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One World with Zain Asher

Hunt For Motive As New Details Emerge About Flydubai Attack; More Scrutiny On 2024 Alleged Gang Rape At Cornell University; U.S. Troops Withdraw From Iraq; Completing 12-Year Mission; Kushner's Company has major Stake In Firm Linked To Israeli Military; Trump Starting 32-day Campaign Blitz In Texas; Tennessee Halts Execution After Inmate Survives Lethal Drug; Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger To Take Effect October 6; Sotheby's Auctioning Off JMW Turner painting; Aired 12-1p ET

Aired October 01, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:29]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. You are watching the second hour of "One World."

(CHEERING)

Celebrations in Israel after an apparent hijacking is thwarted on a Flydubai flight. But sharp questions are emerging as investigators search

for answers.

And new details in the alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell University. We'll share exactly what we've learned.

And the state of Tennessee has paused all executions for the remainder of the year, after two lethal doses of a drug failed to kill a death row

inmate.

The pilot and passengers are being hailed as heroes around the world, day after what's being described as a foiled attempted hijacking on a flight

bound for Israel. Now, the Israeli prime minister says the suspect may have extremist leanings.

Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News earlier today the alleged attacker, one of the pilots on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel, underwent, quote,

Islamist radical indoctrination. He also says it's clear that the suspect, who he says is an Omani national was suicidal, telling CBS News that he

might have used an axe to attack the pilot.

Prime Minister Netanyahu also spoke to CNN. Here's some of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The Israeli passenger burst in, saw the attacking co-pilot hover over the instruments. He wasn't sitting in

the two -- in one of the two pilot seats, but he was trying to jam the instruments. The Israeli passenger, Yaniv, took him back, threw him back,

took the controls, the stick, and pulled it back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: And here's a glimpse of the panic inside the cabin. An Israeli man tells CNN that his wife sounded the alarm when she took her six-year-

old daughter to the bathroom. She heard unusual noises from the cockpit, then rushed to wake up one of the additional pilots on the plane. He and

other passengers then ran in to overpower the suspect.

Captain Smit Machchhar is also being praised for his courage. During the attack, he was able to fight back and, crucially, managed to unlock the

cockpit door. The Israeli prime minister said, this incident is different from the others because, quote, the good guys won.

CNN's Nic Robertson joins us now from Jerusalem. Just an incredible story, Nic, as these passengers have spent a full night back at home, still I

would imagine traumatized by the events, but so grateful and fortunate for the heroism of that pilot and also of those passengers. One of them who

spoke with the prime minister, a plumber by training, had no flight experience and yet seem to grab control of the airplane before the reserve

backup pilots were able to land it.

Just talk about what we're learning. And I guess also get into what the prime minister said they've learned about this attacker that he underwent,

quote, Islamist radical indoctrination. What is that based upon?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, it is based upon personal information. That's what the prime minister is saying that -- and

this is what we would expect intelligence agencies and investigators to do, would be immediately to comb through the social media feeds of the -- of

the suspect, of the attacker, and therefore to kind of get an idea of what they're thinking.

And the prime minister has come to this conclusion clearly that -- that whatever he's seen, whatever the intelligence services have seen, it

indicates that he has had some kind of Islamist radical indoctrination.

And I think we get a sense of that as well from the attorney general in the Emirates, the UAE, which is where Flydubai is based and they would have

legal jurisdiction, they say, in a case like this, because they are the hub, the base of operations, the place that this -- Flydubai is based out

of.

The attorney general there has already started an investigation and it's looking to see if there are any terror elements in it. And at the same time

looking to see if there was planning and if there was any other input from anyone else outside.

[12:05:02]

So, was this pre-planned? And was it pre-planned just by the -- the -- the pilot? Or was it -- were others involved? Was this he instigated to do

this? So, these are the open questions at the moment.

But we don't know yet where he is, where -- where the attack is. We know, obviously, that he -- that he was taken off the plane in Saudi Arabia. We

know that he was given medical treatment there.

But what we heard from the Israeli prime minister today, he said, look, Israel is going to be involved in the investigation. We expect him to be

extradited to the -- to the Emirates. The Emirates expect him to be extradited there. And that's where the investigation will go.

But we haven't heard from the Saudis saying that has happened. It could have happened quietly, but that -- that sort of that part of it.

