statement to ABC, one of the men accused denies any sexual activity, though he did acknowledge that he briefly stopped in the
room where misconduct happened, but not when it happened.
And an attorney for another one of the accused men just spoke with CNN last hour saying his client is innocent. Here's more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY SALAND, ATTORNEY FOR LAWSUIT DEFENDANT: My client foolishly, ignorantly, ugly-wise responded to a snap that was sent out to his
fraternity, went to see what was going on. And a friend of his who had been with him previously had disappeared, wasn't with him anymore, thought he
might be there.
And when he entered that room, as he maintained them, he is maintained now and will maintain in the future, he saw the -- the plaintiff. She was not
naked. She was not under duress. She was not -- she was coherent. She was not having difficulty articulating what was going on in terms of a
conversation. And in fact, my client introduced himself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Gloria Pazmino has been following this story closely and catches us up on the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New York prosecutors are re-launching an investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell
University.
The new review after a former student identified as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit claiming seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity drugged and
sexually assaulted her in October 2024.
[12:30:01]
While no criminal charges were filed then, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten says he will now present new evidence to a
grand jury. Van Houten told CNN his office didn't bring charges in 2024 because Jane Doe's initial statement, quote, "Did not allege that she was
drugged against her will or gang raped. On the contrary, Jane Doe's statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as
voluntary, conscious and consensual."
His office released only partial statements from her original 2024 statement. Van Houten told CNN his office does not independently
investigate crimes.
VAN HOUTEN: We rely on the police to investigate those crimes. And this -- the statement, without blaming her, she -- she told the police candidly
what she remembered, and maybe she remembers more now. And if she does, then we want to put that in front of the grand jury.
PAZMINO (voice-over): The civil lawsuit also states that after arriving at the frat house, she was visibly intoxicated and that she had consumed about
10 standard drinks within the past three hours.
The lawsuit also includes a screenshot of a group chat where other fraternity members were allegedly invited to join the assault. The D.A.
said the screenshot included in the complaint was not provided to his office at the time.
VAN HOUTEN: The text messages were completely vulgar and disgusting, but they had nothing to do with her consent.
PAZMINO (voice-over): CNN has reached out to Cornell University police for comment. It's unclear what other evidence police may have collected.
According to the civil complaint, Cornell expelled two of the seven accused fraternity members, while the others received lesser punishments, including
suspensions and written assignments. The frat was also barred from campus.
In a statement, Cornell University said, quote, "None of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence
of their involvement. The complainant and respondents had the opportunity to testify and present evidence. At its conclusion, the hearing panel
issued a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell."
Ultimately, her attorney says she wants accountability.
THOMAS GIUFFRA, ATTORNEY FOR JANE DOE: Her life has been destroyed. She's a woman who comes from a small town. She was not somebody who was a legacy or
somebody who was from a wealthy family. This was her dream, and it was taken away from her at a young age and it's just a horrific fashion.
PAZMINO (voice-over): Gloria Pazmino, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:46]
GOLODRYGA: All right. Welcome back to "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher.
Four years after a deal that ended one of the 21st century's deadliest conflicts in Ethiopia's Tigray region, rebels are again fighting the
Ethiopian government.
GOLODRYGA: Two diplomatic sources say pro-government forces captured a town in the south of Tigray's capital on Monday. Local people watched as armed
men rode through the streets of Alamata on armored vehicles.
ASHER: Yes, the renewed violence follows months of low-level clashes between the government of Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray People's Liberation
Front, a guerrilla movement turned political party.
The fighting again leaves the people of Tigray, of course, again, caught in the crossfire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL MERUTS, LAWYER FROM MEKELLE (through translator): Just like anyone else, I saw on social media that flights to the Tigray region were
suspended. I was eager to return. It didn't feel good because my work, family, and everything are over there.
Before phone and internet communications were cut off, we used to communicate and check on each other with family on a daily basis. But after
communication, internet, and phone lines were shut down, we haven't been able to connect with family since we have no access.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Diplomats are now warning that a fresh outbreak of war won't necessarily be like last time, with the risk violence will spill over
perhaps beyond Ethiopia, neighboring Sudan is still engulfed in its own war, while Somalia suffers from persistent instability.