But the picture you're painting there of the sort of terror on the plane, but the relief today, the words that are being used here are courageous and

resourceful, that people knew that they had to -- they had to act quickly, that you could have a plumber who had some knowledge of what you do with

the controls on a plane, pull them up, pull them back when the plane's plummeting down.

As aviation experts have said, if the plane had kept going at that rate, it quite literally would have broken up. And as we saw when it was parked on

the ground, part of the tailfin had come off. It really was last-minute seat of the pants stuff.

So, yes, 174 people alive today who might not have been, thanks to the swift, courageous actions of a few people on the plane.

GOLODRYGA: A few people doing God's work, really, in saving everyone else on that plane, including the pilot. It is reassuring to hear that he

appears to be in stable condition now to have the wherewithal to open that cockpit door as he was being attacked. He truly is a hero as well.

Nic Robertson, thank you. Always good to see you, my friend.

Well, Israel has some of the world's strictest aviation security protocols. So, one key question for investigators is how the suspect was apparently

able to clear any vetting process.

Israel says the suspect, who has yet to be identified, is an Omani national. Oman and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations. And

Israeli security officials tell CNN its internal security agency, the Shin Bet, is supposed to vet all airline personnel flying into Israel from the

UAE.

Let's bring in CNN senior national security analyst Juliette Kayyem. She's also a former Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security

and a professor at Harvard University. Juliette, it's good to see you.

So, as we heard, the Israeli prime minister, other Israeli officials have called this an attempted terror attack. The motives, thus far, are yet

unknown or unconfirmed.

What evidence will establish whether this suspect acted as a lone wolf or in some sort of larger collaboration with either a nation state or other

terrorist group?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: That's exactly the question right now.

So -- so, where everyone, it's just a rational human being at this stage, would view this as a terrorist incident. And the question is, what -- what

is meant by that? And that's where investigators are looking.

This is an international investigation now involving not just the Gulf States, but, of course, Israel. We don't know the name of the suspect yet,

the co-pilot, but whether he did travel.

So, they're going to do a typical investigation here even though this is a big deal, right? It's going to be physical assessments of who he's been

with, his family and friends, travel, and then of course a digital footprint.

When the prime minister of Israel says, you know, a radicalization process, that's a -- that's a terminology that has, you know, could have different

meanings. So, we know self-radicalization occurs online, so that is something that investigators are going to look at.

We also know that it can be promoted by a terrorist group, that he might have traveled and aligned with the terrorist group, got this kind of

training or, of course, a state sponsor. So right now, we don't -- we don't yet know and so this narrative, you know, we have to be careful about how

far this narrative is pushed.

I -- I also want to say, you know, there is alternative theories. I don't think they're -- they're more likely than the one that everyone is looking

at now, which is, of course, some sort of mental breakdown that -- that showed itself, exhibited itself, with Israeli passengers. I think that's

less likely, but investigators will be looking at that as well because were there missed cues about a mental deterioration in the last couple of weeks?

We've seen cases like this in the past.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, most recently in Germany in 2015.

Israel --

KAYYEM: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: -- as we know, is now tightening checks on pilots flying into the country. Of course, it would be expected that countries around the

world are doing the same, including the United States.

[12:10:02]

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that they've also now tightened their investigation and just clamping down on any sort of perceived threats. He

said, they've seen no pickup in threats.

But given your previous role at DHS, what would you expect the U.S. government's actions to be following an attack like this?

KAYYEM: Right.

GOLODRYGA: We know there were American citizens on this plane as well.

KAYYEM: Absolutely. So look, the -- the -- the standards for pilots, let alone airplanes, are set by the International Aviation sort of committee.

Obviously, we want airplanes in the sky to all abide by at least bare minimums.

Each country then can overlay additional requirements. Israel, for example, in terms of the pilots that are allowed to land in -- in -- in Israel. The

United States, right now, has pending legislation approved by the Senate.

It's -- it's lingering in the House to provide more mental health services to pilots because of the stigma that's often involved or -- or their

worries that they would be penalized for coming for it. I think this is important legislation to take the stigma out of a very high stress job. And

if people need mental health support, they should get it.

One thing I wouldn't do is change the sanctity of the cockpit. I -- I -- this -- look, this is an amazing story about what the -- the -- the stabbed

pilot was able to do. I don't -- I don't -- I can't imagine how he just knew he had to open the door.

But for 25 years since 9/11, the cockpit has remained pristine, secure for good reason. And it's been very successful. Two pilots versus 400

passengers, that's the way you have to think about it. It's very important that we learn and -- and maybe tighten what pilots can bring into the

cockpit. We look at mental health issues and radicalization issues.

But I am -- you know, based on my experience for 25 plus years in this space, this has been a good rule and I would -- I would hope that we

continue -- continue it.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much for your analysis. Appreciate it.

Well, more scrutiny over the alleged gang rape at Cornell University. The Ivy League School has now agreed to the New York governor's call for an

independent review of the case. "The New York Times" also reports that it has exclusive records of the institution's sealed Title IX investigation

documenting what Jane Doe told campus police in 2024. Doe's attorney corroborated the report and denied leaking it.

The outrage over how this case was handled has some New York lawmakers pushing to revamp state sexual assault laws. State assembly members are

backing a bill they say will make it easier to prosecute cases that involve intoxicated victims.

Let's bring in CNN's Brynn Gingras who has been following the case closely. What more have we learned, especially from some of the questions that

lawmakers now have in the state, Brynn?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what we're learning, Bianna, is a whole trove of evidence, a whole trove of documents is really

has -- was available and really wasn't made available to the people that could have possibly prosecuted this case.

And here, let me break it all down for you, right? We've been reporting on this sort of summary of an interview that Jane Doe had with campus --

Cornell campus police back in 2024, six-page summary of what she said happened, right?

Well, there is actually a much larger version of that interview that she had with police. In fact, "The New York Times," who got ahold of this

comprehensive Title IX investigative report, which was leaked to them because that is, you know, federally protected, essentially says that that

interview with police went on for 120 pages. It went on for hours.

So, you can imagine just comparing those two things side by side, the amount of detail that is in that bigger investigative report as opposed to

the small summary that was handed to the D.A.'s office when he said that he could not press charges.

All right. So, let's go through exactly what "The New York Times" is saying is in that report as they continue to go through it. So, according to "The

New York Times" report, some of the biggest revelations that we have been seeing is that, you know, Jane Doe had a really hard time processing

exactly what had happened to her. At first, she was in denial. She told her roommates that she wasn't really sure exactly what had happened.

But then slowly, she was starting to see word of what happened to her spread around campus. And there was one in particular message that she saw

where someone mentioned that in talking about that fraternity, Chi Phi, that they are, quote, terrible people. They gang raped a sophomore. She

says in this report from "The New York Times," that "The New York Times" has read that once she saw that, she felt she had sort of permission and

realization of what happened to her and that's when she actually went to police and gave her statement, in addition to doing a number of other

things like going to get medical care, also preserving some of the evidence that she -- she believed would -- could be evidence.

[12:15:11]

So, it's pretty remarkable to see how much information was at the hands of some people in this investigation when it took place in 2024 and how much

was given to the district attorney at the time when he decided to decline to press charges.

GOLODRYGA: This story is not going away. That -- that is clear. Brynn Gingras, thank you.

GINGRAS: All right.

GOLODRYGA: And still to come on "One World," it's the beginning of a new chapter in Iraq as the U.S. military withdraws its forces for the second

time in more than a decade.

Plus, the new CNN investigation examines Jared Kushner's role as a Gaza peace negotiator while his company has a major stake in a firm linked to

Israel's military. We'll have details, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: For more than two decades, America has had a military presence in Iraq. That ended on Wednesday when U.S. troops ended a 12-year mission

to fight the Islamic State. It marks the second U.S. withdrawal from the country. In 2003, America and a coalition of allies invaded Iraq in the

wake of the 9/11 attacks and then pulled out in 2011.

This week's withdrawal was part of an agreement reached under the Biden administration.

Time now for The Exchange and my conversation with Laith Kubba. He's a former advisor to Iraqi President Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi and an

Iraqi political strategist. Welcome to the program.

We were scheduled to have you on yesterday, but obviously with the breaking news about the attempted plane hijacking, we pushed it to today.

It is still extremely relevant, Laith, as Iraqis are celebrating what they describe as sovereignty days. You described this moment as also one of

anxiety.

Does the American withdrawal give Iraq greater control over its future or leave it more exposed, perhaps, to Iran?