ASHER: All right. Time now for The Exchange, Murithi Mutiga, the International Crisis Group's program director for Africa joins us live now
from Nairobi. Thank you so much for being with us.
I mean, obviously, there has been low-level clashes for quite some time here, but how concerned are you that this could actually tip into a full-
scale war once again, despite the Pretoria agreement being signed just a couple of years after the war broke out?
MURITHI MUTIGA, PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR AFRICA, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: So, I've just returned from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, and that's
the question everyone was asking themselves.
Frankly, people were scratching their heads that even if tensions have been simmering, how could the country, the north of the country, be tipping back
into conflict? The last conflict, as you mentioned, nearly half a million lives, and it displaced millions. And now we seem to be teetering on the
edge of another conflict.
So, from everything we've heard is that the Ethiopian army, with its allies, are advancing quite rapidly following the initial TPLF, Tigray
People's Liberation Front, offensive. They seem to be targeting and advancing to the Tigrayan capital, Mekelle.
But the danger, as you mentioned, is one that the humanitarian cost will be extremely forbidding, but also that neighboring Eritrea and Sudan and a few
others might be pulled into the fight.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, what would an advance on Mekelle mean for civilians in particular?
MUTIGA: So, the tragedy of Ethiopia, as we saw in the 1998 to 2000 war, and then again in the 2020 to 2022 Tigray war, is that war is fought at a very,
you know, high cost. It tends to be trench warfare, a lot of shelling, indiscriminate attacks on civilians, a lot of sexual violence during the
last round.
And also you have to remember, these people are trapped between the belligerents (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY) fomented by the elites.
And the popular, the population really, really opposed it. I think at the moment, the key question is what level of supplies are getting in? Are the
parties allowing humanitarian aid in?
And you have to remember that even before the war, there was already a climatic catastrophe with regard to El Nino, diminished food supplies. So,
really, you have to consider that the civilians are under lot of pressure.
And it's up to both the authorities in Addis Ababa and the leadership of the TPLF to look for an off-ramp that spares the civilians.
[12:40:00]
ASHER: I want to talk about Eritrea's role in all of this because it's been a very -- they've had a tumultuous history, Eritrea and Ethiopia. You had
Eritrea essentially gaining independence from Ethiopia back in 1993, then they fought a long war back in 1998.
And then what was interesting is that during the Tigray War, when it broke out at the end of 2020, you had Eritrea siding with Abiy Ahmed's
government.
And then now they've had a falling out because of Abiy Ahmed's push for access to Red Sea ports. And so now Eritrea has been accused of sort of
siding with some of the rebels.
Just explain to us what you think Eritrea's role in this current fighting actually is and how it sort of shifted alliances several times over the
past few decades.
MUTIGA: So, viewers will -- will be, you know, justified in being confused by all this, because you're right, at the last -- during the last war, the
Ethiopian government partnered with the Eritrean authorities and militia from a neighboring group called the Amhara to tackle the Tigray People's
Liberation Front. It was a very bitter -- bitterly fought war.
But then the -- this -- the root of the disagreement was that the Pretoria peace deal agreed in South Africa between the authorities in Addis Ababa
and the leadership of the TPLF did not involve both Eritrea and Amhara.
Asmara, the leadership in Eritrea, the Eritrean capital, was quite unhappy with that. They wanted the war to continue. They preferred, you know, a war
to the end.
And so they really were -- were quite annoyed with Addis Ababa. They cut ties, in essence, with Prime Minister Abiy's government. And then Prime
Minister Abiy began what some view as a very provocative demand.
Ethiopia is one of the world's most populous landlocked countries. They've always checked that -- that status. And they have been making noises that
they would like to restore the access they've had to the Eritrean ports in Assab and Massawa.
So, we see this shift, you know, Byzantine alliance forming. At the moment, the Eritreans appear to have more sympathy for the leadership of the TPLF.