LAITH KUBBA, FORMER ADVISOR TO IRAQI PRESIDENT PRIME MINISTER ADEL ABDUL- MAHDI: I think in the short term, you would see currently celebration in the streets in Baghdad and parts of Iraq.

Mainly, I would say, all factions that are pro-Iran are celebrating. They see it as a moment of triumph. The withdrawal of American troops. You will

see an opposite feeling, I think, in the Kurdish area. It's a moment of anxiety where even the symbolic presence of troops indicates some form of

protection or connection to the region that has gone. And I think there is anxiety in the Kurdish area.

[12:20:17]

And within Iraqi national circles in government, there is a mixed feeling, the main reason behind the mixed feeling not that those soldiers were

really effective in anything doing currently in Iraq, yes, in a way their main purpose has finished with the end of Daesh ISIS, but what causes the

anxiety is the ambiguity of the U.S. policy towards Iraq. This is not clear.

In the past two decades, the U.S. had a policy. It coexisted with Iran. They used to push each other slightly over influence, but there was a

balance. Today, there is a war between Iran and the U.S. and Iraq is just as important to Iran as the Strait of Hormuz. And that is the reason with

that withdrawal, I think Iran had consolidated some influence in Iraq. And for a lot of Iraqis, that also causes anxiety.

So, it's not really clear-cut, despite all the celebrations. I think in days to come, the question is, who's going to fill the vacuum?

GOLODRYGA: Iran-backed militias have long used the American presence there in the country to justify their keeping their weapons. With U.S. troops

gone, will they now disarm and what leverage does Baghdad have if they refuse?

KUBBA: I think it's with certainty they will not disarm in an effective way. They might have gestures here and there. And I think the U.S. is

taking a gamble that the current prime minister and the Iraqi government can deliver on controlling their weapons. And the only leverage the U.S.

has, effective leverage, currently, is the supply of dollars. And of course, that's a very crude leverage because it'll harm the whole country.

I think there is a -- a -- a miscalculation there to assume that those armed groups will drop their arms. I think so long as there is a -- a

battle going on with Iran, Iran would definitely support them to keep their arms, to stay effective, and they are Iran's main leverage over the

politics of Iraq.

GOLODRYGA: We know that this was a deal and an agreement that was negotiated with President Trump's predecessor, President Biden, but he

obviously did that without a regional war going on.

What do you make of the timing of the president now following through on that agreement, despite the fact that there has now been a war launched,

the United States launched alongside Israel, that in many respects has exposed Iraq and its vulnerability?

KUBBA: I think over the last two years, we've seen from the U.S. government under Trump, a lot of transactional policies, short-term convenient. And

the calculus is very, very different from what America did or used to do in the Middle East or in Iraq specifically in the last two decades.

So, whatever the actual reasons for going along with it without clear parameters, in my view, is transactional. And I think what causes the

anxiety, irrespective of whether one agrees or disagrees with what the U.S. does in Iraq, at least there were clear parameters and you would know

America's priorities, America's limits and red lines.

Currently, things are not clear in the same way we saw it with the war on Iran and the closure of Strait of Hormuz and switching back and forth. The

worry is much, much bigger if you do it in Iraq because Iraq is fragile. The government is not as strong as a lot of people assume. And there are

lots of fissures underneath.

So, Iraq has exposure, and I think it's for those who think deeply, it's a moment of anxiety on what is ahead. There -- there will be many gray areas

within Iraq's geography and power circles on the balance. How is it going to be filled in?

The -- the current trajectory, I think, is for Iran to strengthen and consolidate its influence inside Iraq. And there is a gamble that the state

of Iraq can actually contain that. It's a gamble.

GOLODRYGA: It's a gamble, and I'm sure those gray areas that you just described are some that Iran clearly has their eyes set on and trying to

take advantage of at the moment as well. We'll continue following this development and the conversation with you in the weeks and months to come.

[12:25:13]

Laith Kubba, thank you for your time.

KUBBA: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, the new CNN investigation has found that while the U.S. President's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, acted as a key Middle East peace

negotiator, his private equity firm held the largest stake in an Israeli company. That company backed businesses tied to Israel's military campaign

in Gaza, including its largest arms manufacturer.

CNN's Katie Polglase investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER (voice-over): Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, often seen acting as America's unofficial

peace envoy to the Middle East.