The Ethiopian leadership is obviously very unhappy with that. And this is all occurring at a time of considerable strike in the Horn of Africa.
These two sides apparently back rival factions in the very bloody civil war in Sudan. And at the same time, the Red Sea abuts the region. The Houthi
offensive has raised a lot of attention. Gulf partners are picking sides. You have the additional complication of the Saudi-Emirati rivalry. Egypt is
hovering in the background.
And so I think this is a moment that calls for very active Syria's preventive diplomacy, otherwise, you could have a region-wide
conflagration.
ASHER: Yeah, and that is the fear that this could actually spill into the - - into a much broader conflict. And as you point out, it is very confusing because you have now former enemies now joining the same side in terms of
being under the same alliance.
All right. Murithi Mutiga, thank you so much for being on this story for us and we'll continue to monitor the developments out of Ethiopia. We
appreciate it.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Crisis that's clearly not getting enough attention for the world.
All right. This news just into CNN. Six Flags announced it will permanently shutter its world-famous roller coaster. This comes roughly a month after a
CNN investigation.
The probe exposed a long history of life-altering injuries and deaths linked to the ride. Most recently, two women ended up in a California
emergency room in July with brain injuries.
The Six Flags Magic Mountain president says that while the X2 roller coaster has consistently passed safety test, the company decided to close
the ride because it was the right thing to do.
ASHER: It's difficult for me to even just watch this video without my head spinning.
Anyway, we'll be right back with more after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:52]
GOLODRYGA: Let's go check how the markets are doing. Another down day. The Dow, down a little over half a percentage point. NASDAQ, down three-tenths
of a percentage point. The S&P 500, down as well. This is your Business Breakout.
ASHER: The CEO of JPMorgan Chase says the U.S. should offer Europe what he called a big, beautiful free trade agreement. In an opinion piece in "The
Wall Street Journal," Jamie Dimon says such a deal would hinge on Europe executing economic and military reforms. Dimon says this would help bind
the allies together in the face of autocratic pressure.
GOLODRYGA: CNN, MS NOW, and "POLITICO" have asked a federal judge to extend his order, temporarily restoring their access to the White House,
describing Trump's media ban as a, quote, unlawful assault on the most fundamental First Amendment freedoms.
ASHER: And Alaska Airlines is making its biggest push into premium travel yet, adding lie-flat seats, premium economy cabins, and new airport
lounges. This comes as the airline tries to push up profits as it grapples with high jet fuel prices.
GOLODRYGA: Now to a sobering report, a U.S. ban on Canadian alcohol kicks in today, marking the latest salvo in the U.S.-Canada tit-for-tat trade
war.
Let's bring in senior reporter Matt Egan to help us break down the breakup in what was once a very close trading relationship.
Jamie Dimon's op-ed could speak to this issue as well, Matt. He's offered his suggestions on how to boost global economy from trading partners. Trump
seems to be continuing down his path of acrimonious relations with Canada in particular.
What does this mean for everyday consumers caught in the middle?
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, Zain and Bianna, Jamie Dimon talking about trying to boost trade, but we are seeing more and more restrictions
coming in with trade, and in particular, this U.S. Canada trade war, it is intensifying and it is broadening out beyond tariffs.
So, overnight, the Trump administration imposing an outright ban on Canadian beer, wine, and spirits. This kicked in at 12:00 A.M. Eastern
Time.
It's a big deal. The U.S. imported $800 million of Canadian alcohol last year alone. Now, this is unprecedented. Banning imports is not
unprecedented. U.S. officials have done that before with other countries like Iran, Russia, and Cuba.
What's different here, what makes this unprecedented is that, of course, Canada is a major U.S. ally and trading partner.
However, the devil, as always, is going to be in the details. And experts say that the impact for U.S. consumers, it could be limited, at least
initially. That's for a few reasons. First off, companies have had time to try to rush in imports before these restrictions, before this ban actually
kicked in.
And then there's also some details here around the size of the imports. And essentially, companies from Canada, they are allowed to import into the
U.S. if it's a smaller amount of alcohol.