JARED KUSHNER, UNITED STATES SPECIAL ENVOY FOR PEACE: Why can't the world be better? Why can't there be peace? Why can't there be more prosperity?

POLGLASE: But he's also a billionaire private investor.

KUSHNER: The fund's doing great and we've got a great team, great portfolio.

POLGLASE: And a CNN investigation has now found that his firm, Affinity Partners, is the largest shareholder in an Israeli financial giant, backing

businesses that provide equipment to the Israeli military. Equipment that has been used in Israel's wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. The same wars

Trump sent Kushner to resolve.

His Israeli investment is the latest in a series of examples where Kushner has blurred the lines between business and politics. The dual roles have

drawn sharp criticism from some, but Kushner has wholeheartedly embraced it.

KUSHNER: When you get, you know, an Arab and Israeli together and they start talking about a business opportunity, they forget about everything

else.

POLGLASE: It all begins back in January 2021, President Trump leaves office. The next day, Kushner sets up a firm that would become Affinity

Partners, with financial backing later coming from the Saudi state and then later Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Fast forward to July 2024,

Affinity buys a stake in Israel financial institution, Phoenix Financial.

Then in January 2025, days before Trump returns to the White House, Affinity doubles its stake in Phoenix, making it the largest shareholder.

By October 2025, Kushner is publicly involved in politics, standing in Tel Aviv celebrating the release of the hostages after weeks negotiating a

ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

POLGLASE: This is perhaps one of the most prominent moments when Kushner is performing both roles as a businessman and a diplomat at the same time.

Here he is negotiating a peace deal for Gaza while also holding an investment in an Israeli company that is backing some of the very

businesses linked to the war in Gaza. And thanks to Israeli transparency laws, we can see what some of those businesses are.

POLGLASE (voice-over): CNN went through thousands of financial records. And amid the hundreds of companies Phoenix invests in, we identified at least

nine supplying military equipment for Israel. Affinity doesn't directly hold a stake in the nine companies CNN identified, but it does stand to

reap rewards when Phoenix makes a profit from such investments.

All nine companies saw their stock market value rise last year, and many said they've seen a material increase in business as a result of the war in

Gaza. Phoenix's shares in these companies are worth more than $456 million.

One of the nine companies was Elbit Systems --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The IDF also made operational use of the lob launcher.

POLGLASE (voice-over): -- Israel's largest arms manufacturer.

We've previously traced Elbit's weapons to multiple Israeli strikes that have killed civilians. We also found Israel shipyards on Phoenix's books.

They supply warships to the Israeli Navy, ships that have repeatedly fired on Gaza.

Further companies include one making gearboxes for Israeli tanks and another making electronic fuses for shells used in Gaza.

POLGLASE: An attorney for Kushner told us Kushner is not involved in Phoenix's decisions and where to invest. He's not on their board and he's

never held a management role at the company.

But we found Kushner's relationship with Phoenix is actually a bit more complicated.

POLGLASE (voice-over): He told Forbes in September last year he had a very active dialogue with Phoenix, meeting with their team every few weeks. And

an attorney for Kushner told us this was true at the time and that Kushner regularly spoke with Phoenix about the company, broader market trends and

potential strategic opportunities.

Here he is talking about how he's encouraged Phoenix to invest in the Gulf. Phoenix, which is a monster company, is now looking at investments in Saudi

Arabia, investments in UAE.

POLGLASE (voice-over): This encouragement, in fact, goes both ways.

KUSHNER: My investors from the Middle East are now looking at Israel and they're saying, wait a minute, maybe there's a benefit to having these wars

done and they're seeing a good example there.

POLGLASE (voice-over): Around the same time this podcast published, Kushner was working on Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan.

Kushner's attorney told us that Kushner has significantly reduced his interaction with Phoenix management since becoming substantially more

engaged in volunteer public service and diplomatic efforts.

Nevertheless, Kushner has held this Israeli investment amid his diplomacy.

[12:30:05]

In July this year, Kushner's firm cashed in a quarter of its stake in Phoenix for more than $340 million, a return of more than five times its

original investment.

Kushner's firm, Affinity, still remains Phoenix's largest shareholder.

Katie Polglase, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: And Phoenix Financial declined to answer CNN's questions, but a spokesperson said the firm is regulated and that shareholder value is

derived primarily from operating performance rather than investment returns. None of the nine companies CNN identified commented for this

report.

The White House said Kushner's personal business activities have nothing to do with his diplomatic engagements.

And still to come on "One World," President Trump is hitting the campaign trail to boost Republicans, but a leaked recording is raising questions

about whether his presence is actually helping his party.

Plus, a death row inmate in Tennessee survives two doses of a lethal drug. A look at what went wrong and why the state has now halted executions for

the remainder of the year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: President Trump is hitting the campaign trail for a 32-day blitz ahead of the midterms. His first stop is Texas, where a source says Senate

hopeful, Ken Paxton, is expected to join the president at an event.

This comes after "The New York Times" says it obtained a leaked recording in which Paxton said his poll numbers actually dropped after Trump's big

midterm convention in Dallas last month. A Paxton adviser called the "Times" story manipulated nonsense.

CNN's Betsy Klein joins us from the White House with more. Maybe a bit of an awkward reunion here as the president goes to Texas to campaign for a

beleaguered candidate, Ken Paxton. What more we expected to see from the president in these final days before the midterms?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Certainly, Bianna, all eyes are going to be on that meeting between President Trump and Ken Paxton in

Texas a little bit later today. The president is getting ready to depart the White House any moment now.

[12:35:10]

But his mind has been focused squarely on the midterms. And we heard that yesterday as he repeatedly complained during an event that was supposed to

be focused on honoring Hispanic American Heritage Month that his party was not doing enough to promote its message.

And that comes as the president is really facing some dismal polling, about 35 percent approval rating according to CNN's poll of polls. And we are

starting to see even some Republican candidates place some strategic distance between themselves and the president and his policies.

But the president is about to kick off what's expected to be a midterm blitz, heading to states both battleground and deep red today, including

both Texas and Oklahoma. And the goal here and the strategy is really to turn out his MAGA base and really boost turnout amongst his most ardent

supporters here.

The goal, he says, is also to convince skeptical Americans that he's doing a good job. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, there are, by a lot, more Americans working today than at any time in the history of our country. You

can't -- you know, that's a stat, but nobody knows it. That's why I'm doing it myself. That's why I'm doing it myself, Rachel. Can you believe it? I'm

going out because nobody's selling it.

I'm doing -- we're doing an extremely poor job of promotion and an extremely great job of running the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, privately, Trump officials concede that Republicans could lose the House in November. And there are also growing concerns that they could

lose control of the Senate as well.

The president dismissing those concerns in this new interview with "Time Magazine." He says, Republicans are going to do well and any of the polls

saying otherwise are fake. He's very bullish. He said, if Democrats take the House, however, quote, they'll probably go after me and I'll go after

them.

But we are now just 33 days away from these critical midterm elections. We're also starting to get a clearer picture of what the voter data are

saying. According to CNN's latest reporting, more than 700,000 Americans have cast their ballots across over 30 states so far.

And there's some indication that Democrats had an early advantage in motivating their voters. Of course, we should note that this data is

limited and there's still a very long way to go. So, the president doing his part to ramp up that turnout, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: You'll be following it all for us as you always do, Betsy Klein. Thank you.

The family of an American woman shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has filed two civil lawsuits related to her

death. Renee Good was killed earlier this year in Minneapolis. Her death came during the height of the Trump administration immigration crackdown,

prompting significant protests in the city and sparking national outrage.

One lawsuit names the U.S. government, while the other names the ICE agent and senior Trump administration officials. CNN has reached out to the White

House and Department of Homeland Security for a comment.

And Tennessee has halted executions for the rest of the year after two doses of a lethal drug failed to kill a death row inmate. The state had

attempted to execute 50-year-old Christa Pike on Wednesday, but the procedure was halted after the drug failed to take effect.

CNN's Ryan Young spoke to my colleague Becky Anderson about this story just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We were outside that prison yesterday. People were literally showing up just to look at the

building where this woman was going to be executed because you don't often hear about a woman being executed.

We were there at 10:00 A.M. yesterday when the stay came down and we thought, well, she would get more time. This, of course, is after this

death that happened in 1995. And then the A.G.'s office said to the Supreme Court, we would like to move forward.