[12:50:02]
So, for whiskey and liqueurs, anything below four liters is allowed. Above four liters is exempt from the ban. And for some companies, notably Crown
Royal, a major Canadian whiskey company, they already send bulk shipments to the United States. So, they're well positioned here.
Just to remind everyone how we got here though. A lot of this started early last year. U.S. imposed tariffs, Canada, some of their provinces, they
responded by banning U.S. alcohol, U.S. imposed tariffs. Canada retaliated again, and now we have this ban on Canadian alcohol and other goods
including non-alcoholic beer, whey protein, and motorcycles.
I think all of this just shows how you can get stuck in an escalatory cycle where one country retaliates against the next and it kind of goes on and on
from there.
And so now, Zain and Bianna, we wait for the next shoe to drop and we see what it's going to take to try to resolve this intensifying trade war.
Back to you guys.
GOLODRYGA: We're not going to have any shoes or anything left to drop here. Matt Egan, thank you.
EGAN: Thanks, guys.
ASHER: We'll be right back with more after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: All right. If you have a fear of heights, you may want to look away. Well, how am I supposed to tell the story?
ASHER: Yes, I'm looking away. I'm doing this right now.
GOLODRYGA: The COTALAND Theme Park in Austin, Texas, featuring the Circuit Breaker Ride left 19 people dangling more than 100 feet off the ground this
weekend.
ASHER: Oh. The whole thing was captured on, of course, it was, captured on video by one rider. Officials say the ride stalled not once but twice. The
good news that nobody was injured.
Andrew Lamparski of CNN affiliate K-View (ph) takes a closer look at what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREW LAMPARSKI, REPORTER (voice-over): They made it to the top of Circuit Breaker Saturday ready for a drop of over 100 feet, but that's when
Nicholas Thomas realized --
NICHOLAS THOMAS, ROLLERCOASTER ENTHUSIAST: What? Oh, my God. No way. Oh, my God, we're stuck.
LAMPARSKI (voice-over): He and 18 other riders were stuck vertically for nearly 10 minutes.
LAMPARSKI: Were you expecting what happened?
THOMAS: Not at all. A self-described roller coaster enthusiast, Thomas got the whole thing on camera.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, guys, we're going to go down and slow as you guys. Please do not feel rushed and hold on to the rails.
THOMAS: They were very good about keeping everybody calm, getting everybody down.
[12:55:02]
LAMPARSKI (voice-over): He says despite the scare, he felt safe.
THOMAS: It was designed to do that.
LAMPARSKI (voice-over): COTALAND confirmed the incident in a statement Monday saying, riders remained safe the entire time. Writing the coaster,
quote, "Has numerous sensors and safety systems that continuously monitor operating conditions. If a required condition is not satisfied, the system
may automatically stop the ride rather than allow it to continue."
Brian David Avery, a professor at the University of Florida who researches risk and safety management, says these kinds of stops aren't unheard of and
are actually a part of keeping riders safe.
BRIAN DAVID AVERY, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA: I wouldn't say this is normal, but it's, you know, not uncommon at the end of the day. We're
seeing more of these types of situations within the last year or so. A lot of them are doing their jobs. The safety features are detecting problems.
LAMPARSKI (voice-over): Thomas says he got back on this weekend for a full ride, leaving with a Circuit Breaker t-shirt.
THOMAS: Now, I'm going to college to become an engineer to build these rides that everybody loves.
LAMPARSKI (voice-over): And says he'll still be back to COTALAND.
THOMAS: Well, is good. Well, we're going to be on the news. That's for sure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: You are. Yes, you are. Would you take out your phone? Would you have the wherewithal to take out your phone?
GOLODRYGA: Well, he's an enthusiast. And at least something good is going to come out of this.
ASHER: Oh, my God.
GOLODRYGA: He's going to go to college and make sure this doesn't happen again.
ASHER: And study it.
GOLODRYGA: So thank you, Nicholas. Keep your feet on the ground, that's what I do.
That's it for "One World" today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. "Amanpour" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