So, it was 7:27 when the curtain opened and she was strapped to the gurney and she was administered those two doses of lethal injection. And after

that, people said they could hear her loudly snoring after that second attempt. It really caught people off guard in the room. Take a listen to

these witnesses who were just shocked by what they witnessed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CATHERINE SWEENEY, WPLN REPORTER: She said that there was a spot that was burning and hurting and asked if that was normal. None -- none of it was

normal. I covered all the executions last year and most of the ones this year. We haven't seen anything like it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes. And so to even take this a step further and a lot of the international viewers and many people don't even remember this, in '95, she

basically was convicted of killing a classmate. She took a large piece of asphalt and apparently hit this girl several different times to the point

of killing her, her ex-boyfriend, who was there at the time, used a knife to carve a star in her chest. So you understand how brutal this murder was.

[12:40:05]

And that victim's mother actually showed up for this execution. And then there's been this delay because they want her background to be talked about

in terms of the sexual abuse that she faced when she was a child, hoping to say that, look, she was mentally ill when this killing happened.

But all that surrounding this case doesn't explain what happened with this botched execution and the fact that she was visibly heard saying, am I

supposed to feel this way? Remember, executions are supposed to be done in a way that is, I guess they describe it as humane, and none of that sound

humane in terms of what that process was like.

And so now you know why the governor's doing this review. So, it sounds like the state of execution don't have to worry about that anymore because

the state's probably not going to be able to do this again for quite some time until they figure out their process, which you hope they would have

figured out by now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Ryan Young for that.

All right. Still to come on "One World," the merger of two titans in media from a new co-CEO to a new name. What's next for Paramount and Warner

Brothers Discovery? That's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's get a check at how markets are doing right now. Red arrows across the board, but just ever so slightly. The Dow basically

even down less than one-tenth of a percent. The NASDAQ, a little over one- tenth of a percent lower today. And the S&P 500 basically flat as well. This is your Business Breakout.

Investors keep heading for the bond market and bonds now at exit that's sending yields higher breaking through barriers we haven't seen in decades.

Yields on 10-year treasuries topped their recent highs earlier today touching 5.34 percent, a level not seen for almost a quarter of a century.

Economists say Americans have kept spending despite more than five years of higher prices, thanks largely to the relative stability of the labor

market. But Friday's U.S. jobs report for September could show how much paychecks are falling behind inflation.

And NASA and SpaceX have launched the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station. It lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida in the past

hour using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. NASA says it will take about eight hours for the crew to dock with the space station.

Paramount says that its merger with CNN parent, Warner Brothers Discovery, will take effect on October 6, creating one of the biggest media companies

in the world.

[12:45:07]

Just minutes after the judge issued an order accepting the antitrust settlement, Paramount named Mattel CEO, Ynon Kreiz, as the new co-CEO of

the combined company Kreiz-led toy giant, Mattel, for eight years.

All right. Well, fishing has long been a vital source of income for coastal communities in Madagascar. But as catches decline in some lagoons, seaweed

farming is providing an alternative, creating new livelihoods, particularly for women.

This month's Africa Insider travels to the island of Sainte-Marie, where a growing operation is changing how people earn a living.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELANIE CUEFF, SCIENTIFIC OFFICER, GLOBAL SEAWEED COALITION: The seaweed industry is not niche. There is already a global industry in place because

today we produce more than 40 million tons of seaweed.

In the last 20 years, we see that the market has tripled, producing more than 40 million tons per year.

In a world that is looking for decarbonation and alternatives to fossil fuel solution, there is growing opportunities for the seaweed sector to

develop.

MANON MUSEUX, OFFSHORE OPERATIONS COORDINATOR, NOSY BORAHA SEAWEED: I think there is a special environment in Sainte-Marie as the water temperature is

perfect for the species we grow. And also, because of the protection with the reef barrier, so it's a perfect environment for us.

We work close to villagers, actually, so they don't work for us, we work together. In 2021 when we started, we started with like 21 farmers. At the

end of the 2021, we were at 38. And now, we are at 121 farmers.

Seaweed farming has brought a lot of change in the village as women has now the choice to do what really can bring them money. I will say 80 percent of

our workers are women.

MARGUERITE LANTOU, SEAWEED FARMER (through text translation): Seaweed farming allowed me to build something. It allowed me to build my own house

and to provide for my children's education. Two of whom are now pursuing studies at university and one is in middle school. Thanks to this work, I

always manage to provide for all their needs.

CLARITA BE MAURICE, SEAWEED FARMER (through text translation): Seaweed farming has truly transformed my life. Having raised my children and

grandchildren alone all my life, this work is what allows me to provide for their schooling and their daily well-being. Without this activity, I could

not manage today.

CUEFF: Seaweed is an alternative source of revenue for traditional fishing village. We can see a shift in lagoon where there is less fish. People

really shift from fishing to seaweed farming, also because it brings stable revenue.

When you go fishing at sea, you cannot guaranty you will come back with fish. When you go harvest your seaweed, most of the time, you guarantee an

income.

MUSEUX: I have seen the growth. In 2021, we were doing like one container each six months, and now we are like, at minimum, one container per week.

So, yes, you see a lot of production, but what is also coming with that is that the revenue of each farmers has tripled since the beginning.

BE MAURICE (through text translation): I am proud of the progress made. I am convinced that within 10 years, our village will have undergone new,

very positive transformations.

MUSEUX: For me, it's perfect because you create value for people and you -- you grow with them also. So, it's -- for me, it's a big -- one of the

biggest achievement for the moment in my life to -- to do that with them. And I hope we will still doing seaweed in Sainte-Marie for like many years

again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right. Still to come on "One World," a British artist's masterpiece painting could set a new auction record when it goes up for

sale.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:58]

GOLODRYGA: All right. Let's return to the Paramount merger with CNN parent, Warner Brothers Discovery. It is expected to take effect on October 6th,

creating one of the biggest media companies in the world.

CNN's Brian Stelter has been following developments for us. Brian, a big day yesterday, a new co-CEO named Ynon Kreiz, who was up until yesterday

the CEO of Mattel.

What does this mean? What is the signal for the company ahead and for subscribers?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: I think it's a major statement by David Ellison who's in his 40s. He's bringing in Kreiz, who's in his 60s

who is, you know, what we would think of as an established CEO, someone who has led a major publicly traded company for many years. That's something

that David Ellison has not done.

So, you might look at this as this incoming media mogul with the help of his father, Larry Ellison, taking over one of the biggest media empires in

the world and recognizing that he's going to need some seasoned hands around him to do it.

So, he's bringing in Kreiz, who comes from Mattel who has a long history in Hollywood, who's -- he's walked to the red carpets, who's negotiated the

deals, who's also done a lot of cost cutting and a lot of layoffs in his years. And that's, of course, going to be part of the challenge for this

merged Paramount-Warner when the deal takes effect next week.

The -- the -- the Wall Street analysts have been promised $6 billion in synergies. So, that's going to be the task for the co-CEO to deliver. While

Ellison says he's going to be thinking more about long-term strategy, talent relationships, capital allocation, things like that.

So, it's a divvying up of the portfolio and it's really an assessment of what this company is going to look like, because as you were talking about

earlier, one of the biggest media companies on the planet by bringing Paramount and Warner together, by bringing Paramount Plus and HBO Max

together in, by bringing in CNN and CBS News together.

And by this time next week, we'll have a much better sense of who's going to be running all those parts of the company.

GOLODRYGA: Including what the new company's name will be as well. You'll be covering it for us. Brian Stelter, good to see you.

STELTER: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Well, British artist, William Turner's, painting is expected to fetch a record price at auction in December. The piece is called "Rome, for

Mount Aventine." and is very well preserved and will be shown in Hong Kong and New York before it goes on sale at Sotheby's in London.

The painting is currently on display in Rome where our Stefano Pozzebon has a close-up look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you look at this painting close enough, you can actually see William Turner's fingerprint nearly two

centuries after he left it there. And that's not even the only trace of him. There are also marks from his palette knife and even hair from his

paintbrush still caught in the paint.

That is because Rome, from Mount Aventine has survived in extraordinary conditions. In its nearly 200-year history, it's never been restored.

Turner painted it in the 1830s after studying this view from Rome which has quite changed since Turner's time.

It was originally commissioned by his friend Hugh Munro. And then in 1878, a future British Prime Minister bought it as a wedding gift for Hannah the

Rothschild.

[12:55:07]

It stayed in the family until 2014, when it was sold for almost $50 million, setting a record for Turner that still stands today. It's back in

Rome before going under the hammer again in December. And this time, Sotheby's expect to fetch more than $66 million.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: All right. That does it for "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga. "Amanpour" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:00]

END